Quail Creek Golf Championship Match

Elaine won the 3 week match play Championship for her league at Quail Creek Country Club in March, 2010! Yea!! Monica Gagne came in second.

Hanging out at McCabe's Irish Pub, Naples, FL

Every year we love to go to McCabe's Irish Pub on 5th Avenue, Naples, FL after the parade. The Irish food is great - plus the music is wonderful. Elaine is dancing a "jig" with the Irish Leprechaun. Lee County Pipe and Drum Corps bagpipes are awesome! The band "West of Galway" entertains during the afternoon! A wonderful day!

Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Naples, FL

The Parade is great in Naples, FL! About 40,000 people come downtown to 5th Avenue to watch the parade! We had a wonderful vantage point from our friend Jack's office at the west end of 5th Ave at 3rd St. The balcony was a wonderful place to view the parade! Saint Patrick makes his annual appearance! Chris Hatch and Malorie James joined us for the day! The Thistle and Drum Corps band marches!

Saint Patrick's Day in Naples, FL

Enjoyed a beautiful day in downtown Naples, FL for the Saint Patrick Day Parade. We are hanging out at McCabe's with Chris Hatch (my nephew) and Malorie James and Tony the Leprechaun !

Jerry Van's at Sunset

Superbowl Party at Jerry Van's - 2010. Sunset at Doctor's Pass, Naples, FL

Alligators in Pelican Bay

We are always on the lookout for alligators in Pelican Bay. This mother alligator and her babies live under the boardwalk through the Mangrove Estuary at Pelican Bay. The babies are very dark and have stripes across their backs when they are small. They scamper around the bank and climb on the mother's back. Fun to watch - from above - don't get too close!

Manatees, live oak trees and peace

The closest modern relative to the manatee is an elephant. These slow moving sea cows have no natural predators. Their biggest harm comes from man - in the form of boat injuries and habitat loss.

The live oak tree at the Manatee Park in Fort Myers- draped with Spanish moss!

Darrell and I drove up to Fort Myers today to see the manatees! The guide told us this cold weather has brought more manatees to Orange River than ever before.

Manatee Park, Fort Myers, FL

An amazing sight! The extreme cold in southwest Florida has caused record number of manatees to seek warmer waters near the power plant in Fort Myers Florida. These "water cows" are warm blooded mammals living in salt water in southern coastal areas. The numbers of manatees seeking this warm water flow generated by the power plant are approaching historic proportions. The deep cuts and scars on their back are from motor boat propellers.

Jackson Sun Article about Bon Voyage Party

http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20091230/LIFESTYLE/912300307/Couple-s-fascinating-trip-began-before-they-ever-left-for-Europe

Halloween at the Wennborg's

Halloween is always fun with the grandchildren! Lars' Mother - Dagney; sister - Karolina, and her two children Ida and Issak are visiting from Stockholm. It was their first Halloween. Lots of candy was gathered before the rain started!!

Matthew and Lindsey - the Swing Set

The kids had fun playing on the swing set in the backyard and chasing bubbles!

The Battery, Charleston, SC

The Battery is the southern most point of old Charleston - at Charleston Harbor where the Cooper River and Ashley River join. Some of the beautiful homes are also museums. The Charleston style home frequently have the porches to the side of the street.

Along the waterfront in Charleston, South Carolina

A beautiful park provides a lovely setting along the riverfront in downtown Charleston. The new modern bridge over the Cooper River actually blends with the old city's ancient history.

South of Broad, Charleston, SC

My book club - the Page Turners - just finished Pat Conroy's new book "South of Broad" set in Charleston, SC. The protagonist lives on Tradd Steet and most the action takes place among the beautiful, old mansions found in the southern tip of the peninsula that is old Charleston.

Market Street - Charleston, South Carolina

Market Street is the old entrance from the sea to the town. It's dark history includes a one time slave market. But now the the area is pure tourism. Shops, restaurants and basket weaving line the street.

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina is such a beautiful city! The Grand lady of the South and home of Low Country food!

We are visiting Darrell's family - Matt, Susan, Lindsey and Matthew Christian in Columbia, SC. and Kitty, Lars, Linnea, Emma and Markus Wennborg in Charlotte, NC.

The kids were in school for the day - so we decided to drive to Charleston - a little more than 1 hour away. We had a the perfect Low Country lunch at Fleet Landing - Shrimp and Grits!

We wandered around the city for a while - here are some scenes of Market Street, the Customs House and palmetto woven baskets!

We are home! And still unpacking!

We had a wonderful 48 days traveling through Europe - but we are glad to be home in Tennessee! And back to reality! But most important - back with family and friends!!

I think it will take a little time to process everything we were able to see and experience during our travels. The blog was actually quite fun to do. As so many of you know - I spent 18 years of my life working with Chambers of Commerce and non-profit organizations. If my blog sounded like a Chamber brochure - it is really the way I think and relate. Trey warned Darrell when we first married that "Mom has never met a brochure she didn't love!"

Thanks to all who were interested in our trip and followed the blog. It was great to share with you the wonderful places we visited. As you can imagine - my photos could not do justice to the beauty, history and intrigue of these places.

Friends from the Cruise

Thanks so much to Gail and Bob Popeney from California for forwarding these photos! We were able to share several day trips and dinners with wonderful folks that we met on Oceania! And thanks also to Nancy Hancock from Des Moines for also sharing photos!