Our second annual family trip, after last year’s Lake Tahoe Big Bear trip was to Indio, California! (Why Indio? Because Palm Springs doesn’t like AirBnBs too much these days haha.)
Indio – Oct 2022
San Francisco and Oregon – Aug 2022
In August our schedules all aligned so we could do a “tour of two nieces” – San Francisco to visit with Margaret and her boyfriend Micah, and Eugene, Oregon to visit with Rachel (that’s Dr Weissler to you :-).
Continue reading “San Francisco and Oregon – Aug 2022”Portugal – June/July 2022
After over two years of trying to return to Portugal (with the trip planned four times…and cancelled), we finally made it there! Instead of cycling and birding, the original plan, we decided to be “regular tourists” – as much as we ever are – and get to some places missed on a 2017 visit, south to north (see map below). This trip was also an opportunity to meet up with Robert’s cousins Rob and Linda from Maryland and a few of their friends.
Continue reading “Portugal – June/July 2022”Trinidad and Tobago – Mar 2022
For years we wanted to visit the Asa Wright Nature Center on Trinidad, but it closed recently (although it might re-open later in 2022). However, that didn’t stop us, as in March we went on an “Ultimate” 12-day birding tour of Trinidad and Tobago with Naturalist Journeys / Caligo Ventures.
Continue reading “Trinidad and Tobago – Mar 2022”Another Year Gone!
If it’s December then it is time for another edition of the Weissler Holiday Gazette. Time flies when you’re having fun?
Continue reading “Another Year Gone!”Thanksgiving Road Trip – Nov/Dec 2021
This year we were able to enjoy Thanksgiving in southern California, which due to the pandemic we didn’t do last year. We started out the trip in San Pedro CA, staying with Liza’s mom.
Continue reading “Thanksgiving Road Trip – Nov/Dec 2021”Spain (Andalucía) – Sept 2021
We (finally) made our long-awaited return to Spain, after a couple of years of being thwarted by the pandemic on a combined Portugal/Spain itinerary. The trip focused solely on Andalucía, for cycling with Bike Spain Tours, and birding with Wild Andalucía (Álvaro Peral) and Doñana Wings (Vicent Esteller). Keeping the trip all in Andalucía meant no pesky border crossings and thus only one set of rules/restrictions to keep in mind. Although we didn’t actually know for certain that we would get there until less than a week before we flew, as the guidance kept changing!
Continue reading “Spain (Andalucía) – Sept 2021”Big Bear (Not Lake Tahoe) – Aug 2021
In August we had a family trip in Lake Tahoe planned (courtesy of niece Margaret), but wildfires and poor air quality led to a last minute change of plan. Instead of Lake Tahoe, Big Bear! Neither of us had been to Big Bear for probably 40 years, and at that time we would have stayed at a cabin in Fawnskin belonging to our friend Tom’s parents. This time we were in an AirBnB adjacent to the Bear Mountain ski area, where we arrived on a Sunday after first (and finally!) going up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, and driving up to Big Bear via the “back route” through Yucca Valley.
Continue reading “Big Bear (Not Lake Tahoe) – Aug 2021”Central Colombia – June 2021
After getting some favorable reports about conditions on the ground, we made our first international trip since the pandemic began, to central Colombia with Mark Pretti Nature Tours and several friends. Our visit focused on birding the cloud forests and páramo of the western and central Andes, including Las Tángaras and Yellow-eared Parrot Reserves, Río Blanco Reserve, Los Nevados National Park, and Termales del Ruiz. And Liza was eager to try out her new camera in the field!
Continue reading “Central Colombia – June 2021”New Mexico and Texas – Apr 2021
We’d longed for a return to Big Bend National Park this spring (Colima warbler, woo hoo!), and had reservations at the Chisos Mountain Lodge in the park for this month made waaaaay back in February 2020 (if you want to stay *in* the park, in April, you have to reserve over a year in advance). We were vaccinated and ready to do anything that didn’t involve being around lots of people! The plan was to meet our Brooklyn friends Mark and Joanne in El Paso, continue onto Big Bend for three nights, then drive back north through Carlsbad and Ruidoso and onto Las Cruces. They’d fly home from El Paso and we’d drive home.
Continue reading “New Mexico and Texas – Apr 2021”