Milestones Need Commemorating... vlog entry about celebrating through Travel

As shared today from my FacebookLive video while driving to my covid vaccine shot appointment number one.  I've got some milestone clients departing very soon for Aruba and St. Lucia, and love helping people commemorate through travel, and would love to help you make your travel dreams come true and celebrate your special anniversaries, birthdays, reunions, and more!  Let's chat about how and where you want to celebrate! 

Two places that I find to be very special both have a milestone anniversary today. I wish I could visit both of them - but I can only go spend time in one of them today. Happy 61st to my favorite magical little park - Disneyland! And Happy 50th to my favorite Indiana destination - Ransburg Scout Reservation!

 

Client Meetings Don't Always Happen in an Office or at Starbucks

 

Traveled to Chicago today for a meeting with St Paul Lutheran Church & School to talk about their 130h Anniversary Cruise.  I met Glenda at the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show back in January, where she was excited to start the conversation in planning for their annual fundraiser.  Travel isn't just for getting away and relaxation, but can also be a valuable tool to build awareness and raise funds for worthy causes. 

stopher's stuff - The Years Have Just Flown By

Today I not only say that another week has flown by, but I’ll say that another YEAR has flown by as well.  But not only that, this week marks the beginning of the end of a another DECADE as well.  What’s that all mean you say?  Well, tomorrow I get to mark a very special day with the one person in this life whom I love the most, and have spent the most intimate and quality time – my lovely bride. Tomorrow is our 19^th wedding anniversary, and as such, we are closing out another great year together, but also embarking into the final year of our second decade together as a married couple. 

To my lovely bride...

It hardly seems possible though that it has already been 19 years since we made our vows, and then later enjoyed a cool party with many family and friends, before embarking out on our own to enjoy that all-important honeymoon period prior to officially “starting life”.  For many that honeymoon might be spent on a tropical island, or enjoying the art & culture of the “old world” in Europe.  For us, it was in a tropical location, and we did enjoy some “old world” charm, granted re-created charm, but charm none-the-less.   We honeymooned at Walt Disney World, and had a wonderful time.  It was my third visit to the Central Florida resort, and my lovely bride’s first.  And in those 19 years, a LOT has changed at my favorite Central Florida destination.  The resort of choice … The Grand Floridian Beach Resort as it was known back then (today it’s Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa). 

We married in March, because my lovely bride wanted a winterish wedding, without being in the actual midst of winter.  Had we known then that if we’d just waited about 2 more months we could have stayed at then brand-new Wilderness Lodge (known now as Disney’s Wilderness Lodge), we probably would have delayed it just a bit.  The Lodge is just about our favorite resort at all of Walt Disney World (Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is a close second).  That woodsy, Pacific Northwest feel is right up our alley thematically, and honestly, you just can’t beat the quiet, quaint ambiance that just exudes throughout the Lodge.  But we didn’t know back then that a) it was under construction, or b) that it was schedule for a grand opening in early May.  Back then the internet was still a relatively new phenomenon that hadn’t reached the masses yet.  Many of the very popular Disney fan sites weren’t even a glimmer in anyone’s eye yet, beside that - we didn’t even own our own computer yet! 

Since then the resort has added about 8 new resorts, added a water park, added the "West Side" to the Downtown Disney Area (then known as the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village), and added a theme park - plus a wide array of rides, attractions, shows, shopping & dining experiences, ticketing options, and so much more.  A LOT has changed. 

So yeah, a lot has changed in those 19 years, and not just at Walt Disney World.  Here are just a few fun facts from our life since we married 19 years ago:

• we’ve lived in 3 states – California, Michigan and Indiana
• we’ve belonged to 2 churches – North Orange Christian Church and White River Christian Church
• we’ve grown our family by 3, having 2 sons and 1 daughter
• we’ve watched all 3 grow too quickly… the eldest will be graduating high school about 2 ½ months after our 20^th anniversary
• we’ve owned 4 computers (the first was purchased a full year after we married), plus went through 4 different work-provided computers
• we’ve each replaced a vehicle twice
• we’ve each changed jobs twice
• we've started 2 of our own businesses
• we’ve lived in 4 different domiciles – 1 townhouse, 2 duplexes, and 1 house
• we've added to our portfolio an investment home plus several vacation home options thanks to the Disney Vacation Club
• we’ve had 3 different pets – 1 box turtle and 2 different cats (NOT my choice at all…I am allergic to and hate cats, but I love my wife and thus tolerate having a cat in the house for my wife’s sake)
• we’ve used 8 different cell phones (only in the last 11 years though as we never had one prior to coming to Indiana) – 5 for me, and 3 for her
• we’ve visited 24 states together (I’ve been to a lot more, but here I’m just referring to the two of us together)
• we’ve enjoyed 6,935 days as a married couple or nearly 166,440 hours as a married couple or nearly 9,986,400 minutes as a married couple (though the hours and minutes are approximations based on total days)
• we’ve had our ups and downs – but LOVE has been at the heart of our relationship in each of those years.

Until next time – make it a great week.  Do something positive for someone else.  Tell those special people in YOUR life how much they mean to you.   Celebrate the big and the little things.  I know I will.   

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Disneyland's 35th Celebration

January 11, 1990 – Disneyland – Anaheim, CA

Disneyland kicks off its 35th anniversary celebration.  Reuniting in front of the Main Street Train Station for the first time since the 1955 Grand Opening live broadcast on ABC TV are all three of the original broadcast hosts:  Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings, and Ronald Reagan to kick off the anniversary celebration featuring the all-new Party Gras Parade, with New Orleans-style floats and 40-foot-tall balloons of famed Disney characters in their best party styles: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Roger Rabbit.  

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Disneyland's Tencennial

January 3, 1965 – Disneyland – Anaheim, CA

Disneyland observes its tenth anniversary with a Tencennial Parade.  On television Walt Disney introduces a host of new attractions coming to the theme park on his “Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color” Sunday night program. He is joined in this episode by the first Disneyland Ambassador, Julie Reihm, whom he refers to as Miss Disneyland.

Flashback Friday - Disneyland 1980

Time to go back in time thanks to fun old family photos of days gone by.  Growing up in Southern California, Disneyland was a popular destination for our family.  Sometimes we were there just the four of us, other times with extended family members.  Oftentimes my brother and I would get to go for school or church incentives, or as awards for a successful sports season with the teams we played on.  Trips with friends, or friends families were often the case as well, and as we became teenagers, the park was a popular destination to hang out.  


Here's a look back at July 1980, when Disneyland celebrated its 25th anniversary.  Here Mickey, Donald, Goofy & Pluto ride atop a parade float, traversing the parade route from Main Street, U.S.A. north past the Matterhorn Bobsleds (in the photo) up towards It's a Small World.  

Time Flies By

Wow.  Time has a funny way of playing with our emotions, as sometimes it seems to just drag, and other times it seems to race by us!  This week, it’s been a bit of both.  Here we are at the half-way point for the Olympic Games – really?  Already?  Wow.  For the every-four year event, it seems like it just began – despite all the of various swimming and gymnastics events that have consumed our television screen the past week+.  Despite seeming to have raced by already being at the half-way point, I will admit there have been days during this week (or evenings), where coverage of various events has felt like it has been dragging on FOREVER!!  Especially when any given event is hyped so much, and then after it’s actually over – it gets played and replayed over, and over, and over , and over again.

But there are other things that have been happening, or are being commemorated in my household this week that show that time seems to just fly by!  My kids, for instance, are just growing up so fast!  That’s pretty much a given for any parent (though new parents don’t tend to “get this” fact during the diapers & lack of sleep phases ;-)  and often don’t believe other, more seasoned parents who encourage them to “enjoy every moment dearie, as you’ll blink and they’ll be gone off to college!”).  Off to college… something that we’re facing with our eldest in just two years!  He starts his junior year of high school in little over a week now.  It seems like he was just two and running around the beach with his grandpa, but we blinked!  Time flew by. 

Just a couple of weeks ago we remembered the death of my grandmother – who was my last living grandparent.  The other three all died years and years ago (33, 34 and 21 to be exact).  She outlived her first, and second husband (who she was married to for 25 years!), and even had a boyfriend in her final years at the assisted living facility she was living in.  It was cute… especially when she told me, one day, on one our walks when I got to visit her, that she “wouldn’t marry again”.  At 93, it’s no surprise she wouldn’t marry again!  And here we are more than a year later since she left us all… we blinked, and the year has flown by!

Today, as I write this, I think about an event that took place this morning that was wonderful in so many ways – and another event that took place 33 years ago today that was sad, yet also wonderful too.  33 years ago today, my grandfather (first husband of the grandmother mentioned above), died of a massive heart attack.  He was, as I am, a Christian, and with his passing from this life, I believe that he went to Heaven to live eternally with his savior, Jesus Christ.  This morning, I was blessed and privileged to baptize my daughter after she confessed her faith in Jesus publically for the first time.  I did the same thing with my boys seven years ago (time has flown by, as that seems to have just been yesterday…).  As a Christian, we recognize baptism as following Christ’s example and immersing our sinful nature in the water, just as He was immersed in the grave.  There’s nothing magical or remarkable about the water itself – but the redemptive blood of our Savior.  But what is remarkable – and very special to me – is that both of these individuals – though they never met – will be able to do so someday in eternity when my daughter goes to Heaven as well.  As a father, I was very moved by my daughter’s decision, and her request of me to baptize her.  As a grandson, I look forward to the day that I will get to see my grandfather once again in Heaven through my own faith and relationship with Jesus.  I don’t go about preaching my faith too often, but from time to time, I just have to preach it from the mountaintops.  If I’ve offended you, dear reader, by sharing this faith moment with you here in my blog , please know that you have the right to your beliefs, just as I have the right to mine – but as this is my blog, and I’ll share, or “wear it on my sleeve” every so often as I believe it appropriate to the day’s post discussion.  

A very proud family indeed!

Later this week we commemorate another “milestone” here in our household.  This is the week back in 2002 that we left California - for the second time – on our cross-country move to Indiana (the first time was in 1998 for our cross-country move to Michigan).  The primary difference between the two moves, is that the first time, the company packed us up, and moved all of our things for us, while we flew over the great mid-section of our nation – and for this move, we packed our stuff ourselves, and drove across the great mid-section of our nation.  We departed on the 8^th back in 2002 – this coming Wednesday this year.   So we’ll be marking 10 years – an entire decade – here in Indiana next week.  Again – we blinked!!  Time has flown by.  It seems like only yesterday we were looking at houses to rent or buy.  And then of course, when we came to Indiana we had two children - and in the time since we arrived our family grew to three children - the last who's getting closer and closer to being a decade old herself (she has more than a year to go, but she's getting close!)

Other big events from last year will be creeping up on us very shortly as well… again, making it seem that time has just flown by in the months since they occurred.  It’s hard to believe that almost a year has passed since I lost my full-time job of 11 years;  and since my father-in-law succumbed to his battle with cancer in October;  and since I went into business for myself turning my dreams and passions into reality.  But it has been for all of these things.   Soon the coming months will turn from summer into fall and even winter – with Halloween, Thanksgiving , and Christmas right around the corner.   As a kid I remember thinking how slow time was – but as an adult – WOW – time sure does fly by!  

Until next time,

A Birthday Spent on the Savannah

Today is Disneyland's 57th Birthday, and I'm spending it on the savannah... well, at least overlooking Disney's savannah in Florida.  We're staying at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village.  We have a Sunset Savannah view room, and the view truly is spectacular.

The animals are so peaceful and enjoyable to watch.  Many are simply gorgeous.  We have been enraptured by them throughout the afternoon today.  We've enjoyed watching the various creatures that inhabit the resort's various savannahs.  We haven't taken pictures of each variety yet, but here are just a couple that we have documented so far on this trip. 

This is not our first stay at Animal Kingdom - rather it's our third as a family.  Plus I've stayed here an additional three or four times while on business.  It's a terrific place to stay.  I just love the neighbors!  If you have ever considered staying here before but haven't done it... I would definitely encourage you to do so.  And if it hasn't even crossed your mind before... you really should consider it.  There are many wonderful resorts here at Walt Disney World - but Animal Kingdom Lodge really is one of the coolest!  

The savannahs that were created, along with the animals that roam freely, coupled with the amazing attention to detail and architectural stylings certainly help transport guests away mentally from Florida.  You really can forget that you are in the middle of the Sunshine State.  

As I stood on the balcony this afternoon, and alternately sat on the zebra-backed chair, I remembered that across the nation, a magical little place was celebrating another anniversary. Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom turned 57.  Another year has passed since Walt first stood in Town Square making his dedication speech - filled with wonderful memories for the nearly millions of guests who passed through its' gates in the past 12 months and new experiences awaiting those who will enter in the months to come.  

I sat on that balcony today, and thought about the memories that I was helping to shape and create for my children and wife as we enjoy our vacation this week, and remembered that it was the father, who all those years ago while watching his daughters have fun on the merry-go-round at Griffith Park, thought, there should be a place where parents and children could have fun together.  Walt may not have been able to build his park while his daughters were still young, but he sure was able to enjoy that magical little park with his daughter's children.  And then as parents and their children came in droves to visit the park throughout the 1950s and 1960's, his dream expanded eastward, and Walt Disney World was born in 1971.  As time has passed - newer and more expansive concepts have become reality, and the Disney parks and resorts have become destinations unto themselves - where millions of parents and their children - and even grandparents, parents, and children can have fun together.  

The last time we stayed at Animal Kingdom, we were here with my folks.  Some wonderful memories were made on that trip - even to the point that when I shared with my mother that we were returning to Kidani Village, my mother got a bit sad - because they weren't able to join us this time!  

During my youth in Southern California, I was able to make it to the park for a number of birthday celebrations, and have several commemorative buttons from those years in my collection.  But alas, as an adult, living in the Midwest, getting to Disneyland on its' actual birthday is a much harder thing to do.  But this is the first birthday that I've ever spent at the park's sister resort in Florida!  So it's a very fun first for me.  Celebrating Disneyland at Walt Disney World! Not being one to enjoy the usually brutal heat of summer in Florida - I have never once before been here for this auspicious occasion.  But this year, I'm here, and having a marvelous time - and of course remembering, that without Disneyland - Walt Disney World would not even exist. 

Walt sure knew what he was doing all those years ago.  So once again, I say Happy Birthday Disneyland!  Walt knew we all needed you.  

Until next time,

Tuesday Trivia - Mark Twain Riverboat

Did you know that Disneyland's Mark Twain Riverboat, a July 17, 1955 opening day attraction found in Frontierland, was at the time of its' construction, the first functional paddlewheel steamship built in America in over 50 years?  The 105 ft long, 150 ton ship was constructed in two different locations, and then transported to the still-under construction theme park site. The hull was constructed at Todd Shipyards in the nearby Long Beach/San Pedro port, and the body was built in Burbank at the Disney Studios. They were assembled together in the park's dry dock, "Fowler's Harbor" on the southwest edge of the Rivers of America. The Mark Twain embarked on its' maiden voyage on July 13, 1955, four days prior to the park's Grand Opening, during a private party to celebrate Walt & Lillian Disney's 30th wedding anniversary.