I've missed not being able to visit America again this year, as I was planning to. Hopefully I can make it there in 2021.

I have a short, 5-day break away in the Yorkshire dales over the week before Xmas which I'm looking forward to. I also have a cheap holiday to Portugal booked for May.

My second training cruise, between sophomore and junior years, was in San Diego. It was called CORTRAMID: Career ORientation TRAining for MIDshipmen. WEe spent 4 weeks and each week focused on a different segment of the Navy: Surface, Submarine, Aviation and the Marine Corps. Each week, we went out on ships, did exercises on simulators, heard lectures, and met people in those career paths. It was supposed to help us decide our career path. During Surface week, we went overnight on a frigate, did man-overboard drills on a harbor boat, did exercises on a bridge trainer (with helm station and a radar scope) and went through the Navy SEAL obstacle course at the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL School. We were quarted at the Naval Amphibious Base, at Coronado (across the bay from San Diego) and our neighbors were BUDS trainees, doing endless physical training. On our off time, we could hang out on the beach, by the Coronado Hotel (where Orville Redenbacker lived, and which can be seen in the pilot episode of The Monkees), hit the O Club or do more PT. Weekends were bus trips into San Diego, to see the sights. We went to Horton Plaza, downtown, which is a big shopping mall, built across a city block, at the center of a hotel and convention center development, but bordered (then) by strip clubs, adult theaters and sex shops and hookers.

Sub Week we went out overnight on a sub, manning the helm and planes (I got to have both, on my station, which was like flying a plane, underwater), doing man-overboard drills, seeing sonar in action, etc. We also went on a sub bridge simulator, which was on gimbles, to simulate dives and maneuvers. We went through damage control trainers, trying to shore up leaks and escape flooding compartments.

Aviation Week was spent with an air squadron. We had to retake the Navy swim test and make 1st class swimmer, to go on jets. I had requested helicopters, so my score didn't matter. I spent a week with a search and rescue helicopter squadron and got two flights in a helo and got to handle the controls. We also got to fly a simulator.

Before we started Marine Week, we got a day out at Disneyland, to "see the Rat and his b@#$%..." and goofed around. Then, we were bused to Camp Pendleton to be abused by the Marines for a week. We went through obstacle courses, learned how to search through buildings in a "combat town," did a helicopter assault, from a SH-53 (they're BIG), did an amphibious beach assault in an amtrack (amphibious armored vehicle), watched M-60 tanks fire their cannons, load howitzers to fire artillery rounds, watch air strikes, see weapons demonstrations and live fire the M-16 and M-203 grenade launcher. We went rapelling from a tower (where I sprained my ankle when I bounced into the wall with my legs too stiff, and go out on night patrols, with blank rounds.

We were let loose early, because fo the 4th of July holiday; but, my return ticket wasn't for a couple of days. I ended up staying back at the barracks in Coronado, but had no duty for the weekend. I went with some others and watched the Navy SEALS dod a 4th of July performance for the public, at the Coronado Yacht Club, where they did a parachute insertion, boat insertion and pick-up, scuba insertion and had a member, dressed as the Creature from the Black Lagoon (their mascot) swim out of the water and throw candy to the kids. At the end, they did the fast recovery, where a boat zips along and a man holds out a loop. The SEALs in the water hold up their arm and latch hold and are pulled into the boat for rapid extraction. They miss one guy, twice, then you see a shark fin and he goes under. At the very end, the boat comes zooming by, with the swimmer holding up a bloody shark fin and a sign that said "SEALs 1, Jaws 0!"

Top Gun was released that summer and we met people involved in filming scenes, include Search & Rescue swimmers, from the SAR School, who said Cruise was an ass and they should have let him drown, when his parachute was filling with water and pulling him under the surface, in the scene where he crashes his plane and Goose is killed. We also went out to NAS Miramar (where the actual Fighter Weapon School, aka Top Gun is, where filming was done) and saw one of the F-14s, still mocked up with the Iceman name plate on it.

I flew home a couple of days later, black and blue from bruises, from diving on the ground, slamming into walls (to dislodge any explosives that might have been planted), climbing up buildings and diving through windows, and my sprained ankle from rapelling. My mother was horrified, as I limped into view, in the arrival area.

My third cruise was also in San Diego (and Santa Barbara), next time.

Train across Canada was probably my most ambitious travel, Vancouver to Toronto (Royal York upgrade to VIP room on first floor, massive), Toronto to Montreal and back. Great food in the dining car and stops at Jasper, Winnipeg and a couple smaller places too. Jasper, Alberta in spring is maybe the most beautiful place I've even seen.

Disneyland as a kid was of course huge (and all the other stuff with it like The Queen Mary, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios). Got to meet relatives from my father's side who lived in Anaheim, watched KCOP while eating a room service hamburger, first time in a Toys R Us.

San Francisco is cool in nice weather. Bearworld near Rexburg, Idaho and seeing the faces of little kids as they come out almost right into the bear cubs playing. Time spent on the Alaska marine highway system when you have a private cabin. North Vancouver Island with grandparents.

Dream destination: Santo Rini island in the Aegean (and/or Delos, or even Crete).

Travels eh? At age 8 my family of 5 along with my dad's grandparents (who paid for the trip) all flew to Tampa Bay Florida. A 1 week no frills went nowhere trip to meet my great grandparents Beyner for the 1st and only time. Both in their mid 80's and frail of health we all stayed at their home with most all of us sleeping on the floor.

Age 10 a family drive to California for Disneyland as we had an aunt Rose who lived in a trailer park about 6 blocks away. It a lo so was no frills as we stayed 4 days with auntie Rose and again us boys asleep on the floor. All so we could afford 1 day at Dland which none of us can remember. It was so much crunched into 1 day that and I honestly can't tell you a thing about our day at Dland but vivid memories staying at our Aunt's trailer.

No travelling until Senior year graduation July 1980 for a school paid 3 day bus trip to California. 1 day at Knott's Berry Farm, 1 day at Madame Tussaud's wax museum and a 3rd day on Catalina Island for a big multi school beach party/barbecue. Mostly all the memories are getting sea sick to/from the island and the long torturous overpacked bus rides.

Summer of 1981 a year into my 1st job me and my neighbor saved up for a weekend drive for Disneyland. He had moved next door to me 3 years before with his parents from Arkansas and he wanted to see the Mouse and crew. Best memory: had a local Phoenix radio station celebrity who called himself the Moose and sold Mooseketeer T-Shirts so I wore it at Dland. It got lots of attention and "won" me and my friend a dinner date inside Dland with 2 of the cast member princesses. They stayed after their shifts were over and hung out to eat and do rides with us. My date was Snow White, his Cinderella.

After that all my travels were local of my own doing by car/truck through California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas with drives I could afford. Sleeping at rest stops in my vehicle travelling and going/seeing any or everything along the drives which caught my attention. Drove the California Coast drive from San Francisco up to the Redwoods with lots of stops in between twice over several years. Up to the Grand Canyon many times in overnight trips for sunrise/sunset in the last38 years. Lots of camping trips out in a tent all over the hills if Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

During the last 10 years I had 5 Dland week long trips with my best friend and his wife and 2 teen boys. Saved us all dollars going together and the boys loved hanging with me from open to close as their parents would bail on rides or leave by 8p. We 3 rode all the rides multiple times and did the Alice and Mad Hatter rock show or the fireworks every night until forced out. We can sleep when we are dead we would say but NEVER at Dland.

With Covid now and possibly new job with state at the end of my 6 month contract, there is no telling when my next getaway may be. At least have GREAT memories.

The talk of Disneyland brings a warmth to the cockles of my heart.

For my family, as I mentioned before, Disney World was our vacation spot. We took our first trip there when I was two, and every 1-3 years after that we'd return. Eventually, we found friends who also loved Disney and would co-ordinate trips. Later still, my best friend moved to Florida, so I would travel to visit him and we'd go to the parks together.

All told, despite living in Massachusetts my entire life, I've now been to Walt Disney World 27 times, plus Disneyland 4 times, Disneyland Paris once and Tokyo Disney once.

It's always a challenge to decide whether to return to Florida again, or go somewhere new, as I do love traveling overseas and seeing new sights. Over the past 17 years or so I've tended to prioritize new destinations overseas ahead of returning to Disney World. But it's really my Laughing Place, the happiest place on Earth, because every section of each park contains a lifetime of memories for me of all the trips with my friends and family. I just get a happy feeling being there, even when we're just standing around - which these days is most of the time as the parks seem more crowded than ever, at least pre-COVID.

We're tentatively planning to go as a family in four and a half years, as 2025 will be the 50th anniversary of our first Disney trip, so I am quite looking forward to that.