Happy Holidays 2021
/Let the fall and winter holiday season 2021-22 begin! This is only our second website update since we got home at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns in mid-March 2020, although we’ve been diligently doing Instagram updates daily at ‘hotelguys1.’ There’s much to be thankful for making all the season’s holidays that much sweeter. We’re healthy, happy — and vaccinated.
Rich’s return home on March 11, 2020 literally grounded him to the earth and into the trees once again. (As his Naturopath doctor calls it “Forest Bathing!”) So digging in the garden dirt along with endless dirty nails became his medicine after the global pandemic put the halt on travel.
Adding new trees, planting new winter and spring flowers and bulbs after back surgery didn’t stop him from redesigning our landscape. His white garden in our front yard in NW Portland has been photographed by many! His passion for growing things is incredible. Paul consults on garden additions and provides support — from the back deck.
Rich continues daily communications with so many of our dear friends throughout Asia. If he isn’t working in the yard he’s in communication with so many friends!
But Rich’s favorite big backyard is Sauvie Island and Rooster Rock State Park. Fortunately there’s lots of hiking for exercise in these awesome clothing optional locations near home! Now Rich is busy preparing our food and decorating plans with family over Christmas! The words “gratitude” and “heart to heart hugs” is his mantra as he awaits the next big HotelGuys travel adventure.
But the Hotel Guys have not been staying in too many hotels lately. We did make it to four beautiful Oregon coast destinations during the last winter, spring and summer.
So we’ve celebrated all the recent holidays close to home and for this month’s Thanksgiving and for all the rest through the new year we will be Portland bound.
To kick-off our usual winter travel season, Rich did eight solo nights in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California MEXICO staying at the quaint Solmar Resort. It is one of Cabo’s first-built resorts and it still delivers for comfort and value! It was hard to pass up the direct flight from Portland. Paul’s sat that one out instead helping a friend in southern Oregon.
Since the initial Covid lockdown Paul probably has read more books than any other year. Thank you retirement. His reading focuses on (surprise!) India including an awesome book by Tony Joseph Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where we Came From. He’s done lots of reading on south/central Asia and North Africa pre-history. All the better to dream up some new travel options to stay informed and loving life. That’s easy!
We’ve got fun Oregon-based plans for Christmas with family that DOES NOT involve zoom! Then maybe in the New Year we can tackle something on our wish list of travel destinations! Stay tuned!
