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I recently had the pleasure of escorting a trip to Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. These are two of my favorite destinations and I always look forward to going back. For many reasons, this particular trip was amazing. The weather was absolutely perfect for the entire six days. We met the “Queen of England” (I will explain later), saw deer and gray whales, enjoyed the beauty of Butchart Gardens, and was dazzled by an awesome firework show over Vancouver Harbor. There was also an unfortunate incident that involved me doing a dance called the Macarena (again, I will explain/ defend myself later on).

After arriving from Seattle to picturesque Victoria Harbor by ferry we enjoyed three very leisurely days in the city. Victoria is a great tourist destination and every sight is a near perfect picture. The hanging flower baskets, the architectural beauty of the Empress Hotel and British Columbia’s Provincial Parliament building fronting the harbor, and the chance to stroll along the waterfront are just some of the charms that keep me going back. We had a double-decker bus tour of the city and for the first time our group saw the elusive black-tailed deer and even happened to see a gray whale surface as we drove along the waterfront. (As the Tour Director I’d like to take credit for arranging these chance encounters, but luck and good fortune were on our side.)

I will take the credit for our group meeting the “Queen.” During high tea at the Empress, she “arrived” and taught us all the royal wave and how to properly stir our tea…never clink the tea spoon on the tea cup! Jess and Frances Mills celebrated their anniversary and Frances was presented with an exquisite 29¢ strand of plastic pearls from the Queen’s “personal collection.” Meeting her is always a treat. While teaching us proper tea time etiquette, she regales us with the latest gossip and scandals of the Royal Family. Oh, and even if you missed this trip, you won’t miss the Queen. For some reason, she always seems to be in town when we are. Amazing but true.

Butchart Gardens is always a sensory experience. The gardens began in the remnants of an old rock quarry a century ago. Jenny Butchart began planting roses and now the garden is a maze of beauty with its Japanese gardens, English and Italian Rose Gardens, and the famous sunken garden that feels like walking through a postcard. My mom considers it a necessity that I get there once a year so I can provide her with seeds for her flowerbeds. I know not to come home empty-handed.

The last two days of the trip were spent in Vancouver. The city has such a unique feeling. Its downtown is dense and has the feeling of New York City mixed with Seattle, but on a much smaller scale. We were in town for The Festival of Lights, a competition where countries compete to dazzle the crowd of 20,000 or more people with elaborate firework displays. After a nice dinner cruise we had the luxury of watching Mexico’s presentation from the deck of our ship. The full moon and lights of the city made for a perfect backdrop for a perfect evening.

Oh, about that Macarena incident…as the ship returned to the dock, a DJ was playing familiar classics, and this is where the night turned a little more lively. After singing along and dancing from our seats to the YMCA, I was dared by some of our ladies (Teri, Luanne, and Mary) to get on the floor and dance. We made a deal that if I danced they would join me. The DJ played the Macarena which has an accompanying dance. We got on the floor and after teaching everyone the moves we were all dancing when the entire catering staff of the ship joined us on the dance floor. It was one of the best times I have had with a group because everyone just let loose and had a great time. There were incriminating videos and pictures taken and I will pay dearly to keep them hidden!

This blog entry doesn’t even begin to capture all the incredible things we saw and experienced. I am including some pictures from our trip because, after all, pictures are worth a thousand words. If you have pictures to share or would like me to send you a picture that I took just email me at Chris@sportsleisure.com. You can also check out these photos and more on our facebook page if that’s your sort of thing.  I love this trip and look forward to escorting another group to two of my favorite destinations next year. Come along with me, eh, and sip a cup of tea with the Queen…

It’s been 55 years since Walt Disney opened his Magic Kingdom in Southern California. It’s been over 30 years since I first traveled there myself as a young child. After high school, I didn’t spend too much time there but since being married and having children, I have been fortunate to visit every year for the past ten. There have been countless changes just in those last ten years. A new hotel, The Grand Californian Resort, has opened. An entirely new theme park, Disney’s California Adventure, has been built and is now undergoing a significant transformation as it redesigns several areas and expands. Downtown Disney, a separate attraction in itself with many restaurants and stores, has also opened. With all this evolution, it’s no wonder the area is now referred to as Disney’s California Resort.

On a recent trip we followed our usual modus operandi: one day Disneyland, one day California Adventure, one day back at Disneyland. In between we enjoyed good food, good shopping, and great rides and shows. Want to enjoy a 50 minute Broadway show in a theater that would rival any on Broadway? See “Aladdin” in the new California Adventure theme park. Hankering for great food and maybe some wine? While the original park still doesn’t sell alcohol, the new park does and has wonderful meals at the Wine Country Trattoria. Want to learn more about the parks and the famous Mr. Disney? Take one of several personally guided tours of the parks including the popular “Walk in Walt’s Footsteps.” Of course many of the old favorites are still at Disneyland including the recent return of one of its signature attractions, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, which Disney created for the World’s Fair in 1964.

What motivates me to travel to Disneyland year after year? Honestly, it’s the faces of my children and my wife as we spend several days with each other. It’s the small town feel of walking down Main Street USA and exploring the western rivers of Frontierland by steamboat. It’s the clean walks and pathways, the beautiful landscapes, and that fact that there is always something old and something new to see. And it’s the food – Murphy Family tradition dictates a great breakfast at the Carnation Café on Main Street, lunch at the Wine Country Trattoria, and a fantastic dinner at the Blue Bayou Restaurant, adjacent to the water of the popular ride Pirates of the Caribbean.

It’s been years since Sports Leisure visited the Magic Kingdom. Any takers?

The Sports Leisure Vacations Lincoln Highway II tour last month was one of the most memorable trips I have ever escorted. With many returning travelers, along with some new additions to the Sports Leisure Travel Club, our group set off to see the Midwest along the Lincoln Highway, from Chicago to Cheyenne. I must confess that this is a portion of the country that I have often overlooked in favor of the glitz and glamour of large cosmopolitan coastal cities, and had never taken the time to truly experience. Stopping at museums, roadside attractions, and, small town diners and restaurants, we enjoyed the hospitality and goodwill of Midwestern people as we slowed down and returned to the main streets of small-town America. Three occasions stick out in my memory, and have endeared this portion of the country to me forever.

Let’s start with the food. The first meal our group had was on the outskirts of Chicago at a place called Del Rhea’s Chicken Basket. Being a Southern boy, I had always assumed that Southern folk had the market cornered on fried chicken. I hate to admit that I may be wrong. Actually a longtime Route 66 landmark (that famous route starts in Chicago, while the Lincoln runs along the outskirts of the city), Del Rhea’s serves up the crispiest, juiciest fried chicken I have ever had. Add to that real homestyle mashed potatoes and gravy with corn fritters (think hushpuppies with corn drizzled with honey) and we are talking about some good eating. It makes my stomach growl just thinking about it. If I am ever back in that area, and I hope to be, they had better have me a seat ready!

Another meal that stands out is the Maid-Rite loose meat sandwich. It sounds a little funny, but it’s definitely something worth trying. It’s basically an unformed hamburger. The meat is browned and seasoned, and piled high on a bun, topped with cheese, a generous smear of yellow mustard and covered with dill pickles. The group loved it, and some even went back for more—Larry Mullnix, I’m talking to you—and I even took one home to eat cold the next day!

In Shelton, NE, a tiny town, there is small museum dedicated to the history of the Lincoln Highway. We were greeted by Bob Stubblefield and his wife and other volunteers with smiles, coffee, and cookies. The museum had original signs that lined the highway on display and even original paving bricks from the highway. The buildings are conjoined and in true Midwestern fashion, the corner is a bank that looks out diagonally towards the intersection, a feature that welcomes in the bank’s patrons and their money. The original vault is still intact and one can feel the history of the building. Mark posed inside the vault for some funny pictures. We tried but could not get the door closed fast enough so we had to take him with us.

In Kimball, NE, you would think the President himself was traveling with us, because it seemed the entire town showed up for our arrival. We stopped to visit the historic Wheat Growers Hotel that is currently undergoing renovation. The town is raising funds in the hopes of restoring the hotel to its original grandeur. There is much work to be done and much need for funding. Sports Leisure Vacations helped with their cause with a $250 donation, which was presented to the mayor of the town in the presence of the media—the one local reporter. It was truly a big event for them and they treated us like small-town royalty. I wish them the best in their efforts. Hopefully one day I will be able to say that I returned to enjoy the elegance of the restored Wheat Growers Hotel.

Our journey had it all, even the passage of a Barnum and Bailey circus train on its way to its next stop in rural Illinois. (We all kept watching for the car with the clowns!)

In 2011, Sports Leisure Vacations will embark on the third leg of the journey from Cheyenne to San Francisco. There will be many more sights to see and fun to be had. I encourage you to come along, slow down, and enjoy seeing the country and the land, instead of simply jetting over it. Take the time to reconnect with the history and appreciate the life along the historic Lincoln Highway.

Mark shouted across the hall to me, “Wanna escort the Giants vs Dodgers baseball group on Wednesday?” “Sure!” I reply, wanting to take advantage of every opportunity to get out on the coach I can. Then he adds: “If the Dodgers win the game don’t bother to come back…” I cringe slightly because I sense a hint of seriousness in his voice. He is a baseball fan after all, and though the team he holds dear to his heart are the Cards, he naturally supports the Giants, doesn’t everybody in this town? “Please God, let the Giants win on Wednesday…”

It’s no secret that Sacramento in the summer is my least favorite place to be. I don’t do hot. Strange for a girl raised in Honolulu, but that’s another blog. So even though I’m not a “real” baseball fan, I did consider myself blessed to take a group of our clients to “The City” to see their beloved Giants play the rival Dodgers. When the motor coach pulled up alongside AT&T Park to drop us off, the temperature outside was 69 degrees… I smile because I know that Sacramento will be 90ish hot today.

By the time the scoreboard tells us we are in the bottom of the fifth, I realize that there has been a steady stream of people walking by my seat in section 130 and I laugh to myself because they are almost always holding two cups of beer in their hands. You could have told me it was “Ocktoberfest” and I would have believed you. Somewhere between yet another homerun by the, ahem, Dodgers and the umpteenth hundredth two fisted beer drinking fan walking by, I take it all in…the perfect weather, the fans flying their team colors, McCovey Cove, the right field upper deck, the ML pennants flapping in the breeze, the beautiful blue skies…and realize that I am genuinely enjoying this moment!

People often ask me why an Island Girl like myself would want to live anywhere else. It’s not for lack of love of my Island heritage or appreciation for its beauty. I love and appreciate it all, even more since I moved to Sacramento in ‘96. But for days like this, and I’ve had many here on the “mainland”, the Islands simply can’t compete.

God didn’t answer my prayer for a Giants win this time, and Mark graciously lifted his ban to banish me and told me I could come back (he must have realized he needed the extra body in the office). I understand now why some people just love baseball…it was (almost) a perfect day!

Hola amigos!

I intended to only let a few days pass between my postings covering my recent trip to Spain, but life happened—specifically trips to a couple of Washingtons (DC and state), a newsletter deadline and oh yea, I think I did laundry a time or two in there.  Let’s see if I can recapture a Spanish state of mind . . .

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At this point in my career, some 29 years on the road, there are very few places I’ve not been. Though in all honesty, sometimes my having checked a state or country off the list amounted to little more than crossing the boarder, shouting “I’m here!” then leaving as quickly as I arrived. Such was nearly the case with Spain. About 15 years ago, I escorted two separate Mediterranean cruises with ports of call in Spain. On one, I purchased an optional shore excursion bound for Granada’s famous Alhambra Palace. On the other, I simply walked around the port city of Cadiz. The better part of two days. To me, that was Spain. Clearly, this was a county that deserved more of my time and attention.

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Some of you may not be familiar with the Lincoln Highway, I know I wasn’t until just a few weeks ago.  Indeed, of the nation’s historic highways, the Lincoln Highway is quite possibly one of the least well-known.  This is an unfortunate fact, especially considering the exciting stops, interesting people and wealth of history the follows America’s first trans-continental road.  Having just returned from a 4 day scouting trip of the Lincoln Highway, I wanted to take a moment and give you all a brief update on Sports Leisure’s upcoming Chicago-Cheyenne trip on the old road as well as some things I learned along the way.

As part of my preparation for the trip, I spent the two weeks prior reading up on some of the road’s history, most famous stops and best bathrooms (an important aspect of any adventure!).  What I learned was that this road was truly a labor of love for all those that helped make it possible.  Private donations kicked off the highway’s conception and its supporters spent months preparing the best route to take through the country using mostly already existing local dirt roads.  Far from what we’re used to seeing today, the Lincoln Highway meandered through town after town of small-time diners, farm land and local neighborhoods.  Even after the highway was finished, traveling it was no small feat.  The trip took a minimum of 30 days to finish and the first Lincoln Highway guide even suggested that you bring full camping gear for some stretches and to light signal fires in the event of an emergency so local townspeople could come to your aid!

Above all else, however, I learned that when you’re traveling America’s oldest roads, some things never change.  Traveling the old highway today is just as exciting as it ever was – though arguably in a different way – and maintaining it is still a labor of love.  Most of the small towns were bypassed long ago and largely left abandoned, but you can still see the highlights if you know where you’re going.  For example, you’ll absolutely love the Egyptian theater in Dekalb and the old Creston murals.  Exploring the corn fields in Nebraska for trail markers is an adventure, but be careful!  Our trip left us stranded in a foot of mud while we searched the plains for evidence of a wagon trail long since deserted.  You’ll have to see if you have better luck than us come June if you’re joining us as we explore the Lincoln Highway.  One more thing, if you happen to locate the mysterious footsteps in Ogden, I want to hear about it!

This travel gig isn’t so bad, as it turns out.  After 30 years on the road (31 in June), I hit the jackpot this month.  On New Year’s Eve, I headed for a true vacation in Hawaii with my best friend.

People often ask me, do you ever take vacations of your own?  Real vacations, like kicking back and relaxing and all?  No, not usually.  A man who takes people on vacation for a living, at least this writer, is never quite at ease on vacation.  More like “parade rest.”  I confess I’m always on the lookout for that special culinary experience, the off-the-beaten-track attraction or the special person who can bring a destination to life.  Indeed, while I was in Hawaii, I met with several hotels on Oahu and Kauai, along with a couple of new restaurants we will be including in this fall’s Hawaii tour (more about that in a future post).

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