s/v Field Trip

Guam Memories Field Trip's home for just over a month,    Hagåtña  harbor.  Guam is a U.S. island territory located in Micronesia.  "Where America's Day Begins!" Also the home of a U.S. Naval Base, Andersen Airforce Base, U.S. Coastguard Sector, and National Guard.  Every morning at 8:00 a.m. we would hear the national anthem being played over the loudspeakers.   Food First. Guam was not in our original cruising plan, but when the kids found out they had a Taco Bell there, the 4,000 miles we had to sail to get there didn't seem so far! Taco Bell was literally our first meal in Guam.  Tostadas, burritos, and tacos - oh my! Mark and I enjoyed a dinner out alone at Lone Star Steakhouse!  MMMmmmm - meat and potatoes!  It felt a bit odd to be surrounded by Asian tourists in such a hometown American establishment, but the steaks were fantastic and there was even country music on the radio! The other 'must have' me...

I have had a cold for the last few days and I was in need of more medicine. We drove to the pharmacy and while mom was checking out, the lady at the cashier said that there would be a solar eclipse at 2:50pm! When we got back into the car, we told Michael, Dad, and Nana. They were all excited and Michael set an alarm on his watch for when it was supposed to happen. I felt so thrilled because the last time we tried to see a solar eclipse , we had missed it because we had the time wrong. I hoped that this time we would be accurate! To pass time, we all visited the museum in town. The main entrance fee was way too expensive, so we payed for the cheaper art gallery. I was disappointed because the museum was supposed to be well-made with lots of information. However, the art that an American woman did was beautiful. She made batik works depicting village and city life. I think Nana really enjoyed seeing the different paintings and their meanings. After browsing for 30 minutes, I ...

You have to ring that bell, Michael!   That’s what Elizabeth said to me a few minutes ago, before I approached the rock climbing wall at the Festival of Lights at Harvest Baptist Church in Guam.   The setup lady starts to tighten the straps on the harness encasing my legs, and I look up at the rock wall looming in front of me, trying to plot my path. When she is finished, I walk over to the base of the wall, where a guy hooks me onto the line and says, “You’re good to go!” Getting geared up I reach for the first plastic rock jutting out of the wall, then place my bare foot on another below me. I hoist myself up and start to ascend quickly.  Too quickly. My right foot slips out from under me about five feet off the ground, and the contraption slowly lowers me to the floor. I look around quickly, hoping the guy wouldn’t say that was it. Luckily, he had his back turned, so I start up again, more careful this time. About seven feet up, my...

...A look back at the family times together before all the quarantine and isolation (you know, when we chose all that together time?)... It is Christmas number eight since moving aboard way back in 2011, and we find ourselves enjoying a bit more of an American holiday than in years past.  After realizing we’d need to come all the way to Guam from Phuket, Thailand for our Volvo engine replacement (it had to be done in a US territory to qualify for the manufacturer’s recall), it was so good to finally arrive.  We traveled over 4,000 miles through 6 countries/territories, one tropical storm, pirate-infested seas, and some of the bumpiest waters we've ever encountered.  It’s time to celebrate. None of the ornaments or decorations could be put up until our passages were over.  Who wants to clean up a toppled Christmas tree while seasick??  Not me!  So in the first few days we arrive, decking the ‘hulls’ is at the top of our crew duties list.  Matt...