Some Beach Time

I've lived in Czechland, a landlocked country, for 14 years now.  Before that, I lived in Atlanta for 13 years and from Atlanta it's a good 5 to 7 hour drive to the beach in Georgia, South Carolina, or Florida.  

So yesterday was some long overdue beach time!  

We headed over to Dana Point and went to Strand Beach.  It's a popular spot for surfing but we just wanted to lay out and catch some rays.

The sun was strong and we did get a little red but, to me, it was so worth it.  I guess that, deep down, I will always be a bit of a California boy.

Going Back to Cali

Yesterday, we drove from Prescott to Irvine.  Well, Dad did all of the driving.  

The trip took 7,5 hours and thank goodness for air conditioning because it was wicked hot.  It was 45,5 ℃ (114 ℉) at the Arizona-California border.

I was one happy Mexican when we got to my sister's house because she had a feast waiting for us. #fatandhappy 

I need to make sure that I don't put on 5 kg while I'm on holiday. 

Markéta Vondroušová Wins Wimbleton

Markéta Vondroušová won Wimbleton today.  Kája was so excited that a Czech player won.

She is the first unseeded ladies' singles Wimbledon champion.  She was ranked number 42, which also makes her the lowest ranked Wimbleton champion.  

She defeated Ons Jabeur, from Tunisa, in the final, 6-4, 6-4.

Here's a video from the finals that I found on YouTube.

©Deník Sport

Day Trip to Montezuma Castle

Yesterday was wonderful road trip with my parents.  First up was about an hour's drive, 72 km (45 miles) from Prescott, to Montezuma Castle National Monument.   

Montezuma Castle, one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in North America, is 27 metres (90 feet) high up a limestone cliff.  

The name is deceiving as Montezuma had nothing to do with the dwelling.  When American explorers first found the ruins in the 1860s, they mistakenly believed the the Aztec emperor had something to do with it.  Even though the dwelling was abandoned more than 40 years before Montezuma was born, the name stuck.  It's also not a castle.  

The dwelling was built and used by the Sinagua people from around 1100 to 1425.  It's about five stories and has 20 rooms.

In 1906 it became a U.S. National Monument.

About 40 minutes away is Sedona.  With mild winters and warm summers, after the Grand Canyon, it is one of the the most popular tourist destinations in Arizona.  It's a popular place for people to retire to.

Sedona is lovely.  The pink sandstone formations are simply gorgeous and there are hundreds of hiking and mountain bike trails.

Day Trip to the Grand Canyon, AZ

Today was a day trip out to the Grand Canyon.  It was a beautiful day.  

Even with a few sudden downpours it was still a great day.  

Before we left this morning, Mom bought tickets online for the IMAX show at the Visitor Centre.  There were electricity problems and the theatre was closed so we missed out on it.  Hopefully she can pass the tickets on so that they won't go to waste.

On the way back we stopped by Williams and Kája got to see part of Route 66.  

Tomorrow's adventure is Sedona and Montezuma's Castle.

Czeching out Prescott, AZ

So far it's been a couple of relaxing days in Arizona with my parents.  It's been a pretty low-key visit so far which has been really nice.  My folks had doctor's appointments this morning in Prescott so while they did that, Kája and walked around Whiskey Row and the courthouse.

The Palace, a saloon that opened in 1877, is the oldest business in Arizona.

Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday were frequent visitors here back in the day.  I think that Kája got a kick out of the western cowboy vibe in the city.  I don't know if he was expecting Lemonade Joe to show up or what.  

The Yavapai County Courthouse was built in 1916 and in 1977 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.  Arizona is a "new" state having become one only in 1912 so it's interesting that an early 20th century building is historic.  In Czechland, historic places tend to be several hundred years old.

It was a beautiful day to just walk around and we made a Costco run after the doctor's appointments were done.  

Costco was a wee bit overwhelming for Kája.  So big, so many different things, everything jumbo sized, cheap prices but without sales tax included.  I expect that we'll go back again before we leave.

Family friends, Keith and Janet, came over for dinner tonight and it was a lovely time.  Tomorrow's adventure will be the Grand Canyon.

Karel and Karla

For our trip, we booked with Oneworld, British Airways from Vienna to London to Chicago.  Then American Airlines to Atlanta. On our way home we fly on Iberia from Los Angles to Vienna via Madrid.  

The challenge was getting from Atlanta to Phoenix.  Flying American Airlines meant having a layover in Texas and six to eight hours of travel time.  Steven recommended Southwest because you get two checked bags for free.  Delta had the best route but no matter which airline we took, the tickets were going to cost us +/- $500.

Then I remembered that I still had a bunch of Delta frequent flier points from before I moved to Euroland.  Thank goodness that these points don't expire.  So I cashed in just over half of my available points,  and paid $11 in taxes, for two one-way first class tickets.  Score!    

The direct flight from Atlanta to Phoenix was four hours long and we flew 2548 km (1,583 miles).   

The best part of the flight was our flight attendant, Karla.  Halfway through the flight, I used getting up to use the lavatory as an excuse to speak to the flight attendant.  She mentioned how extremely polite Kája was.  I explained that this was his first time in the USA, his first time ever flying first class, and that we were flying to Arizona because he was going to meet my parents for the first time.  I asked her if by chance, did she have any of the plastic pilot wings that they normally hand out to children.  She said that she would take care of it.

Wow, did she ever!  Not only did she later come over to give him the pilot wings, she also gave him a goodie bag full of snacks and a handwritten card saying welcome to the USA, good luck meeting the in-laws, and thanks for flying with Delta.  Of course, it was even better that her name was Karla.  Karel and Karla.  

Big thanks to Karla for making the flight such a great experience.  I just hope that Kája isn't now spoiled and expect first class all the time.

Fun in Atlanta, GA

We've had an absolutely fabulous time in Atlanta with Steven and Michael.  It's hard to believe that I haven't been back since 2012.  

The boys really rolled out the Southern Hospitality for Kája which he loved.  Hopefully he's not spoiled now for the rest of our holidays.

On Sunday, Kája got to see his first baseball game.  The Atlanta Braves no longer play at Turner Field.  They now use the new Truist Park stadium that was built in 2017.  The Braves played the Miami Marlins and the Braves won 6-3.  

I still miss baseball in Euroland.  Anyway, the game was fun.  At one point I was trying to explain to Kája what was going on.  We were speaking Czech and this kid in front of us turned around and you could see he was having a hard time processing it.  He must have thought we were speaking Klingon or something.

The 4th of July is a big deal in the USA.  Parades, fireworks, lots of flags, BBQs, family and friend get-togethers, and we had it all.  In boys' neighbourhood, kids have a little parade and the local fire station even participates.

After the parade, we spent a good bit of time at the neighbourhood pool.  The home owners association had the Varsity send a food truck to cater.

The Varsity is an Atlanta institution.  It's a family owned business that opened in 1928.  It's huge.  It sits on two city blocks and can seat about 800 people.  When you walk in, the cashiers all shout out "What'll ya have, what'll ya have, what'll ya have?"  It's not the healthiest of foods but you can't go wrong with a chili dog, onion rings, a frosted orange drink and a fried peach pie.  So tasty but only as a special treat.

Later we spent the evening out at Lake Lanier, about 97 km (60 miles) northeast of the city.  Steven's sister Beth and her husband Reggie Davis invited us, along with Steven's mom, for dinner on their houseboat.  Steven's mom is great and I just love her to pieces.  The last time I saw her was when she and Steven came to visit in 2014.

Again, the Southern Hospitality was in full force.  Beth had a full spread of BBQ ribs, corn bread, mac 'n cheese.  Everything was so good but I'm afraid at this rate I'll gain at least 5 kg.

Plus music and fireworks out over the lake.  What a great evening!

Atlanta has lots to see to do.  We spent a few days trying to see as much as we could with out feeling overwhelmed and rushed.

The World of Coca-Cola museum showcases the history of the cola.  

The Georgia Aquarium opened in 2005.  It's huge.  Until 2012, it was the largest aquarium in the world.  Today it only ranks as the world's 6th largest aquarium.

The aquarium is home to thousands of animals, in seven major galleries, living in more than 42.000 m³ (11 million gallons).

Centennial Olympic Park was built for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.  It's a 89.000 m² (22-acre) public park in downtown Atlanta.

The Swan House is a mansion that was built in 1928.  It is part of the Atlanta History Centre and has been featured in many films.  In 1977 it was listed on the National Register for Historic Places.

The Atlanta Botanical Garden opened in 1976.  It sits on 12 hectares (30 acres), adjacent to Piedmont Park.  

The Chattahoochee River is about 690 km (430 miles) long.  

The Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum is located at the Atlanta History Centre.  The Cyclorama is a cylindrical panoramic painting of the Battle of Atlanta during the Civil War.  It was painted in 1885. 

The painting is 114 metres (374 feet) and weighs 4536 kg (10,000 lbs) and was once the world's largest oil paining.

Stone Mountain is about 24 km (15 miles) east of the city.  It's the state's most visited tourist site.  It was opened on 14 April 1965, exactly 100 years to the day that President Lincoln was assassinated.

On the north face of the quartz mountain is the largest bas-relief artwork in the world.  In 1972, the carving depicts three Confederate generals.

What a week it's been.  It was so nice spending time with the boys and catching up with people.  Brian and his wife even drove down from Tennessee for a visit.  

The last time I saw Brian was in 2013 when made it to the 5th Czechsgiving.

Now it's on to Prescott to to visit Mom & Dad.