Ports of Call

Going to be Stationed In Japan?

August 25th, 2008

I enjoy reading FEWL.NET because the writer has a unique way of expressing himself, he is in the Navy and also he is stationed on a ship in Japan, my twidget nuke Son is on the USS George Washington and on his way to Japan. Well, the Author just wrote an article that should be mandatory reading for every member of the any crew headed for the Yokosuka waterfront. The following are a couple of excerpts from “What USS George Washington Should Know About Japan“;

I can see how this law might make sense,

Don’t ride with someone who is drunk - Under Japanese law, you will be found just as guilty for letting the person drive, whether you’re sober or not. Also, just having one beer and getting behind the wheel can land you in jail for a Driving While Drinking Indicated (DWDI). The base conducts surprise breathalyzers all the time, so driving drunk here is definitely Russian roulette with your career.

(Read the rest of the story…)

Benidorm Spain

August 23rd, 2008

One of the first ports I had the pleasure of visiting was a city in Spain with long sandy beaches, British pubs, bull fighting and a Burger King.

We pulled-in to the port, well, we didn’t actually “pull-in” - the USS Forrestal was a little too large to pull up to their dock so we anchored just off shore and rode liberty boats to and from the fleet landing. Amazingly enough the process of getting all of us Sailors to and from the shore was pretty efficient and the liberty boat was like an old Disney E-Ticket ride, life was good.

It was almost noon Benidorm time when I hit the Spanish shores for the first time, I was hungry. Back in the early 1980’s Americas fast food industry hadn’t yet invaded every corner of the planet like it has today and Burger King, that little slice of home, was on my list of a must visit location. But not on this day, my first day in Spain - today was going to be something authentic - today was going to be (Read the rest of the story…)

Fish On!

August 16th, 2008

Yup, we went camping again! This time I wanted to do a little fishing and not spend our life savings in gas to get there. After reviewing a few places within a half days drive from Memphis we settled on Bull Schoals - White River State Park.

We called ahead to make reservations and were able to get a site that was actually right on the fast moving river. Having only been trout fishing once in my life prior to this trip I was looking forward to the adventure. (Read the rest of the story…)

My First Trans-Atlantic Flight

June 27th, 2008

Twenty years ago this month I commenced a set of orders that would take me to the land of fire and ice. We lived in Iceland for two and a half years, I have tons of stories to tell about our adventures while there but this isn’t going to be one of them. What I am going to share during this post is how really small the world can be. How you really never know…

Before I selected the orders to Iceland I was actually given a few choices but I was looking for an opportunity to live overseas. That narrowed things down a bit to the Embassy in Seoul, Korea or an island I only heard stories about. At the time in 1988 there was rioting in Seoul over the coming Olympic games - the stuff seemed to be on the news every night. For that reason and also the fact that a transfer to Keflavik, Iceland included a school which was located in Latina, Italy. The school was for NATO’s version of SATCOM - yup, I got to work on state of the art, 46 foot in diameter antenna, satellite ground terminal equipment - God, I love the Navy! Anyway, (Read the rest of the story…)

MEDIC!

May 29th, 2008

Security at Disney is something they take very seriously. Thousands of people enter the various parks every day. The worlds climate for hate dictates that every one must remain vigilant. Some security measures I have noticed which hadn’t existed prior to 9/11 are things like increased video surveillance and coded tickets which are matched with your finger print each time you enter.

One other inclusion into Disney’s security is the bag check once reserved for airports and federal buildings. Disney does have a better process - they have two lines, one for people with bags and one for the stream-lined traveler who is packed lite. (Read the rest of the story…)

Bluebeard

May 27th, 2008

It has been shown that having multiple wives causes cancer in lab rats…. (Read the rest of the story…)

Disney Bidet

May 26th, 2008

Made it to Disney World! We start our 8 day stint at one of the number one vacation spots known to man. To get ready for this trip we upgraded our camping equipment by taking advantage of a sale at Bass Pro Shop - we got a 10′x10′ Coleman tent for just 89 bucks. Much better than my other tent - I can stand up in this one.

This is the first time we have ever stayed at Disney’s campground, Fort Wilderness. So far we are very impressed. Our campsite is on a small creek that winds through the campground. Tame wildlife wonders through occasionally like rabbits, ducks and even saw a (Read the rest of the story…)

Inglis Florida

May 23rd, 2008

Our adventure continues! Camping on 2 1/2 private acres on the Withlacoochee River in Inglis, Florida. Inglis is the town that has been in the spotlight when Elvis made “Follow that Dream” here. Also made national news a few years ago because the Mayor put forth a proclamation to ban the devil. I must say the proclamation must have been a success because this place is truly heaven on earth. Here is a couple of pictures to set the mood

Walking bridge over a swampy area next to the river. (Read the rest of the story…)

Panama City Beach

May 20th, 2008

A couple of days ago Bonnie and I started our 25th Wedding Anniversary vacation odyssey - Camping Florida. I am lucky in this respect, most wives I imagine wouldn’t want to spend their 25th Anniversary camping out - mine suggested it!

Our first stop was in sunny Panama City Beach! (During this stop camping wasn’t actually on the agenda) The water was very clear - weather was perfect. Slight breeze kept the heat from becoming overbearing. I will say this about Panama City Beach - it has grown! High rise condos now line the beach for almost as far as the eye can see. Sand is as fine, clean and white as I remember it. (Read the rest of the story…)

The American Experience

May 19th, 2006

For the past few days we have been vacationing at Disney World. What a great time! My favorite is EPCOT. The fact that each country represented has native residents as cast members really makes the experience as close to visiting the country as you can without actually leaving American soil.

Disney has recognized work must be completed on the American themed section of EPCOT to make it more realistic. Currently illegal immigrants are being interviewed for the various open positions in order to add a realistic feel and because they are having a very hard time finding “real” Americans who can/would greet a guest with common courtesy, show-up on time and do “work”.