Category: Travel

For many years I wanted to take a trip that covered major battles of W.W.II. My Father had been D Day 17 which means that when he landed the fighting had gone to the hedgerows. It was bloody fighting and it would be nearly ten more weeks before Normandy was fully declared as in Allied control.

When I decided last year that it was time to take this trip as it was now the 75th Anniversary of D Day I began my research. It wasn’t long before I chose Beyond Band of Brothers. Their organization seemed, and I was correct, to be the most organized regarding their trips. I chose the nine day trip that went from Normandy to Munich and I am super pleased with my choice. Our Tour Manager was Sue Kormendy. She was organized and knowledgeable. She arranged for us to have specific guides for the areas we covered. These guides were extremely knowledgeable and enriched the experience. Their enthusiasm was contagious and really helped to amplify the visit. I did not go on this trip alone but took my 18 year old Grandson, Jacob. The guides were so good that even he commented on the fact that although some aspects were boring to him that there was enough other things to look at that he was never bored. That says a lot! Jacob was right because to be honest I don’t care how the engine in the tank works but that was okay because others in the trip did care and I could drift over to something else to look at that did interest me.

When I signed up for the trip I was disappointed that the trip did not include Paris so I added a two day rider so that Jacob and I could see some of the main sights. It was great to point out to Jacob the Arch de Triumph that the Allies had marched through when they liberated Paris. I reminded him that my Father, his Great Grandfather, marched through it. The Louvre, well, it is hard to explain how you could spend weeks there and not see everything. It was really exciting to see the Mona Lisa and other cultural artifacts that we read about all the time, like the Venus De Milo. The history of the Eiffel Tower was really interesting as well and going up made our day. Sadly, we could only see the outside of Notre Dame but the guide’s information on the history of the Cathedral was enriching. We did go into a smaller cathedral which is next to Notre Dame. It is St. Chapelle and it is world renowned for its stain glass. It was like being inside a jewel. Sadly, we didn’t feel the warm friendliness toward Americans in Paris that we would experience in Northern France.

When I signed up for the trip I had no idea of the emotions I would feel when I stood on the beach, Omaha, that my Father had landed on over 75 years ago. Jacob was a little upset that people were having picnics and romping in the water. He said it didn’t seem right. I explained to him that the allies landed and eventually liberated France so that future generations could live normal lives. Everywhere you went were reminders of the price American’s paid for the residents. People would ask you if you had a relative that fought in the war and when you answered, “yes”, they would thank you.

The trip included St. Mere Eglese, if you saw the movie the Longest Day it is the village where John Steele parachutes in and gets caught on the church steeple. To this day they have a parachute and a dummy to show what happened to honor the sacrifice. We also spent time in Bastogne, Belgium which was the center for the Battle of the Bulge. We saw fox holes that are original and are maintained by the community. The people of Bastogne have not forgotten the sacrifice of the Americans either. We went to the American Cemetery in Normandy and there were more than a few damp eyes as the flag was lowered as Taps was played. We also went to the American Cemetery in Luxemburg and saw General Patton’s grave site. The trip also included numerous sites in Munich which was the city where a lot of Hitler’s insane planning was done. The Eagle’s Nest was included and having been there before I was super excited that Jacob would see it and go up and see the view from the top which is over 6,000 feet and is located in the Alps. It was built for Hitler so a lot of evil was planned there but now it is a place of beauty. The actual houses that Hitler and his insane minions lived in were destroyed but thankfully the main building was spared. The same elevator that took Hitler up to the top takes tourists up. Yes, the elevator is maintained and has been upgraded. One member of our group was very concerned about that. There is a lovely restaurant up at the top and you can eat and enjoy the view. The most emotionally draining stop was at Dachau, the former concentration camp. The attitude of everyone on the tour was altered; as it should be when seeing the remains of such evil. I have always been annoyed by the fools that compare the detention centers for the illegal immigrants to concentration camps but my annoyance is now flown blown anger after seeing a camp and walking through the horror. In between these main stops we drove through numerous small villages and towns that were liberated one at a time, 75 years ago.

The trip was both a personal one for me as I wanted to see where my Father had landed and walk where he had walked but it also fed my love of history. To see places that you have read about it always exciting. As a Christian I love entering churches that were built hundreds of years ago and saying a prayer. The church in St. Mere Eglese was started in 1140!! Sharing the trip with my grandson was the cherry on top.

If you have a love of history especially W.W.II then I highly recommend Beyond Band of Brothers. They have a wide variety of trips that cover various aspects and battles of the war.

I want to start out by saying that it was thrilling to go to Hawaii because it was my 50th state. I had spent time in all of the other 49 so this trip was special for me and my daughter Sara as it was her 50th also.

I also want to state that there are some beautiful sights to see in Hawaii that you won’t see in any of the other states. The people were very warm and friendly. Sadly, the cost of living in this beautiful state is off the charts. In fact a new report from the federal government showed that Hawaii has the lowest bang for a buck in the Nation. A dollar is only worth 84 cents. New York it is 86 cents, California, 87 cents and the District of Columbia 86 cents. Please note these are some of the most liberal states in the United States and they have the highest homelessness, residents leaving the state as well as all kinds of benefits for illegal immigrants. In my state, Georgia, a dollar is worth $1.09. That is a big difference when you start to figure the difference on a hundred thousand dollars.

However, the Department of Tourism and television shows do not show the real Hawaii. You see the real Hawaii is much more depressing than I ever imagined. Instead of paying over $200.00 a person to be carted around some of the cities we rented a car and went on our own. GPS is awesome!! This meant we were able to go off the established routes that were given to us and see the real Hawaii. There were miles of roads with the most abject housing you can imagine. Some of it looked third world level. In fact, areas that had been hit by the lava from the eruption last year were obliterated. When I asked a gentleman if all this raised the price of homeowners insurance, such as what happened in Florida after the hurricanes, he said no. I was surprised and he explained to me that most of the houses were built without permits and as such didn’t qualify for insurance. I was dumbfounded. He said that a lot of people live in unpermitted houses. It raised the fire concern but since they don’t qualify for insurance it doesn’t affect everyone else. I guess the neighbors and first responders don’t count. We were stunned at this fact. I never saw these sections of Hawaii while watching Hawaii 5 O. Guess they don’t want to share those areas with their TV audience.

The number of homeless people shocked us. I know this is a serious problem in numerous cities throughout the country but for some reason didn’t expect to see the number I did in Hawaii. I was told that some are homeless because of cut backs in benefits and options for the mentally ill but that in a lot of cases it is because of drugs and the high cost of housing which has forced many to the streets. As a Conservative I feel compelled to point out that Hawaii, like Los Angeles and most other cities with these same issues is run by Liberals.

I am curious if the state has a Board of Health. Restaurants only show passed or failed on their certificates. I can’t help but wonder if they passed by a hair or was their place squeaky clean? Bathrooms everywhere were filthy and I mean everywhere. Even nicer restaurants had you thinking of the worse truck stop you had ever been to in your life.

Speaking of restaurants we were stunned at the cost of eating out. Eating a lunch at an establishment on par with, say, Applebee’s or Chili’s was off the charts. Lunch for three easily came in at $80 to $100 by the time you added drinks and taxes. A burger meal at a fast food establishment that would cost you roughly $7.00 on the main land can cost you $10.00 or more in Hawaii. Speaking of the high cost of living; I understand that everything has to be carted in but the added taxes are ridiculous and make everything extremely high priced.

If you and a mate or significant other are thinking about moving to Hawaii, think again. If you make seventy five thousand dollars on the mainland that same amount of money will have you living in what people on the mainland refer to as slum conditions. Most people work two or even three jobs just to make ends meet and they will never own their own home.

Now, please understand that I would love to see an industrial use for old plastic bags. Since no one has come up with one I am all for eliminating them, however, in Hawaii this is a major concern and I mean major. Not, the homeless, the high cost of living, people living in fire traps etc. but the plastic bags is their top priority. Due to this concern you can not get plastic or paper bags. They will, however, sell you canvas bags for anywhere from $3.99 to $7.99 unless you bring one with you.

Was the cruise to Hawaii worth it? Yes, the sights are beautiful. However, keep an open mind regarding what they will tell you is paradise. Avoid most of the side trips from the cruise. Rent a car for excursions that are basically a bus trip that will cost you dearly per person. In places where there are several sights being shown use the Hop On Hop Off option. These are buses that cost $20 a day per person and go to the same places the $200 or more person cruise bus is going to stop at. You won’t mind as much the high cost of many of the water activities if you haven’t paid through your teeth just to get to the location. Try to eat as often as possible on the ship. When you are gone for the day you will see people handing out coupons for specials or buy one get one meals at very nice places. When signing up for the cruise ask the cruise line if they are offering any specials that include free air fare from California to Hawaii and back as well as free nights in hotels in Hawaii.

If you or a loved one is confined to a wheel chair you will find the islands are not very wheel chair accessible. This is mainly because the islands are made of volcanic material and roads and sidewalks are very rocky.

If I won a contest and it was a week cruise and I had to choose between Alaska and Hawaii my choice would be Alaska hands down. That said I would like to go back to Oahu for a couple of days as I didn’t get to go to Pearl Harbor or some of the other sites on that Island. Then back to the main land as I sure can’t afford “paradise” as the local’s keep calling their state.