Down And Out And Back

I've decided to return, after an unintended break of nearly two years. A death in the family, an extended sad patch, and with it the feeling that there was nothing really worth writing about, oh I had my excuses! I'm not out of the darkness yet, but I've had a few happy moments that I wanted to share. There are wonderful people out there, wonderful places, and fun things to experience. Here are a few highlights from my recent past:

The Station Inn, Cresson PA
A Bed and Breakfast in the hills above Altoona that caters to railfans.  You can sit on the porch and just watch trains (and other vehicles) go by, and fall asleep at night to the rumble of freights heading past your window.  It's become one of my favourite destinations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fPJZ1aDypc

 

Chicago!

Meeting up with my friends Perry and Cindy in Chicago is always a highlight for me.  They know where the best pizza is, the best beer, and the best Mexican food.  Here's a scene from the wonderful Los Fernandez, a super eatery in the north-west suburbs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbqgmDdzUXM

Asia

My first trip to Asia was a two-week whirlwind visit to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.  It was an outstanding combination of walking, tasty food, train travel and tasty beer, all served up in a steamy hot October.  Here is the rainforest valley bridge at the MacRitchie Reservoir.

A brilliant experience in Singapore is riding the Singapore Flyer wheel and taking in the spectacular views of the harbour and skyline.

Singapore is a sparkling city.  Here I am by the city's Merlion, wondering what to do first!

And now it's winter.  We've just had our biggest snowfall in five years.  I'm looking ahead to a better year in 2013, and hope that I'll be getting stuffed once again with the good things that life has to offer!  I wish you all a very happy year.
Snow!

NEXT:  A Weekend In Gdansk!