DAY 33 - AT SEA - MARCH 1, 2010

NOTHING SPECIAL TODAY. WE WENT TO THE NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA PORT OF CALL PRESENTATION AT 10:00 AND CONTINUED THE DAY WITH THE POOL AND SUNNING ACTIVITIES.

THIS AFTERNOON GARY SHAHAN GAVE ANOTHER EXCELLENT PRESENTATION, THIS TIME ON “GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66.” WHAT A FUN THING THIS WAS!

THE PICTURES HE HAS OBTAINED ARE VERY SPECIAL. THERE WERE VINTAGE CARS, FOR WHICH HE OCCASIONALLY WOULD ASK TO BE IDENTIFIED, PAINTED BARNS WITH FAMILIAR COMPANY OR BRAND ADVERTISEMENTS, AND SO ON. HIS TALK STARTED JUST AS IF WE WERE LEAVING CHICAGO AND ROLLING ON DOWN THE ROAD. ALL THE SMALL TOWNS, SOME STILL AS HISTORIC SITE AND OTHERS GONE BY THE WAYSIDE.

THE PRESENTATION WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTING TO ME SINCE I HAVE MOTORED TO CALIFORNIA TWICE, ONCE WITH GEORGIA AND THE KIDS BACK IN 1982. THE OTHER TIME WAS IN MY TEENS, ALONG WITH 19 OTHER TEENS, ON A GREYHOUND BUS, IN THE AUGUST OF 1959. WE WERE GOING TO ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA TO PLAY BASEBALL IN THE COLT LEAGUE WORLD SERIES.

I DON’T KNOW FOR SURE THAT WE TRAVELED ROUTE 66, BUT I REMEMBER GOING THROUGH ST. LOUIS AND JOPLIN MISSOURI; TULSA AND OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA; AMARILLO AND EL PASO, TEXAS; ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO;; BARSTOW AND SAN BERNARDINO WITH OUR FINAL DESTINATION ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA.

I DO KNOW THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM HAD NOT BEEN CREATED. TRAVELING ACROSS COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY FROM PITTSBURGH, WOULD REQUIRE SOME TRAVEL ON THE “NATIONAL ROAD,” ROUTE 40, WHICH WAS ESAILY ACCESSED THROUGH WASHINGTON, PA. ROUTE 40 TAKES YOU TO ST. LOUIS AND FROM THERE I DON’T IMAGINE THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS TO GET TO CALIFORNIA.

BUT, LETS GET BACK TO THE ACTIVITIES OF THE DAY.

FRANKIE HELD A DISCUSSION GROUP ABOUT THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY OF SUVA, FIJI. THERE WAS NOT MUCH SAID EITHER WAY SO I LEFT. SO, I GUESS THERE IS NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT.

AFTER DINNER WE WERE ENTERTAINED BY A GUITARIST, BOB HOWE. WE HAVE CERTAINLY HAD A VARIETY OF PERFORMERS AND THIS WAS A CHANGE OF PACE FROM THE SINGERS AND COMEDIANS. HE HAD A WIDE RANGE OF MUSIC STYLES FROM ROCK TO CLASSICAL AND HIS PRESENTATION WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED, ALTHOUGH I DIDN’T SEE ANYONE BUYING HIS CD’S