We traveled to DC on business and were able to see about 20 of our DC friends before we move to Germany. The friends we stayed with in Baltimore overnight took us to the Baltimore National Aquarium at the Inner Harbor tourist area before we drove back to Chesapeake via the DELMARVA peninsula over both the Bay Bridge and the Chesapeake Bridge Tunnel Complex (toll bridges).

Since we had to stick close to home for Memorial Day weekend and the weather was perfect, we decided to watch the sunset on Chesapeake Bay with a wine picnic on the beach, which is one of the few places on the East Coast you can watch the sun set in the water. Also at Fort Story are the Cape Henry Lighthouses. The new Cape Henry Lighthouse is still functional. The Old Cape Henry Lighthouse is the first structure paid for and commissioned by the new United States Government in 1792.

Well, we got about 10 miles into the 50 mile trip to Colonial Williamsburg for the day and Jeff noticed Jenny's radiator was leaking. We turned around, dropped off the car for repairs, and went to the local Chesapeake Arboretum instead. It is very close to our home and quite nice. The farm house was built in 1730, which is about the same time Williamsburg was the State Capitol of Virginia. The flowers, trees and brirds were all beautiful. Not a bad recovery from our daytrip gone bad.

I hope to complete a Travel Blog showing all the pictures of the places my wife Jenny and I have lived and visited since we bought our first computer when we lived in Hawaii in 1998. We've spent most of that time travelling around the globe and I've spent many hours organizing all the digital pictures. Hopefully, TravBuddy will be a way to show off all the places we've expereinced in the world. The picture of us is taken from our balcony on the East China Sea in Nakadomari, Okinawa.

The Casemate Museum on historic Fort Monroe, Old Comfort Point, Virginia is the largest stone and brick fort in the US, located at the strategic entrance to Chesapeake Bay. This pre-civil war fort played a vital role for the Union and escaped slaves during the civil war. Built by Robert E. Lee when he was a lieutenant engineer. Also housed Jefferson Davis after he was captured and visited by Abraham Lincoln.

As part of a master-level class we visited the Virginia War Museum. The museum has quite a bit of property with gardens, a large collection of military equipment, and a large collection of posters. The tour guides were expert veterans.

We did a military staff ride through the Yorktown Battlefield National Park on 25 April 2008. The weather was fantastic and we learned quite a bit about the most important battle of the Revolutionary War, when the French and Colonialists (Americans) triumphed over the British on 19 October 1781.

In March 08 I had to go to Yokosuka on business, but the trip also afforded opportunities to visit Tokyo and join Jenny for leave in Jenny's birthplace--Okinawa. My objective in Tokyo was to ride the biggest Ferris Wheel in the city (Japanese: 展覧車 (tenransha) or 大観覧車 (daikanransha) or (kanransh) at Kasai Rinkai Park. Our time in Okinawa was magical, with good weather, beautiful scenery/sunsets/beaches, and reunions with many friends from our time stationed there 2003-05.

I lived in the Village of Itasca, IL for 21 years under the flight path for Runway 9R at O'Hare Airport. Itasca is a small suburb of Chicago and we used to feed the cows through the farm pasture fence behind our house which is now Goodenough Park. Itasca is probably most famous for the Willy Wonka Candy Factory (Phone 630-773-0267). I attended St. Luke Lutheran Church and School which celebrated 100 years in Itasca in 2007, site of the the old high-steeple church which is an Itasca landmark.

Jeff tandem freefall at Skydive Hawaii, Dillingham Airfield and Gliderport, North Shore of Oahu. Freefall from 14,000 feet for 60 seconds to 120 mph and includes 3 sommersaults. Extra $150 to have someone jump to take pics & video.