The Lake House

Our wonderful friend invited a few of us to her beautiful Lake House at Lake Almanor, California, for a long weekend.  What a gorgeous home!  We were spoiled. Each of the 5 of us had our own rooms and we were right on the water’s edge. Look at this stunning sunrise taken from the porch.

On Day One, a Friday morning, after packing the Kia with food, a tent, an inflatable paddle board and a blow-up kayak, I hit the road at 8 am.  About 3 hours later I arrived at this beautiful home! 

We are a group of Women who have become friends through our association with Al-Anon.  Al-Anon is for families of Alcoholics to help us learn how to have better, happier lives, whether the Alcoholic in our lives is still drinking or not.  We have formed deep bonds of friendship and are able to rely on one another for love and support during extremely difficult times. The depth of honesty and non-judgment we share is unsurpassed. These women actually showed up at my house with trucks and cars and helped me move out of the home I was sharing with my ex-husband.  They are my Serenity Sisters for life🌹

We spent the first day driving around and checking out Lassen Volcanic National Park and the little town of Chester.  We looked at a couple of off grid cabins for sale, they are very tiny and very tempting to purchase because they are right in the Park! No Electricity but this one is priced at only $89K!

Chester is an adorable tiny town.  We made a stop at Jeff-Roes to pick up a pie and grab a smoothie before heading back to the Lake House to greet the new arrivals.

When pre-planning our trip, the group decided that we would each be responsible for a meal and a group activity.  This gave us a lot of fun things to do and amazing treats to eat.  What a pleasure it was to have someone cook for us.  Here was our delicious menu:

    Breakfasts:  Day One - French Toast Casserole and bacon

                          Day Two - Farm fresh scrambled eggs (from her own chickens,

                                             apple sausage and homemade potatoes.

    Lunches:     Grab and go - on our own

    Dinners:      Night One: Cheeseburgers, Baked Beans and Chips

                         Night Two:  Salmon, Wild Rice and Asparagus

                         Night Three:  Chili Relleno Casserole and Salad

                         We did not come close to starving 😀

Day Two was spent on the Pontoon Boat and the Paddle Boards.  What a blast we had.  One of the Girls is an Amazing Water skier, STILL!  (We are all in our 60s) Tubing was so much Fun!  We laughed our butts off 😂 and I am proud to have finally Stood up on that SUP. 

In the evening we played Charades one night.  It was Hilarious, and on the second night we made Vision Boards.  So much Fun.  Here's mine

In closing I just want to thank all the women who attended this special getaway and especially our lovely host.  Let's do it AGAIN!!! 

DINNER INVITATION FOR LOCALS AND ZOOM RECAP

 Good Evening Gang,

I enjoyed meeting our new members at our ZOOM get together, yesterday.  Welcome to the Gang  

If you are LOCAL Please Join us for Dinner and talk about OUR TRAVEL IDEAS, TIPS AND STORIES. Meet at the Restaurant.
Women Only 60+

When: Wed 6/11/25
Time: 5:30 pm
Place: China House, located at 513 Main Street, Vacaville
PLEASE RSVP BY 6/9/25

Everyone has such great travel ideas.  I absolutely love them all.  The Train Journeys, Niagara Falls, Canada, National Parks, Rafting, long term stays.

Lets Plan It!!

LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ANY OR THESE TRIPS.  They are not yet Booked.

Here's the link Christine requested about the Grand Canyon Raft trip with Western River Expeditions.  I might be able to do this in July 2026.

Grand Canyon Rafting Tour | 4 Day Rafting and Ranch

I found this link for the Zephyr Train

California Zephyr Train | Amtrak

Here's a Canada Rail Tour Site

Rockies Essentials: Eastbound | Rocky Mountaineer Train Route

One week in Porto Portugal - 4 bedroom apartment - 4 people, about $590/person!!!

N Apartments - Bolhão, Porto (updated prices 2025)

            See You at the Gate, 

                          Cindy

THE MOST MAGNIFICENT PLACES IN THE WORLD

 ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS VIDEO - 💖

MY UNREAL PLANET TV - YOUTUBE

It's a long video.  Put it on while working at home or office 😎

 

The Exhilaration of Travel

Travel, in its most profound essence, is a dance between anticipation and discovery, a rhythm that stirs the soul and elevates the human spirit. The exhilaration it offers is not merely rooted in the geographical movement from one place to another; rather, it lies in the transformative experiences, the encounters with the unfamiliar, and the connections forged across cultures, landscapes, and hearts. To travel is to awaken—both to the world outside and to the self within. [1]

So many of our Gang are seasoned Solo World travelers, while others are working up the courage to take that first step into the unknown. Taking that initial leap into the field of possibilities is a thrill none of us will forget.  This story is about my first Solo (ish) travel experiences.

Although I loved to travel, I had not been able to do much of it during my first marriage.  We were married for 20 years and were focused on creating a home and paying for all those expenses involved in raising children.  We were able to travel to Mexico a few times and take the kids to Hawaii, as well as several camping vacations.  International travel was just not in the budget for many years.

My very first experience of “solo” travel occurred in 1996.  I was married at the time.  My daughter’s 8^th grade class was offered the opportunity to travel to Washington DC, New York City and Philadelphia and they needed adult chaperones to accompany the kids.  I was thrilled to be chosen as a volunteer chaperone. We lived in California, and I was 36 years old.  Until this point, I had always travelled with either my parents or my husband.

My daughter and I eagerly prepared for our trip.  There were about 25 students going and I was assigned 3 girls to chaperone for the 7-day adventure.   What a thrill it was to get on that plane without my parents or my husband.  I felt a newfound freedom. Travelling with a group of 8^th graders and several other adults, elevated my courage. I may have benefited more from this trip than even my 13-yr old daughter did.

This was my first visit to the Capital.  We explored all the National Monuments in DC, which were impressive.  I felt emotional many times and especially while walking through the Vietnam Memorial.  What exceptional tributes these Monuments are to the men and women who sacrificed for our freedom.  

I am a Paralegal, by profession, so I was very interested in visiting the Supreme Court.  A highlight for me was going to the cafeteria at the Supreme Court and seeing the place cards on the various tables assigned to the Supreme Court Justices.  Yes, I am a nerd at heart.  I still want to return to see the Court in session.  It's the pomp and circumstance that gives me goosebumps.

I had been to Philadelphia with my family before.  I enjoyed our historical tours and seeing the Liberty bell with the kids.  It was an incident that occurred at the hotel that stands out.  At the time it was very chaotic but looking back it is hilarious.  When we meet, on a trip together, I hope you will remind me to tell you this story. 

Then we were in NEW YORK CITY!  This was my first time here and the atmosphere was Electric!  We were all very excited to be here.  Early in the morning we boarded the ferry to Ellis Island.  I had heard that you could find records of family while visiting.  I asked one of the Rangers for help and she was amazing.  Knowing that we had limited time on this tour she rushed me up a staircase to a research room filled with computers.  She asked me questions about my family history and to my amazement she found a record of one of my Relatives coming to the USA though Ellis Island from Wales.  A printed copy of the record was provided to me.

Oh, how we loved New York City.  After our tour of Ellis Island we relaxed for a while before taking the kids to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.  The audience was so enthusiastic that I now understood why Broadway New York is the best place in the world to see Live Theater.  I am eager to return one day just to go to the Plays.  If anyone is interested in organizing this type of Triple G trip, please let me know.

The Exhilaration of Travel - To Be Continued

                        See You at the Gate, 

                                  Cindy

---

[1] MSWord AI, 05/28/25

Our Travel Stories - Cindy in California

Good Morning from California,

This blog is for all of us.  To foster our community, I would love for you to send me your travel stories via email at cpymm@yahoo.com and I will post them for our group to read.  You are not limited to just one story and pictures are encouraged.  The photo above was our family home from 1970-1972 in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England

I am so happy to meet all of you, and excited to travel with you around the world. 

This is the story of where my love of travel began:

What inspired you to become a World Traveler?

My Dad was a graduate of UC Berkeley majoring in Business, and he became an expert in Technology and Computers.  This was in the 60's when computers were new and revolutionary.  He worked for Caterpillar Tractor Company in San Leandro, which is where we lived.  He was then transferred to Peoria Illinois in 1967, where we lived for about 3 years.  I was 7 years old when we moved there.  

I loved living in the mid-west.  This was the first time I flew and it was the first time I experienced Snow, Humidity, and Air-Conditioning!  Snow Days off from school were a thrill.  We would sit and listen to the radio in the morning and wait to see if our school was canceled.  What fun it was when our School closed because of SNOW.  I remember one time in particular when the road in front of our house was so icy that we got out our ice skates and spent the morning skating in the street with all the neighborhood kids.  Another memory was watching actual small icicles form on the A/C vents because of the humidity.  This is tornedo country.  As a kid I found the weather exciting.  We had a full basement that was set up as a family room/playroom.  When the siren would sound for a tornado warning we would gather in the basement.  Mom and Dad would scramble to open up all the windows and we would watch the weather outside.  Luckily, we were never a victim of Mother Nature's fury.

At the age of 10, I was blessed to move to Newcastle Upon Tyne in Northern England, where we lived for about 2 years.  Cat had transferred us over there for Dad to continue setting up Computers at Corporate Offices in Newcastle, England and Edinburgh, Scotland.  When we received the news, we were living in Peoria.  My parents were very excited.  Before moving overseas, we flew back to San Leandro to visit our Family and had a party to celebrate.  The family all pitched in and gave my parents a Whisky Barel Keg Bar.  Did anyone have one of these?  I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen 😆

Living in Newcastle was a transformative life experience for me.  My sister and I went to the local public school and developed thick "Geordie" accents.  The school system was much more advanced than we had previously experienced.  I had classes in the regular Reading, Writing and Arithmetic plus classes in Religion, Chemistry and Swimming.  The school lunches were so good. After-school we took Horseback riding lessons in the English style and golf lessons.  I had several neighborhood friends who often invited me to tea at their houses.  Two other American families lived near us who also worked for Caterpillar.  One family, the Heaths had several kids.  At the time, Newcastle did not celebrate Halloween, so we got together with the other American families, dressed up and had our own Halloween parties.  Obviously, the 4th of July was not celebrated either, but they had Guy Fawkes Day.  On that day fireworks were sold.  The three families would buy fireworks on Guy Fawkes Day (November 5) save them until July and then set them off in the Moor near our house on the 4th of July.  It was a Blast.

During our time living there we must have seen 100 castles.  Nearly every Sunday My parents took us to a new Castle or other historic site and a new Pub.  I got pretty good at playing Darts◎😀 I fell in love with foods like cadbury chocolate, clotted cream, mushy peas, Yorkshire puddings, bangers and mash, fish and chips and steak and kidney pies.  

We spent our summers touring Europe.  I was so fortunate to experience Scotland, Italy, France, Switzerland and Germany between the ages of 10-12 years.  Although I was a bit young to appreciate it at the time and I actually remember being Bored at the top of the Eiffel Tower... LOL...This is where I was happily infected with the Travel Bug and I have never recovered 😄

 See You at the Gate, 

Cindy

        "Wikipedia: Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire                     Night and Fireworks Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in Great Britain, involving bonfires and fireworks displays. Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605 O.S., when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding explosives the plotters had placed beneath the House of Lords. The Catholic plotters had intended to assassinate Protestant king James I and his parliament. Celebrating that the king had survived, people lit bonfires around London. Months later, the Observance of 5th November Act mandated an annual public day of thanksgiving for the plot's failure."

WELCOME

      Welcome to the first Blog post for The GLOBAL GIRL GANG. I'm Cindy, a California grandma who loves traveling and wants to travel with friends. After researching "Women Only" tours, which are often pricey, I decided to create this group for female solo travelers. I'm not a travel agent but hope you'll join us on an adventure soon. If you book a trip, let me know. I arrange Zoom meetings to connect before our travels. Though our first two trips are with Gate 1 Tours, we're open to ideas for future trips.

      We aim to make travel accessible, enjoyable, and full of camaraderie. Whether you're a seasoned explorer or embarking on your first big adventure, this community is here to inspire, support, and share unforgettable experiences. Together, we can craft travel plans that balance affordability and fulfillment. Feel free to suggest tours and destinations, share tips, and even pitch unique ideas for group activities. 

We encourage everyone to share their travel stories by emailing cpymm@yahoo.com. I plan to publish  your Travel Stories to build our community of like-minded, globally-minded women. We would love to hear about what inspired your love of traveling, the best and worst experiences, the funniest, most amazing, most difficult, and most embarrassing moments. By sharing, we can learn from each other's solo travel experiences and build friendships.  This is a place to be supported and heard.

Let’s make every journey one to cherish!

See you at the Gate!

🛫Cindy