Wish You Were Here
ARIZONA: San Ramon residents Marshall and Shelley Norberman spent the days leading up to Memorial Day aboard a houseboat, “traveling the many intricate arms and canyons of Lake Powell,” Marshall says. “(We) docked for the evening in Padre Bay surrounded by sandstone cliffs, buttes and mesas.”
TRAVEL TIPS: “Houseboating is beyond rewarding, but extremely challenging even for experienced boaters. Planning is essential. Once you leave the dock, you don’t want to return to the marina for anything, so it’s important to have all pre-made meals, plenty of paper supplies, clothes for warm, hot and cold times, hats, sunscreen, clear maps, binoculars, books, water toys and lots to drink. A good sense of direction is a big plus.” UKRAINE: In May, William Wiersig, left, and the Gordon family — Los Altos and Menlo Park residents Christopher, Brett and John, and Austin resident Roger — visited Chernobyl on a tour that included this stop in front of a worker monument and “the compromised Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Number Four, covered by its new, hangarlooking safety ‘sarcophagus,’ ” John says. “We spent two days in that area — including one overnight in Chernobyl City at a dormitory-like facility — exploring the reactor area and the nearby abandoned city of Pripyat.”
TRAVEL TIPS: “The trip involves a lot of walking and entry to buildings of questionable safety: holes in floors, exposed elevator shafts, broken stairs without railings — OSHA would not approve. Our portable ‘dosimeters’ showed only minor radiation in the areas we visited. In the spring, the mosquitoes and gnats in Pripyat are abundant. Long pants, long sleeves, insect repellent and a netted hat are recommended.” CUBA: Orinda resident Bobbie Dodson-Nielsen and her two daughters, Kathy Williamson and Kris Dodson, spent two weeks visiting Havana, Vinales, Cienfuegos, Trinidad and Santa Clara so they could enjoy “city life, beaches and mountain vistas,” Bobbie says.
TRAVEL TIPS: “Go before hordes of American tourists start journeying there. Be sure to ride in one of the beautifully restored 1950s American cars. We toured in the black Chevy Impala in which Michelle Obama rode, and a bright blue Chevy Bel Air.”