Sojourner - Traveling with the “Canman”

One of the most generous men I have ever met is the sponsor for an AMAZING STEM venue at the September Reno Air Races.  Thomas Rizza, out his own pocket,  founded GRADD STEM EDUCATION   and has run it for the last 6 years.  Now sponsored by RAR we saw thousands of school children come through the STEM DISCOVERY ZONE tents along the raceway to fly simulators and learn about Flight Test Engineering, AR, and 3D printing.  They run the gamut from brilliant 12 year olds to 18 year olds who can't do long division without a calculator (too many in this category?!) .  The most impressive thing was the amazing student volunteers from both high school and college.  Smart, ambitious and in some ways, wise - way beyond their years.   There is hope for our future! In the evenings I had a blast playing my guitar, singing and dancing in the casino lounges with Gen X STEM, SFTE, and Microsoft volunteers.  Atlantis Ca...

  4th of July in Annapolis.  For many Americans, Annapolis is only known as the home of the United States Naval Academy.   US Naval Academy St John's College But its historic significance is much broader and more mixed.  Toward the end of the Revolutionary War, the City also served as capital to the newly forming American nation when the Continental Congress met in Annapolis from November 26, 1783 to August 19, 1784 .  Here too, on January 14, 1784, the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War, was ratified by Congress.  It is home to  St. John's, one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the United States which was the successor institution of King William's School, a preparatory school founded in 1696; the current institution received a collegiate charter in 1784.  Annapolis is wh ere French troops under Lafayette embarked to help our revolution succeed.  It is also where slave ships off-loaded their human cargo, i...

The islands of Mykonos,  Delos, Santorini, & Crete - Incredibly beautiful with PERFECT Mediterranean weather. Learning how they (together with the Greek mainland) shaped history and my heritage increased my appreciation for their culture.  It also altered how I view current events and the future timeline of humankind.  The isles (except for Crete are easily) reached by high speed ferry from Athens. As you approach Mykonos it appears there is snow on the peaks.   But in reality it's snow-white buildings! The Port of Mykonos, where the ferry docks is beautiful, especially at night. A can't miss restaurant along the Mykonos port beach is Kavos, where one can dine on savory mussels cooked in white wine and garlic together with watermelon feta salad.  Kavos view for lunch The gregarious Kavos waiter Antonio speaks many languages and sings,  "Say you say me" to clients. Service as it should be!....with one caveat. Be sure to ask t...

      Parthonon on top of Acropolis Want PERFECT (mediterranean) weather - day and night, to walk/hike, eat new foods, swim in crystal clear waters, enjoy eclectic music, art, dancing, outdoor cinema, touch magnificent 2000 year old ruins, sit on ancient marble where great philosophers developed the then radical concepts of democracy and stoicism by looking to the divine spark inside man rather than groveling to the "gods"?  Then come to Greece for an extended stay in the Spring!  Start in Athens. Stay for at least 5 days to explore the Acropolis (outcropping that the Parthenon sits on), museums, Greek Riviera, nearby ancient sites at Delphi  and Sounion to get a feel for a culture that cherishes life and learn the genesis of art and diplomacy.  Local guides will enhance this experience.   Book an Airbnb west of the Acropolis in the arts and techno district to enjoy a vibrant night life and local restaurants and clubs. But there is much more...

I've been hankering to scuba dive since I first became certified in Okinawa 4 years ago.   Friends offered that I didn't need to travel all the way to Asia as Cozumel, a world class diving reef, was just a short flight away.   So I threw an "internet dart" to pick a Cozumel resort and struck gold with the Blue Angel resort.  It's a 24 room hotel overlooking the ocean with a first class dive dive shop, accommodating staff, and a thatched outdoor restaurant all just a few steps from my room.  Blue Angel's unhurried environment allowed me to do my yoga, meditate and play guitar on the lawn overlooking the ocean (just 20 feet from my room) before heading out on a boat to dive. In the afternoons and evenings the same lawn was the place to socialize, read, enjoy talented local bands playing American hits.  Later maybe night scuba or just fall asleep under the stars listening to waves.   local band view from my room view of lawn from restaurant Yog...