El Avion, Costa Rica

Here's a little slice of history for you - in Manuel Antonio,Costa Rica, sits a Fairchild C-123 formerly owned by the CIA. Connected to the Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980's, the plane is now a restaurant known as El Avion.

Once involved in clandestine operations, El Avion nows serves up food and beverages! Check out the video on YouTube at El Avion.

A different view of Mexico

Most tourists to Mexico have their feet firmly on the ground, but not all.

El Potrero Chico, south of El Paso, Texas, is a destination for rock climbers from all over the world. Had you visited over the Christmas holidays you would have met climbers from Canada, the US, France, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and even Mexico itself!

If hanging by a thread from the heights is not your interest, you might want to consider a vacation to Loreto on the Sea of Cortez in Baja. Loreto Bay is a charming town (the resort is outside of the town itself) that looks out on a marine preserve. Visit at the right time of year and you could see migrting whales! Visit at any time of year and have a wonderfully relaxing vacation.

Tango on the Seine

One of the delights during the summer in Paris is to simply walk the quais along the Seine in early evening. You will find Parisiens having picnics, walking, dancing, and generally enjoying the weather.

The night this picture was taken we passed several areas where people were practicing their dance steps to a boom box. This older couple had an air about them that took them to a whole different level - the gentleman with his snappy hat moved smoothely and almost aloofly from his partner while she floated over the stones of the quai. The photo caught them as the music finished and an appreciative group of observers applauded.

The Statue of Liberty, like lot of ladies, has a most interesting history. She was to be a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States to commemorate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence. Designed in France by sculptor Frederic August Bartholdi, the structural aspects were carried out by none other than Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the designer of the Eiffel Tower!

The Statue was fabricated in France and shipped in over 200 crates to the US to be assembled on a pedestal contructed by the US. There were funding issues on both sides of the pond resulting in a 10 year delay before the dedicaton on October 28th, 1886.

One of the many museums in Paris has a life-size index finger from the original design - photo above - as well as plans and a model. For purposes of perspective, the young man in the white shirt behind it is 6'3" - this is one big finger!

Paris is a favorite city to visit, one with a surprise at every turn and more museums than you can take in during a visit. For maximum enjoyment, walking is the best way to travel around the city.

Winter wedding wonderland

Saturday afternoon our friends Wally and Katherine were married at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood in Oregon. While more people seem to associate weddings with warm weather than snow, the views of the mountain are pretty magical. Our friends are taking off for a warm weather honeymoon in Bonaire to go SCUBA diving, though, so they aren't totally tied into snow!

More and more couples seem to be choosing the option of destination weddings with a very small number of guests (sometimes even no guests!) followed by a party after they return from their honeymoon. That way they have the intimacy of a small wedding but still have the fun of a big party.

Favorite destinations for weddings are Hawaii, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. It's always best to do some research to find out if weddings in your destination will be recognized in your own country. For example, many couples love the idea of getting married in Tahiti but the US doesn't recognize the marriage. For that reason, these couples will often have a civil ceremony in the US before taking off for the South Pacific.