It's that time again to meet with fellow travelers to talk about --- travel!!
As always, we meet the 3rd Saturday of the month at 10:00 a.m.
Location-
Panera Bread 3571 North Freeway Blvd. Sacramento. This is off I-80, using the Truxel Rd. exit.
Everyone who wants to discuss their upcoming trips, reminisce about past trips, or just hang out and talk about travel is welcome.
Who's planning to be there?
Also, I've copied a post from Kevin from last month's thread concerning road construction on I-80:
"As for I-80. If you are coming from the west, take Business 80 / US 50 towards downtown Sacramento, then take I-5 north. Get off at El Camino and go east to Truxel Road and turn left. Take Truxel over the freeway and then follow the usual route, you will miss all the backup and the traffic lights are fairly quick.
If you are coming from the south, also get off at El Camino and follow the same directions.
Those heading east after the meeting, you can take Truxel north, becoming Natomas Blvd, to Elkhorn and turn right to get out without the freeway mess. This is not fast, but moving is better that crawling and nobody seems to be able to drive on Saturdays."
As I type, I'm getting lots of help (aka distraction) from both a human AND from felines; if something I've typed doesn't make sense or is flat-out wrong, let me know ;-)
(And yes, Andrea, I've copied-and-pasted your announcement from last month. Sue me.)
That's okay, I copy and paste it every month!
"That's okay, I copy and paste it every month!"
GASP! There I go again...I've really got to break this habit ;-)
It's always a fun meeting! So where is everybody??
San Rafael at noon on the 13th. Sacramento at 10 a.m. on the 20th.
But on the 27th I'm sleeping in!!
I can't make the Marin or Sacto meeting this month. We will be in England for both. I'll be having a meeting with a certain someone on the 13th. He knows who he is. If possible we will FaceTime to the Marin meeting. We travel to London on the 20th. On the 26th I'll have another meeting in Paris with a couple of gals from Idaho. And next month we will hopefully be meeting with Ms. Jo. Good times...
Have a good meeting. I know Eileen will welcome the opportunity to talk about me. ;-)
Bon Voyage Andrea! Have a great trip!
Thanks Susan!!
Don't tell me we only need the 4-seater table this month! I'm all for intimacy, but we usually require several tables pushed together...
I mean really - who doesn't want the opportunity to trash-talk about Andrea?
;-)
Posting from San Rafael meeting. Seven here -- but lots of conversation. See you next Saturday !
Just you wait and see... ;-)
Monte will be busy practicing for his upcoming Alcatraz to San Francisco swim the end of Sept., but I will be there....yep, even though I have an out of town wedding that day...you guys are my first priority :-)
Congratulations, Susan! Do we know the lucky guy? ;-)
Monte does know there are ferries, etc. - he doesn't have to swim from Alcatraz...
We'll be at 35,000 feet heading east but thinking about you all... 4 days and counting.
Going somewhere, Karen? ;-) Have a fabulous time! You'll have to tell us all about your trip when you return. Hopefully it'll be a small group since you'll be buying the drinks. (Wha? We didn't mention that if you give a trip report, you buy the drinks? Well, just come a little late; hopefully everyone will already have one.) LOL! Just joshin'. Unless you wanna buy me coffee...
David, Monte had better be a tough guy. He's going to be devastated when he learns that Susan's getting married this weekend. And so soon after their wedding anniversary last month...
My wife and I had a great time with Jim and Andrea over the weekend. They were like long lost cousins - we loved what we did together - walking, driving, watching the ducks. We really enjoyed the weekend.
You guys at the Sac area are priviledged to have them.
Aww shucks Nigel, you're too nice! We had a fantastic time, thanks to you and Carol.
We are off to Edinburgh tomorrow. Karen and I will be like ships passing in the night...
(Thanks, Nigel - your $20 is in the mail.)
'Spect I'll be there, if it's the right time zone...........
If - if - you can stay put for two more days...I believe you'll be in the correct time zone.
Travelin' fool, you ;-)
Now there will be some construction on Eastbound Business I-80/Hwy 50 on the Pioneer Bridge (over the American River, immediately before the intersection with I-5). Two lanes are expected to be closed, perhaps until Monday...so if you're coming from the west I would suggest taking the I-80 exit (aka, stay on I-80) instead of taking I-5 North (if that was your plan). You can then either just stay in the right lane and take the Truxel Rd exit, or take the El Camino exit (directions in the first post of this thread). I would probably just take I-80 and exit at Truxel Rd; it may be slow, but it's probably much faster than the work-around mentioned in the first post. I don't know this for a fact, but I expect now that the locals know about this work around Truxel Rd, the backup and confusion is probably much less than the first day of the construction (when I experienced it many months ago).
We don't care how you get here - just get here!
See you next month -- will pack a sleeping bag for Ed, who seems to have a 4-1/2 hour meeting limit.
Hey! You guys wait for the two meetings I won't be there to start planning a trip? What's up with that?
Sounds like you had a good meeting. I tried to FaceTime with Eileen during the meeting, but for some reason it didn't work. We got to London yesterday and today we have SUN! The first I've seen of that for days. York and Edinburgh were foggy and misty. It was exciting to be in Edinburgh during the referendum. Thursday there was a lot of excitement, most from the Yes camp. Friday was a bit more subdued.
@Susan: Glad to hear Monty escaped Alcatraz. Bring him a change of clothes. That damp, black & white striped suit will be conspicuous in San Francisco...
"Hey! You guys wait for the two meetings I won't be there to start planning a trip? What's up with that?"
Mwah-ha-ha...Our plan is working poy-fectly ;-)
Ed needs a sleeping bag, I complained all day about wanting a comfy recliner (are you listening, Panera?) - it was a bit overcast and just a sleepy kind of day. BTW, it's always great to have Laura and Ed! Maybe next time we'll just bring one of Panera's coffee airpots to the table ;-)
Yea for London sunshine, Andrea! Don't be skeered in the 'Chunnel Tunnel' :-( You'll probably pop up on dry land...
Kevin, Susan (Monte qualified for his race! I'd swim fast, too, if prison guards were shooting at me...), Kitty, David, Laura, Ed, Bonnie, and I were in attendance. And for anyone thinking about coming to our get-togethers - you don't have to be planning a trip, have already traveled to Europe (or anywhere else), etc. If you simply enjoy RS' travel videos, or just like talking about travel, or think you might like talking about travel...please come! We're not one of those 'serious travelers clubs' that seriously and with furrowed brow (and LOTS of $$$) discuss travel philosophy and plan group trips. (Well, OK- yesterday, we might have started talking about a RS Travel Forum trip...). The point is, we are far from being a musty, stuffy, exclusive group! Everyone is welcome! Just show up...No dues are collected, no roll call, no advance notice necessary. no participation is required. Just show up! We would like you to tell us your first name, though ;-) If you can't make it by 10:00, sharp, that's OK. (And on that note, I was the FIRST one there. David is my witness. And YES, it was before 10:00.) Just arrive when you can (after that vet appt or mowing your lawn), and leave when you need to. I can guarantee you - we'll still be there at noon...and then some...
We'll be at the long table in the center of the restaurant covered with blue Rick Steves' books...
No dues? Not what I heard. Where else does that franchise fee come from?
(Nervous stammering) Ummmm...ummmm...
Got it! "After 6 months of attendance......"
I knew somebody would get me on that. Bad Nigel, bad!
"Well, OK- yesterday, we might have started talking about a RS Travel Forum trip...). The point is, we are far from being a musty, stuffy, exclusive group! Everyone is welcome! Just show up...No dues are collected, no roll call, no advance notice necessary. No participation is required. Just show up!"
I guess this is Eileen's way of saying she likes to be the one who arrives early to secure the large center table, and then try to anticipate how many people will be there to know how many tables to add to it. Thanks Eileen! I'll be able to sleep in later on meeting days now.
Piece of cake...just drag in there at any ol' time. It's worked for me ;-)
Maybe next month we could drag all of the outside tables together, if the weather is nice.
(And yes, the word of the day is 'drag'. Apparently.)
"Just remember it is all Eileen's fault."
Nothing new there...
Just found this posting string, as you can see by my numbers I'm a newbie at this. Im just 30 minutes West of Sac and I am heading to Rome, Florence/Pisa, Venice & Paris this weekend for two weeks. I may have to stop by one of these Saturdays just to say, Hi.
Brushtim, have a wonderful trip! We have a great time at our meetings and you are certainly welcome to join us. We like to help people plan trips. We like to hear about trips that have been taken. We just like to talk about travel!
Enjoyed my trip last Oct. Italy was warm, it had been 23 years since my return to Italy, I lived down south while in the Air Force. In Rome for 3 nights, saw the major sites, upset that Trevi Fountain was under repairs. Enjoyed the food, especially the spicy sausage pizza, my favorite. Rome more crowded then what I remembered. Took my fist Selfie in the Colosseum, great. Walked everywhere, it was great. Stayed at Hotel Aberdeen, met a group of folks finishing a RS Tour and another group starting a RS Tour. Perfect location, less than 10min. walk from Train Station. Took Italotreno to Florence, nice ride. Florence for 2 nights, first time there, easy to get around and see the sites. Venice for the fist time as well, Italo train again, highly recommend them. Venice for two nights, a third would of been perfect. Enjoyed it very much, plan on returning again some day. Easy to navigate on foot and by water bus. Weather warm. Stayed in B&B Zaguri, just 5 min. from S. Maria del Giglio stop, put us less then 10 min. from Piazza San Marco. Paid for private water taxi on arrival. Was just perfect, sun out, cruising the Grand Canal, standing up in the back and just enjoying the sites.
Ahh Paris. Did Paris for 6 nights, first time. Plan on returning in 2016/17, loved this city. Enjoyed the food, sites and atmosphere. Did the standard tourist sites, used all of RS advice and had reservations, tickets purchased, arrived early to beat the crowds, just perfect. Next time will be end of May, beginning of June so as to enjoy the gardens in full bloom, and then a Christmas week there as well.
Off to Vilseck Germany this may to see my son and his wife, he is in the Air Force. Will be hitting Hallstatt, Salzburg, Munich and Ludwigs castles. May work in a day to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Was planning on a RS Germany, Austria, Switzerland Tour, but this may hit most of it.
Will be heading to the conference this weekend in Edmonds, 16 - 17 Jan. Signed up for the briefings on Saturday. Looking forward to it, plan on getting info on how to become a Tour Guide for them.
Have a good one.
