Mr Hidalgo starts Cuba

Page Turner from has written 99 comments

Mom Says, I really do not care what your friend does in Cuba But I do care about you. PLEASE do not use this as a excuse to go get married. Your dad and I would like to meet the lady you marry. We are sure she is nice and may be a great wife but it would be nice if you did something predictable for once in your life like bringing her home for your family to meet sooner instead of later.

Even Michael Moore found redeeming value in the medical care offered in Cuba (See "Sicko", the Movie)....Cuba should be open for all to visit who wish to.

The WORLD is your Oyster, Andy...

But one thing to think about is simply TRAVEL AMERICA as your last hurrah! Next year I'll return to the Pacific NW from here in the Philippines with my new graduate nurses (Wife and Son) and get their careers started in the US as RN's. But part of "our deal" is that we will travel as much as possible on mini vacations, weekend trips and long haul treks throughout the USA.

I have distinct memories of 45 years ago hitch hiking the finger lakes of NY (stunning and beautiful summer trip), then a winter hitch hike as a young Lance Corporal of Marines on 30 day leave before Viet Nam started by hitch hiking from Carswell AFB in Ft. Worth Texas in the middle of December. Froze my butt off trying to get back to central Missouri for Christmas and got a ride with a Texas farmer and his drop dead gorgeous teen age daughter!! Most nerve wracking 4 hour ride ever....me a gawking, stammering, dry mouthed kid who had to sit next to the most beautiful girl ever and not even having the nerve to ask for a phone number. What dreams she gave me all these years...opportunities lost, yes...but memories gained by hitch hiking.

Then the trips through Montana, Colorado, Utah....the absolute 3D spectacle of the Sangre De Christo Mountains, the Utah desolation....un-believable beauty and visual depth that cannot be photographed properly. Then the rich farm lands of Champaign-Urbana Illinois...corn so thick and deep you could feed the whole world from that trip alone! The thousands of lakes and wall eye fishing in Minnesota and Wisconsin...and the CHEESE (of course!)...

But then I can't leave out The Boston Commons, the 250 year old graves, the US Revolution, an 81 year old lady on the bench at a park while she spoke of 30 years of teaching at M.I.T as a math professor...and on up the coast to Portland, Maine, and $2.00 Lobster Dinners...and CLAMS..OMG, the CLAMS....

And then sitting at Gilhoolies Oyster Shack on Galveston Bay, eating raw oysters the size of saucers and sucking down Long Neck beers....after a hot afternoon of sailing on Galveston bay and watching billion ton tankers make texans rich....

But I'm 65 now, and time runs short...so much to see that is left in America! Gotta do Sturgis at least ONCE before I die, and have to see Oregon and Northern California as well...then Idaho is a must across hiway 12 to Lolo Montana and eat brains and eggs at the Oxford Cafe in Missoula....

SO much to see and do, so little time...

God Bless and Preserve America!

JD

hotspringfreak from has written 53 comments

JD,

Going across Idaho between Lewiston, ID and Lolo, Montana you should stop at my brother's family's resort, "Three Rivers" at the confluence of 3 designated Wild and Scenic Rivers (Lochsa/Selway/Middle Fork Clearwater) at the foot of Lolo Pass - Lewis and Clark's route. Also there are 4 hotsprings (!) on the scenic drive between my brother's resort and Lolo, MT and the camping is really some of the best! Tell 'em Chris says HI!

Patt from has written 2 comments

sorry I'm laughting with some thing and reaction of ppl here about you mom post.

it's normal of mom in the world, same in every country and culture.