The Plan

We started planning a drive to Alaska, but then we realized the Panama Canal is closer to Tucson. Several revisions to our plans later, we have settled on a trip to Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico, with a route that looks something like this:

Our trip planning is always very loose, we have no accomodations even picked out for most of it. The only place we have a reservation for is for our week in Antigua, Guatemala, where we will do a home stay complete with home-cooked meals, and make a probably vain attempt to learn Spanish. Grace in her research has learned there is a town near Antigua where you can buy custom leather boots, so she has saved her money from teaching at the Overland Expo just for that.

We then drive over to Placencia, Belize for the lobster festival, because Kelly loves lobster, it will be our wedding anniversary, and we compromised and are doing what she wants. That is why we have been married for 18 years.

After that, we are off to the ruins of Tikal, known to many as the Rebel Base in Star Wars, Episode IV. Then, our loose planning gets even looser. We may spend a lot of time in the Yucatan, or perhaps go over to Oaxaca. Then we will reluctantly head home, unless we find a wealthy benefactor willing to bankroll more travel.

I have not taken a vacation in a long time specifically so I can burn a whole lot of it in one giant trip. This has caused a bit of consternation at work, but fortunately my boss is sympathetic, because he realizes I will return refreshed and rejuvinated. Unless we find that wealthy benefactor.

After a few too many beers at the Overland Expo two weeks ago, our friend Jon has decided to join us. He is as sane as we are, since he hasn't backed out, and we look forward to having him with us.