<< part of my continuing series recording memories to assure myself I've actually been to the places I think I've been to>>

I'm doing New York in two parts. This part is just about the New York City area. At some time in the future I may write about the not-NYC part of New York. 

Excelsior is Latin for “Higher.” And the NY state motto. Now you know.

Despite growing up just 3 hours south of New York City, it was never an experience for me as a child. NYC was that far away overwhelming dangerous big city. Nevermind that we went to DC a lot,  Philly sometimes, and Baltimore upon occasion -- I do not have one childhood memory of going to NYC.

My first NYC memory is when I was about 19 and I had an interview in NYC for some summer internship (that I didn’t get). I stayed with my cousin who lived in Brooklyn, navigating my own way via Amtrak & subway. By this point I’d already spent time in Madrid and maybe London - city transit did not intimidate. About that same age - maybe a year plus or minus, I met up with a few friends in Manhattan. We went to my first Broadway play - something forgettable with Mark Hamilin (yes, of Star Wars fame) as the lead called. . . queue me going on a google dive to find the name . . .yes, found it THE NERD 1987-88. That would have made me 18. I remember it as it was my first NYC play. And I remember noticing how the sidewalk of Broadway sparkled in the night light. I thought then, as I do now, that more sidewalks should be sparkly. 

Across the years I’ve had a number of trips to NYC. I've had a work meeting or two there; a work meeting or two just outside the city that I would tack on a day or two to visit into the city. Plus a few other personal trips here and there. One that sticks out in mempry: while I was living in San Franciso, 3 of us gals did a weekend in NYC in November 2008. We ate our way through top chef restaurants, went to night clubs and speakeasy style bars. It was wonderful and we felt so chic doing the cross continental weekend trip to the Big Apple. Here, a photo of us at Buddakan. 

In January 2017 CM Adams ​​​​​​​ invited me to this event in NYC (well, Brooklyn) called Zlatne Uste Golden Fest. It became a mini-reunion as a few other college friends joined; we’d do the event and then some city tourist things. I must shout: ZLATNE USTE GOLDEN FEST IS THE BEST PARTY. Rooms of music, tons of dancing, great food, fancy fancy location “Grand Prospect Hall”.

I ended up going back 2018, 2019, 2020 and then it didn’t happen in the Pandemic years. The venue got sold and demolished. Very sad :-( I thought the Golden Fest would become one of those awesome things in my past, never to experience again. However, it appears they have found a new location and it will happen this May 2024! Same bat party, new bat venue! I just got tickets & bringing my kiddo!  WOOT WOOT. Also WOOOOOT.

Just last fall I did a 3 night jaunt to NYC to see the Broadway revival Sweeney Todd - the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. I was only vaguely aware of this musical, but a friend really really wanted to see it. I was happy to join her and have an excuse to visit the city. The musical was great. The eateries we went to were great. The Brooklyn Museum was well worth it. Consuming too many mimosas (because we couldn’t find any Bloody Marys) and talking about art for hours was definitely worth it. It’s always great to have an excuse to visit NYC. I’m glad I have another one coming up soon.

So yes, New York City. Been there.

As the years go by, my lack of memory intensifies. I can no longer recall which memories I recorded for this project. 

Can’t you just look up what you’ve written? Well sure, except I’m on a plane on my way to Los Angeles for a mini-vacation. And I don’t want to spend the $29 for wifi. I’m reading a book that mentions sound & light at 40Hz can improve brain function in mice. Maybe in mice and men? I’m thinking I might make one of my LED strip flash at 40 hz and see if that does anything other than annoy me.

But I’m pretty sure I did NOT record Oregon yet, so here goes.

This same 40Hz book mentioned memoirs aren't just recorded memories, they are reflections on learning from those memories. I will endeavor to be more reflective, but for now just MEMORIES of OREGON, not a Memoir.

Oregon. I don’t know its motto since again, NO WIFI. That will have to be a learning from a future time. 

Portland Oregon is a town I went to a few times for work, I’m thinking around 2007-2009. At the time, there was an Antiques and World Goods shop there that I really enjoyed owned by Stalin’s niece (maybe great-niece). It was called Monkey something. I bought a spirit house and some corded dragons there, and some Indonesian style puppets which I gifted to my mother. Later, when she passed, my cousin asked for them and displays them in her house to this day. This store is no longer in business - I looked. They have that massive bookstore Powell's which wasn’t as magical as I had expected. They have a hot-chocolate shop - like a coffee shop but for hot chocolate - a different interesting experience. I remember noticing there were more folks with dreadlocks than I was used to seeing in San Francisco or elsewhere.

Eugene Oregon is a town I went to a few times for work in the 90s. I recalled microbreweries and a campus art museum that I never got around to visiting. The work there was at a semiconductor factory, the only semiconductor factory I’ve ever been to. It was super clean and they certainly used some different equipment than the power plants and water treatment plants I was more used to. ALSO, I just remembered, this was the site of the worst car accident of my life. I was a passenger in a car driven by my boss and we were t-boned on our way to the kickoff meeting. No one was hurt but the rental car was totaled. Boss was super shook-up. I popped into the nearby drugstore to get a disposable camera as this was well before cell phone cameras. And documented the carnage, which turned out to be useful in the ensuing insurance issues. I remember two weeks later when I came back to continue the software implementation, the rental car folks were all “Hi, we remember you!”

Just this year I went with my brother and cousins to Oregon for a nature/hiking vacation. We visited Crater Lake National Park which was cool. Crossed the border to Lava Beds National Monument - which is more about caving than surface lava beds. Also cool - well actually it was super hot. But interesting! And we hiked/rafted the Rouge River. We had an outfitter who arranged the trip which was a 40 or so miles hiking along the river, with stays at lovely lodges every night. And if you decided you didn’t want to hike you could ride the supply raft on the river instead, I opted for about 60% hiking, 40% rafting. It was a very enjoyable experience and I’m thinking I’ll do more outfitter supported multi day trips in future years.

Ok so, I’ve been to Oregon. Check!

Continuing a short series on things I've learned on my Summer 2023 trip to Iceland, Norway, Amsterdam & Paris

Things I’ve learned this summer 2023 trip: # 4 - TRAVEL APPS

CITYMAPPER is the best app I’ve ever had for getting around in an unknown city. I’m surprised they don’t charge for it. It makes it stupid easy to figure out the best way to get from here to there within a city. It’s also easy to say: hey, I want to go by bus, not the fastest way like the metro so I can see more things on the trip. Or you can get the options that minimize the walk (because rain, or temperature, or sore feet or whatever). I used it a bit in Reykjavik & Oslo, and a bunch in Amsterdam & Paris. It’s going to be a permanent part of my travel toolkit.   

I bought & loaded my 24hour Amsterdam transit pass on my phone through their app (which I've already erased). Worked like a champ & I didn't have to go anywhere special to get it. In Paris I didn't use an app, I used the Navigo Easy+ transit card - still have 5 rides loaded on it. I also loaded the DC Metro app onto my phone and used it to get to Dulles, and expect to use  it going forward. The DC metro goes all the way to the Dulles terminal now. Yay. But I also got a smartTrip transit card for my kid, because I wasn't up to figuring out how/if you could pay for two people with the app - I had a plane to catch! 

There is this PASSPORT app that I recorded my passport info into. I didn't really use it, but it was great piece of mind. 

I know a lot of people use currency conversion apps. I do not. The euro being about parity with the dollar, and the Norwiegan krone being about a dime made the math trival to do in ones head.

Other APPS that I used A BUNCH were not strictly travel apps. WhatsApp was my go-to for messaging as you just need wifi for it to work. I've started using Wallet linked to my credit card to pay for things. I think I only got my credit card out twice, and paid cash three or four time. I only encountered one place the entire trip that didn't take credit card - even that park bathroom that charged 2euros took credit card. Which reminds me, I should pay my credit card bill. 

Marriott has its BONVOY app, which claims you can use your phone as a door key. FINALLY. I've been requesting something like this since 2004. I'm a freaking platinum traveler, in your hotels all the time. STOP GIVING me room keys. STOP making me stand in line to get them. Give me something that works across properties, or let me use something I have already like my phone or drivers licence. .. Anyway, it didn't work. The two properties I stayed at this trip didn't have phone-keys implemented yet. So I had to get keycards from the desk after standing in line. But at least they are working on it! Also, I could check into my room the night before via the app and let them know I'd be early. So even though it wasn't checkin time, I got access to my rooms early afternoon.

Finally, there is this app called TOO GOOD TO GO that I was surprised to see in both Oslo and Paris (I didn't check elsewhere). If you are an urban dweller and flexible, I *highly recommend* you check it out. The premise is that grocery stores/resturants will offload unbought food at pennies on the dollar. But you have to be available to get it at weird times and you never know exactly what you will get. I wish it was available in my area.

Starting a short series on things I've learned on my Summer 2023 trip to Iceland, Norway, Amsterdam & Paris

Things I’ve learned this summer 2023 trip: # 1 - NORWAY BITS

• There are white snails in Oslo. Perhaps once cultivated by monks. You can eat them. (I did not).

• There is a berry called a Sea Buckthorn. Apparently popular in many cultures but I’d never heard/seen it before. I tasted it as an ice cream flavor, and it was tasty - slight citrus, bright berry tasting, just a bit sweet. 
• There is a delicious traditional Norwegian dish called Finnbiff - kind of a reindeer stroganoff served with mashed potatoes, garnished with cranberry or lingonberry sauce. It’s reason enough in and of itself to go to Norway. Especially if you can find a kind northern Norwegian to make it for you.

• Vigeland was a dude who sculpted in the 1920-40s and you should go checkout his park. It's full of neo-romantic style sculpture - like 100s of pieces. https://www.visitoslo.com/en/product/?TLp=181601  Plus he made wonderful iron art deco gates and fencing and lights. There’s a good reason this is a top tourist spot in Oslo. Recommended. I’d have stayed longer, or gone back, but some things aren’t possible with group travel. Plus my kid, as usual, was bored.

• Some of those large boulders you see in the mountain fields were trolls at one point, before the sun petrified them.
• <contributed by my kid> Shoes are typically removed when entering Norwegian homes.
• Aperol Spritz is a drink and it will be added to my regular rotation.

Just a quick update on my trip to Norway. There is a lot to tell of course; this is just a tidbit.

I've been in Norway for a week, staying outside Oslo with a generous friend who has organized a lovely week of site seeing. Mountains, waterfalls, woods, historic buildings, short hikes, visiting with her family, eating and drinking. It's been a lovely time. My daughter is with me, who would not agree. She's bored with all the adults doing things she finds dull and she misses her home/friends in Delaware. "Sheez mom, do I really have to look at another old church. It's not very interesting to me." Ah well, hope she learns to appreciate the experience when she is older. 

Today we are going into Oslo to see a art exhibit (and shop). But the highlight of this day will be dinner. One of the housemates is from a northern fishing village and has offered to cook up a traditional Norwegian dish -- with Reindeer meat. 

The other highlight of Oslo is Vigeland Park. He was a sculptor the 1910-40s and the park is full of his works and augmented with art deco gates and fencing and the like. There is a reason it is the most popular attraction in Norway. 

Got to run be a tourist now. More later (maybe)

<< part of my continuing series recording memories to assure myself I've actually been to the places I think I've been to. Now no longer in alphabetical order so I can get on with it>>

NJ is a state that borders my homestate of Delaware, so I'm through/in there a bunch.

Just spent 2 days/nights at the Jersey Shore with my little. Who isn't that little anymore, she's 12. And like many other 12 year olds, she didn't particularly want to be at the shore, she wanted to be home & online gaming and chatting with her online friends. The weather being overcast, cool and windy didn't help. Arranging the trip so that another family with a 12 year old girl was also in our group helped nominally. The spotty spotty wifi at our RV campground both helped and didn't help. 

At the beach shore, I told my kid that if she managed to catch a seagull we could go home a day early. So she enlisted the other 12 year old and the 7 year old to help, and they spent a crazy hour or so attempting to capture a seagull. They got crackers and tried building traps. They engaged in flanking maneuvers. At some point army crawling through the sand was employed. No seagulls were caught in this endevor.

I have a few other memories of New Jersey:

• When I was in college the college bowl intercollegiate match was in New Jersey somewhere (Newark maybe?).
• Also in college I dated a guy who's parents had some swank house in NJ. I got to be an akward guest there a few times. I recall having some most excellent grilled steak at his house. His name may or may not have been Ed. (It's been a long time.)
• I've taught a few software classes to guys at a refinery near Newark, and learned that many of them had never been to NYC proper, even though they lived right there.  The horror.
• I've flown in/out of Newark a bunch, but that doesn't really count. I also often park in Hamilton to take NJ Transit trains into Manhatten. Also doesn't really count.
• There was a "burning man inspired" event called Freeform at the Salem County fair grounds back in 2012. I learned there that I couldn't count on my kid's father to watch her, even though we had agreed it was my turn to go off and have fun. Looking back it was just another crack in the trust. I sometimes get annoyed at myself for putting up with him as long as I did. But then I try to give myself grace with the knowledge I was doing the best I could with what I knew/hoped at the time. 
• CM Adams lived there for a year recently and I hung out with him a bit. We hiked a park or two, had excellent pizza, crossed over the boarder to PA and saw Rocky Horror live!  CM & I also went to a cool sculpture garden near Trenton called Grounds for Sculpture. It was cool, I do plan to go back someday.

I could probably dredge up some other New Jersey memories, but yes, I've been to New Jersey.

So I went to Alaska a fair bit in the 1990/2000s. I went in August when the blueberries and tourists were plentiful, and in midwinter where locals were starved for outsider energy, and many other months along the way.

I visited Anchorage Alaska for my traveling software consultant job, supporting engineering firms that worked the oilfields. 

One of the things I found most impressive were the moose. I first saw one when it was running down the shoulder of the highway. And another a few days later from the window of the building where I was working. But my clearest memory of these massive animals was when I was walking one of the many trails in Anchorage. As I was coming up a gentle slope there it was, this GIANT animal, a mere 10 feet from the trail, munching away at some plant. It looked at me and kept munching. I was stunned, and too scared to walk past. So I just stood there. And stood there. And it just kept on munching. I wasn't scared of being eaten, I was scared of being trampled - this creature was HUGE. It was like 7ft tall and 1000 lbs. So there I stood, transfixed.

But after a while, a cyclist wizzed down past me in the other direction. And then another. And the moose didn't care and didn't move. So I screwed my courage to the sticking point, and heart pounding I walked past it. It just kept munching. 

I have lots of other memories of Alaska - the people there are pretty "cowboy" - lots of radical individualists. People looking for something or running from something. It's the only place that, when I was teaching a software class, when I asked the room to press the "cancel" button, EVERY LAST ONE of the students picked a different button. 

I drove down the Seward one day off, and took the harbor cruise. I bought an excellent windbreaker while there, that I have to this day. I saw a glacier up close and marveled at how the ice is baby-blue. I got annoyed at folks cutting their grass at 11pm, as the sun was still out. I would meet coworkers at "the best Mexican restaurant in Anchorage '' - also the only Mexican restaurant in Anchorage, barely a step up from Taco Bell. I laughed at the story of how a bear kept breaking into the local zoo, because that was where the food was. I planned to but never got around to heading up to Denali. I never saw a whale, which I'm good with since I'm terrified of whales

So yeah, I've been to Alaska.

You know those "how many places have you been to" quizzes. Well, I've been to a lot. But sometimes I'm not sure I've been to a place. So I'm starting a series where I record memories from the places I've been. Starting with US States, and starting alphabetically. 

So, Alabama.

In the late 90s and into the 2000s I was a corporate employed traveling engineering software consultant/trainer. I went to lots of engineering firms to set up and teach the niche software we sold. (REBIS AutoPLANT if you must know)

One place I went to a few times was Birmingham, Alabama to work with Southern Company. I set up & customized software there, and did some training. I have strong recollections of one guy there Mike who was just smart and cool and great to work with. 

I also remember staying at some boutique hotel downtown where in an adjacent shop they were selling "sheet powder". It was lovely smelling talcum powder that apparently in the past people used to put on their sheets before they turned in for the night. I was young and frugal so I didn't purchase any. Today I probably would have, since I've gotten better at balancing my *now* self with my *future* self. I'm naturally future oriented, meaning I tend to not give now-me enough life enjoyment/experiences. But like I just mentioned, I've gotten better at that balance.

In the early 90s I worked for an offshore company (Schlumberger) and we sometimes left from a dock in Alabama. But I don't remember much about that. I do recall on the drive to the dock once my crew talking about how one of the engineers had decided to be vegetarian. And how incredulous they were about that. Good old Lousiana men just couldn't wrap their heads around not eating meat, not even seafood. 

If I think of more Alabama memories I'll add them later. But yeah, I've been to Alabama. Though not recently.

So, Aruba. I spent 14 days in Aruba with my 10 year old. Here’s my thoughts about the trip, mostly from a things to do perspective.

TLDR - Recommended things to do

1. The Rancho Loco Horseback ride to the Natural Pool. 

2. Reflexions beach club

3. Petroglyphs in the National Park

4. Book a Snorkeling cruise 

5. Climb California Lighthouse

--

You can certainly go to Aruba and just lounge on the beach the whole time. There are certainly tourists who do that, and hotel resorts that cater to that. But I’m the type of traveler that wants to do stuff. So this is stuff to do. There are lots of good places to eat/explore on the island. Do get a rental car to facilitate this exploring. 

Recognize that Aruba is a small island. 100k people, 20 miles long (the long way!) Like 6 miles across. Still, you probably want to rent a car. 

Also it’s a desert. Think Arizona climate (if you’re familiar with AZ), that also happens to have beaches. Beautiful beaches. On one side of the island (the west) are lovely swimming beaches. On the other side, they are super rough/rugged/don’t even think about getting in the water beaches. (Sad story: while I was there, apparently a vistor went into the water on the rough side after the tour guide said it would be ok. And drowned. Just don’t.) It’s always 80-90 degrees. Year round. And breezy. Super breezy. Make sure your hat fits tight, or has a chin strap. And bring a hat - it’s hella sunny out there!

There are lots of cool lizards out and about. Little ones, big ones.  I especially like the blue ones. And some sizable iguanas. The cat sized one that hung out by our condo we named Big Liz. They have the goofiest run. There are a bunch of birds around too which are fun to watch. In particular we saw Magnificent Frigatebirds (which we call demon birds because of their silhouette), brown pelicans, cool orange-black Troupials, and a wacky looking large bird which I think was a Crested caracara. Aruba’s national bird is a burrowing owl, but we didn’t come across any. 

^^ These bird pics aren't my photos, just ones I found that look better than the photos I took ^^

There is no fresh water source on the island, unless you count the occasional rains. Beats me how people used to live here in the precolonial/colonial times. We did see a cistern from colonial times that supposedly held 3-4months of water. But it barely rained while we were there. Again, not sure how they made it work way back then, maybe it rains more than I recognize? Today they have a desalination plant, and the tap water here is some of the best I’ve ever had. They even bottle it.

The main industry here is tourism. And like 70% of the tourists are from the US. (Even though it’s just 15 miles from Venezuela - you can even see the mainland on a clear day.) English is spoken everywhere. US dollars are accepted everywhere. I mostly used my visa, except for tips and that one bakery that was cash only.

Packing tip: you’re going to want to bring snorkel gear to look at all the cool aquatic life. Or at least a great pair of swim goggles. Bring sun protection. Bring water shoes. 

The highlight:

We booked an afternoon horseback tour at Rancho Loco to the Natural Pool. After about an hour on a horse, you get to a natural pool. It is the only(?) protected place to swim on the east side. And it was fabulous. Rough waves hitting the other side of the protected rock wall, spraying water high. And a calm pool to hang in. This is 100% bucket list material. It doesn’t get any better than this. 10/10 would go again.  This makes Ursula's "Best Of" list (a list that I've just decided to start).

If horses aren’t your thing, you can hike in for about an 1.5 hours each way. So 3 hours roundtrip. Or rent a off road capable vehicle like an ATV. ATVs are icky IMHO, and walking would be arduous in this climate for me, let alone for my 10 year old. But the horses, that was awesome, and the payoff of the natural pool was so worth it. I also liked the romanticism of pretending it was cowboy times while on the horse. Even if my butt was sore for 2 days after. (Note, the horses only take people who weigh less than 235 lbs. Even though technically the horses can carry larger people, the ranch doesn’t want to stress them.)

Other things to do:

And then some days you just want to sit at a beach club and chill. I didn’t really check out the options; I found one I liked and went there twice. It is called Reflexions, and it’s just a few minutes north of the airport. You can watch the planes land - the airport is close but not obnoxiously so. Sometimes people wait on this beach until they see the plane land before they go on a pickup run. We'd get there around 1pm, stay till sunset. Sometimes they have DJs or bands. There is a small swimming pool in the bar (which frankly got gross later in the day, but the kid loved it), lots of chairs with umbrellas or covers to be had. And some excellent drinks. And good food, a step up from your typical bar fare. 

There is a national park that takes up like 20% of the island. (That arid rugged east side mostly). You need a car or a tour to get there. In this park, about a 20 minutes drive inside the park is a cave with petroglyphs (and colonial graffiti). Also, bats inside. And lizards outside. It's cool, especially if you are keen on petroglyphs like I am. Definitely worth doing.  (Actually, that natural pool I mentioned above is also in this park. You’d ATV/hike from inside the park. The horses came up another way.) BTW: Google maps sent me to someplace that was certainly not the park entrance. Get close then follow the signs instead of wherever G sends you.

There is a lighthouse on the northern tip called the California Lighthouse. Not sure why it’s called that, something something about a ship called California that sank when it was being built? I’m sure you can google it. Anyway - Go! Pay the $5! Climb the zillion steep steps on the spiral staircase up! See the amazing windy views! Deal with your kid then being too terrified to climb back down! Good times. Also, at the bottom, get a fresh coconut from the coconut guy. And watch his pet parrot peck at your kid when she invades its personal space, terrifying the kid. Haha. More good times. Another $5 well spent. 

The final thing I really can recommend is take a snorkeling “cruise”. I did Jolly Pirates, but there are others. Some include lunch, some do not. Most all include an open bar. And they include your snorkeling gear. They almost all stop at the same 3 or 4 places. Though this one seems to have different spots https://www.tranquiloaruba.com/ (next time!) The snorkeling in Aruba is some of the best. One of the standard snorkeling spots called Tres Trapi is just offshore. You can actually drive to it, in case you want to go back and experience more snorkeling but not take a second cruise. 

We also visited the small free National Archaeological Museum Aruba. I like to hit these sort of historical museums at the beginning of a trip to get an awareness of a place’s backstory. It’s where we saw the cistern and learned about the petroglyphs, and about the pre colonial and colonial times.

Food:

No food recommendations - why? I’m not a foodie. I noted portions are large. I enjoyed everywhere I ate, but I’m so the opposite of picky. Also I was feeding a kid, so we didn’t try anything exotic. So we stuck with meals of burgers, pasta, chicken and poffertjes (dutch small puffy pancakes). So I don’t have much by way of food recommendations except ask around, and use your google-fu. The restaurants here are good, but it's not cheap. Expect US prices or maybe even a tad bit higher. 

We went to the closest burger joint called Local Store several times. It had this cool mural on the side that among other things, incorporated imagary from the island's petroglyphs. How cool is that! 

Other things:

Some things that we coulda shoulda done is 

1. the gold mine ruins. 

2. another rock & petroglyph site called Ayo Rock Formation..

3. the butterfly house. If you go at the beginning of your trip, you can go back any time for the next 7 days. 

Saving these for next time!

There is also a “private” island beach club “De Palm Island”. It’s like $100 for a day of all-inclusive fun. I didn’t do it, but maybe next time. Maybe. I was pretty content at Reflexions. But on the other hand, seeing flamingos would have been cool.

There are on the southern side a few more beaches, and another town called San Nicolas. Baby beach is the big name, there is also a super deserted beach calle Boco Grandi. It looks very peaceful, but the kid had seen it before and said it was boring. So we didn’t go. San Nicolas has a bunch of cool murals, plus is known for the bar “Charlie’s” but I forget why. I do know the licence plate of my old camper is on the bar, as are a zillion other plates. It’s the Delaware tag that says “Guppy”. If you see it, send me a photo!

I didn’t really do any nightlife because I had my preteen in tow. I did get out for 1 night to the Renaissance downtown for a sunset DJ set and their rooftop (no kids allowed!) club. That was sweet, and would be cool to do again with adult friends. Assuming I can talk someone into traveling with me.

Links: 

Horse ranch https://www.rancholocoaruba.com/en

National Park http://www.arubanationalpark.org/main/

Reflexions Beach Club https://www.reflexionsaruba.com/

Jolly Pirates https://www.jolly-pirates.com/

I take myself out and about to expand my horizons on a fairly regular basis. I'm retired, and mom only 50% of the time. Meaning even after house keeping, I have a lot of free time. In this year of not-leaving-the-country, and not willing to risk getting on a domesticc flight, I've been learning about things to do within driving distance.

I've been thinking of my trips as Quests or Missions. These are the ones I'm currently working on:

1. Delaware State Park Passport Quest. One goes to each of 19 state parks, take a self at a designated location in each park, and submit the photos to the park system via an online form. I think you get a free pass for next year if you complete it. I've been to 13, 6 to go!  https://destateparks.com/Passport

2. Delaware Tourism has 5 "Trails" you can complete.

• Delware on Tap, (I'd be 11/34th done if I'd know about this earlier)
  
• Delaware Discoveries (3/9th done!),
  
• Delaware History,
  
• Delaware Outdoor, and
  
• Delaware Culinary trail.
  

Frankly, I just learned that there were 5 of them. Like, today. I've been working on the Delaware Discoveries one, but now I think I'll work on all of them. At once! Yeah! https://www.visitdelaware.com/things-to-do/trails/

3. The Mason-Dixon markers: Ok, I made this one up. But there is the Tri-State Marker in White Clay Creek park (been there! twice!), a Mason-dixon crownstone marker across from a gas station in MaryDel, and a Middle Point Marker on Delaware's southern border near Delmar.  There may be another crownstone 10 miles north of the Marydel stone. It's a bit of a scavenger hunt. There is a site that documents all of the PA-MD stones, but not the Delaware ones.

4. For beyond Delaware: I found out last month that the National Park system has a Passport book. Like a real booklet that is setup for you to collect stamps. I have 4 stamps already! https://americasnationalparks.org/passport-to-your-national-parks/

Are there more quests? I'm sure there are. But theses are the ones I'm keen on just now.