Whirlwind Tour!

Well it was quite a "long weekend" for Scott!

The Cruise Place and Legendary World are part of an organization called Signature Travel Network, a co-operative of about 200 agencies from around the country that collectively do over $3 Billion in Travel Sales - yes that is Billion with a "B"!

Many of the technology tools, marketing programs and training programs my company uses are developed and managed by Signature. Signature is Owned by the member agencies and we get together once a year to elect a Board of Directors, learn about new programs and to network. Well, our Annual Meeting was held last weekend at the Ritz Carlton Lake Las Vegas and WOW!

Lake Las Vegas is about 30 minutes East of Las Vegas Airport - but a World Apart! The entire area surrounds a man-made lake that whisks you away from all the hoopla of "Vegas" and transports you to the Italian Alps. It feels like you are in a tranquil Italian Villa, with all the amenities of a Ritz - it was incredible!

I spent two days at the meetings, then had to shoot off for Cabo San Lucas to meet up with my staff and one of our groups! This was the Inaugural Sailing of our "Music and Margaritas" Theme Cruise, sponsored by KPRI Radio in San Diego and the Phoenix and Tucson Parrot Head Clubs! What is a Parrot Head Club you ask? Parrot Heads are members of the 200 or so Jimmy Buffett Fan Clubs spread across the USA to support Jimmy Buffett and his laid back lifestyle - and benefit great local causes at the same time! "Party with a Purpose" is their mantra!

I flew to Cabo on Saturday (But the group departed San Diego on Thursday!) and met up with many members of the group at The Giggling Marlin in Downtown Cabo - just across the street from the Cruiseship Tender Pier. The "Marlin" is famous for hanging patrons up by their ankles and taking a picture of you with a giggling Marlin painted on the wall in reference to all those fishing shots we have seen with fisherman and their catches! We had a few laughs, a few tacos and a few beers while everyone filled me in on the parts I had missed - sounds like a good time was had by all!

We headed back to the Carnival Elation to dance to the Trop Rock sounds of "Stars on the Water", the awesome San Diego band we brought on board for our private parties and concerts! We danced by the pool for two hours, as we sailed out of Cabo!

Mini Vacation - San Diego!

This last weekend I decided to take a quick trip to San Diego to escape the Tucson heat (yes - it's STILL hot here...) and take in the San Diego Chargers home opener vs. the Chicago Bears!

I decided a quick full day adventure was in order! I invited my niece Brittany to join me - and away we went! It all started with a 6:45 AM flight to San Diego on good old Southwest Airlines - always on-time, always fun and a great way to start an "Adventure"! Upon arrival in San Diego we took the Hertz Bus to pick up a convertible and head to the beach, for some fun before the 1:00 PM Kick-off of what many of think should have been the teams in last years Super Bowl! :)

First stop - the WaveHouse! My favorite beach spot in San Diego - and Voted the Best Breakfast in San Diego in 2006! We decided it was a little too early for Bloody Mary's and settled for an awesome breakfast, while I caught up on all the things going on in Brit's active life, work and new house - some things I did not need to know!

Then it was off for some roller-bladeing and watching as the beach and the neighborhood came to life! Mornings are by far my favorite times and I love wandering in different cities as the locals start their day and smells start to fill the streets as coffee, pastries and other goodies are being prepared.

OK - Time to head to Qualcomm Stadium (still Jack Murphy Stadium for us long time Charger Fans) and see if we can find a tail-gate party to crash! I decided we should take the trolley to avoid the long lines to get in - as this game has been sold out for months! We left the car in Old Town and jumped on the Trolley and were surprised to see as many Chicago Orange Jerseys as there were Charger Blue! One of the great things about games in San Diego is that rival fans LOVE to travel to San Diego - not only is it a beautiful city - but the Charger Fans are some of the most hospitable and friendly in the league! Everyone was laughing, having a good time, wishing the other team good luck and just ready for a great game - with two great teams!

I decided to call my "Charger Girlfriend" (story another time) and see if her and her husband are at the game and set up yet. DUH! was the answer I got, so we headed over to H2 parking section to see my good friends Cathy and Steve and join their party. Since we were traveling light today we had nothing with us but our clothes - and Cathy and company pulled us right in and we partied with them until time to head into the game. Rod Laver, a famous Tennis Player from years past was even part of the group! We had a ball! Thanks Again Cathy! :)

Time to head to our seats! Brittany did not know it yet - but my favorite seats in the stadium, and where I always sit are in the Club Seats. They are halfway up the stadium, giving PERFECT views of the field from all angles, there are 4 private lounges with TV's for when you need a break from the heat AND they serve you in the seats - Stadium Heaven as far as I am concerned! The pre-game show was just getting started as we arrived, checked in with the neighbors - who luckily ran about 75% Charger Fans and 25% Bears Fans - and were surprised and amazed as 4 F-18's screamed across the sky just above the stadium as everyone erupted from their seats and the game began!

I won't go through a play by play, but suffice it to say it was a defensive battle in the beginning with the Bears leading 3-0 at half time - but then the Charger Offense, lead by P. Rivers and LT ratcheted up the intensity in the second half with 14 points and the defense holding the Bears to ZERO - giving the Chargers a Season Opener winning score of 14-3! Go Chargers!

We hung out in the private lounge for a beer after the game to let the crowds dwindle and to mingle with the Charger Fans and soak up all the excitement of the WIN! Our flight home was not until 8:50 PM, so we decided to go back to the WaveHouse, watch the surfers on the Patio Wave Pool and watch the sunset - before heading back to Tucson and the realities of home. (I was actually so wiped out - I took most of Monday off!)

Back at the WaveHouse! The WaveHouse is right on the Beach in Mission Beach, home of Belmont Park and one of the Oldest Wooden Roller Coasters in the US, originally built in 1925. While living in San Diego we always would bring visitors and friends here for a run on "Giant Dipper"! We got a great seat at the Bar and proceeded to watch the guys and gals as they surfed Bruticas Maximus - a 10 foot wall of water and one of the most incredible wave machines in the country! There were hundreds of people on the patio, in the restaurant and just standing around watching all the activity - it was a great way to end a great day!

But all good things must come to an end - and I could see Brittany was starting to crash. :) Time to head for the airport, return the rental car and get our boarding passes. As usual, the flight was on-time and smooth as silk. We landed in Tucson, retrieved our cars and headed home for a good nights sleep! Great Day - thanks Brit! See you next time! GO CHARGERS - it's off to New England for my Chargers and a very tough game this Sunday.

*Images Taken with my iPhone! :)

Fly-Fishing - Greer, AZ!

I know - I have been AWOL for a few months! OK, LOTS of months! :) But, I'm back!

I've just returned from a spontaneous trip to Greer, AZ - in the White Mountains of Arizona! You might say, "so what!", but this is a great, hidden treasure in Arizona, near the New Mexico border. Many folks in Phoenix and Tucson have never even been here - I was shocked to hear that so many locals are not aware of this Jewel in our own backyard!

Greer, Eagar, Springerville, Nutrioso, Alpine....

Never heard of them? You are not alone! These are great, small towns (click here for map) along State Route 260 and US Highway 180 in the White Mountains of Eastern Arizona. These towns are not far from the better known Show Low, Payson or Pinetop - but a world apart in character, local hospitality and country laid-back lifestyle!

Wednesday morning last week I awoke with a wild idea to head to the mountains and do something different, get away from the "city", the heat and the same ole', same ole'. So I decided to call a very good client, and now friend; well known and highly regarded fly-fishing guide, Chip Chipman. Chip and his wife Penny are clients of The Cruise Place and I had heard great stories about guiding, and the beauty of the White Mountains. So I shot Chip an e-mail and he happened to have time to give me some lessons on Saturday and a guided fishing trip on Sunday - PERFECT!


Chip directed me to the Greer Lodge and Cabins - and I booked myself a cabin - not really sure what I was getting, but just glad to get a place this close in. The Greer Lodge is one of the best lodges in the area and almost always booked well in advance. One of the "Lodges" is called the Red Setter Inn and is actually a B&B within the resort grounds. It was named one of the Top 10 B&B's in the WORLD by Fodor's! (click here for the article). I knew I was in for a GREAT weekend!

I arrived Friday afternoon around 5:00 PM, after an incredible 4 hour drive from Tucson, via Oracle, Globe and Show Low. The drive was a perfect way to leave the hassles of the work week behind, put on some Jimmy Buffett CD's and enjoy the scenery! And its was AWESOME! The terrain quickly changed from desert scrub brush and cacti to pine trees, meadows and green, green, green. The monsoons have made the mountains as lush as the deserts I love. The big difference - it was now 71 degrees vs. the 105 degrees I left behind a few hours ago.

I checked into my cabin, unpacked all my new "Fly-Fishing" attire and headed to the 373 Grill on the Lodge grounds - and only a few steps from my cabin. Ah, how convenient! :)

The 373 Grill, named after the highway that takes you the last 5 miles from the main road 260, is a perfect spot to sit back, relax after a long drive or a day of fishing, hiking, horseback riding or any of the other activities in the area, and have a cold beer or glass of wine and take in the scenery! The Grill has indoor seating or a patio with fresh air and grand vistas.

I decided to head back to the cabin, watch a DVD I brought and start a new book I've been wanting to read - a perfect ending to the first day of my Fly-Fishing Adventure!

SATURDAY MORNING!
When I checked in the previous day - everyone working in the office said that I MUST get up early, and walk the property, as the monsoons have brought out the local Wildflowers as well as the Wildlife! So here we are, 6AM, hot coffee in hand and 59 degrees out - YES! :) The grounds of the Greer Lodge are incredible. I enjoyed about an hour hike, sighting deer, trout in the streams and yes - lots of wildflowers - it was one of those perfect mornings - and I was only an hour away from meeting Chip and my first Fly-Fishing lesson.

Greer Lodge has stocked ponds that are used for guests to practice either on their own, or with a professional Guide. I looked around at all the frustrated fathers with their kids, and husbands with their wives (enough said) and was glad I had decided to call Chip! We spent two hours going over all the basics, the Roll Cast, The Overhead Cast, The False Cast, as well as reading the water and refining the techniques. Chip was a great teacher and made it all come together. At first I felt like we were flailing around and it was not working, but within a few minutes of coaching it all started to feel right and I was getting in the groove. Now I was still not very good at it - but I was having fun and starting to get the fundamentals!

We finished the lesson and I headed back to my cabin around noon. I was planning on going back to the ponds and practice this afternoon and take in some horseback riding, but the monsoons came in with a fury around 1:00 PM and did not let up until after 7:00 PM - so my activities where out - but the show was great - and I settled in for the afternoon to read my book - also by Jimmy Buffett, "A Pirate Looks at Fifty!" Talk about escapism - it was a unique afternoon of reading, watching and listening to the storm and dreaming of all the adventures and far away places in the novel. It was early to bed - as tomorrow Chip and I are hitting the streams near his home.

SUNDAY MORNING!
Time to pack, check out, grab some coffee and head the 45 minutes East to Nutrioso to do some Fly-Fishing! The morning was cool, crisp, overcast and smelled of pine! Chip and I met at the post office in town and headed to his home where I would leave my car. We got in his truck and headed to the East Fork of the Black River - where Chip knew all the "hot" spots! The water was high from the storms and Chip said these where going to be tough conditions, but we decided to try one of his favorite spots anyway. I forgot everything from yesterday, so at first I was all over the place - fly in the bushes, fly in the trees, everywhere but where Chip was directing me at in the stream! It came back pretty quick and we kept working on getting the fly out to the right spot and then the stripping technique was worked on. After about 15 minutes we had our first fish! It was an Apache Trout and about 8 inches long - what a rush to catch the first one - and I knew if we caught no more - at least when I got home and my mom (an avid fly fishing fan) called, I could say we caught one!

The "big" one! About 10 minutes later we had another hit and this guy was a fighter (but what did I know - this was my first time!) and I had a great time reeling this one in. Chip seemed a little shocked at the size, but I'm not sure if he was just making the trip more fun. I reeled in a 14 inch or so Brown Trout and it was bright, colorful and feisty! This trip was just catch and release, so we let him go and went back to looking for the next one. In the first 2 hours we caught another Brown Trout at 16 inches and another Apache Trout at about 7 inches - WOW - what a morning! We decided to try some other spots down the road, but did not have any luck in those areas, so we decided to take our last 20 minutes and go back to our original part of the stream for one last try. We had a few hits, but no more fish. It was a great day of fishing and learning about fly-fishing from a pro like Chip. I highly recommend taking a few lessons if you want to enjoy this (or any new activity) to it fullest!