Looking back at the time when Sally and I married, it was a new beginning for both of us, and as newlyweds we had a lot of questions, goals, and dreams of our future life together. We started our marriage raising our daughters (Jon wasn’t born yet), wondering what kind of a life we could build on a very limited income. Like most newly married couples starting out, we had to figure out how to budget to make bill payments, provide food, shelter, clothing, and other needs a family of four required. After figuring that out, we had hopes of one day buying a house, and we looked for things Chasity and Christina could do for extra activities, and things all four of us could do together. Our thinking included wondering all the places we could go (ala Dr. Seuss), and all the stories we could tell (thanks Jimmy Buffett), as we began our Journey of Life. Eight years later, Jon joined our family and our thinking and wondering increased. We never needed Dad or Mom to read Seuss’s book or sing Buffett’s song back at our wedding though, because they were great examples for us growing up.

Back when our girls were young, we were able to barely budget for extracurricular school activities and out-of-school involvement for them to try and, hopefully, enjoy as they grew up. It was difficult. Sally, at the time, worked three part-time jobs and I was teaching, then coaching too, trying to reach some of our goals. Time and money were concerns. When Sally then began her Day Care business, and I was making a little more money, things got a little easier, but we still had to concern ourselves with the “Budget Box.” (I named it that, because Dad kept a cigar box locked up with envelopes labeled with all the bills that had to be paid, and extra envelopes for outings/trips we might be able to enjoy, if enough money was saved. He divided amounts of extra cash from his and Mom’s paychecks each week and let it add up until we could decide on a special outing or activity for us, unless an emergency came up that needed the money more.) There were times when they saved enough where they could choose a summer week and rent a cabin at Allegany State Park, maybe make a trip to Thousand Islands, some day trips to Presque Isle, and we picnicked many Sundays at Allegany, Barcelona, Long Point, or Point Gratiot. Lou and I (Tom wasn’t born yet but he played football and baseball when he was of age) played organized baseball and St. James Football, and once a summer Dad would take us to a Yankee/Indians Doubleheader. Sandy spent times with her friends and fellow cheerleaders, Cathy and Fran, and later was in the CYO at St. James, and we often took rides in our area, after Sunday dinners before visiting Grandpa. So, we did what we could do on the very limited family budget we had back then, and it was a very good life.

Thinking of those earlier times, then Sally’s and my early times, made me think about all the places we have places we have been able to see, and stories we can now tell, about our early marriage scrimping days to later days when we were able to do more during our family life together.

So, here’s some places we’ve gone, things we’ve done, sometimes as a full family, sometimes as a part, and sometimes just Sally and me (asterisks indicate multiple times):

Places

Toronto*, Tijuana, Florida*, Washington, D.C.*, Maryland*, South Carolina*, Michigan*, Ohio*, Illinois*, Indiana, Pennsylvania*, California, Missouri*, Kansas, Las Vegas, Iowa, Tennessee*, Kentucky*, Virginia*, Nevada, West Virginia*, Arizona, Hawaii.

Things we’ve experienced:

Baseball in Ohio * (Cleveland, Lake County, D3 Colleges, Tournament cities as a Summer League Coach)

Baseball in NY * (Jamestown, Buffalo, Rochester, High Schools as a JHS and Babe Ruth Coach) D3 Colleges, Cooperstown (at the Cooperstown Dreams Park ’99, ’00, ’01, and numerous visits to the HOF)

Baseball in Pennsylvania * (Pittsburgh, Reading, Erie, Scranton, D3 Collages)

Baseball in California (Anaheim Stadium)

Baseball in Missouri (Busch Stadium, High Schools as a JHS coach)

Baseball in Maryland* (Baltimore’s Oriole Park, D3 Colleges)

Baseball in Virginia (Richmond Flying Squirrels))

Baseball in Tennessee (Nashville Sounds)

Baseball in Kentucky (Bowling Green, Louisville Slugger Museum)

Baseball in Iowa (Field of Dreams)

Baseball in Florida* (Lakeland, Winter Haven, Daytona Beach, D3 College tournaments)

Baseball in South Carolina* [Myrtle Beach (High Schools as a JHS Coach, and Frewsburg opponents)]

Baseball in Illinois (Chicago Cubs)

Baseball in Arizona (Goodyear, Scottsdale)

History in Washington, D,C. (National Mall, Smithsonian Institute, Aviation Museum, Holocaust Museum)

History in Virginia (Arlington Cemetery*, Jamestown*, Williamsburg*, Richmond’s Holocaust Museum, Civil War Battlefields*)

History in W. VA [Country Inn at Berkeley Springs (America’s First Spa)]

History in Tennessee (Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage House and Village, Tours of Nashville)

History in Kentucky (Corvette Museum)

History in New York* [Jamestown (Jackson Center, RTPI, Audubon Society, Reuben Fenton Mansion, Home of the Fenton Historical Society, Comedy Center, Lucy/Desi Museum), Buffalo (Art Museum), Cooperstown (Cooper House, MLB HOF, NYS Historical Society), Niagara Falls, Chautauqua)

History in Pennsylvania [Gettysburg*, Somerset County (Quecreek Mine, and Flight 93 Memorial)]

History in Florida [St. Augustine, Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach (Space Shuttle Launch), Orlando (Disneyworld*)]

History in California [Hollywood (Sign), (Hollywood Boulevard), (Grauman’s Chinese Theater) Anaheim (Disneyland), Camp Pendleton, San Diego Zoo]

History in Hawaii (Pearl Harbor Memorial, Diamond Head, Tour of Oahu, Luau, Polynesian Village, Submarine Voyage)

History in Ohio* (League Park, Metroparks Zoo and Rainforest, Museum of Natural History, Great Lakes Science Center, Cuyahoga River (the one famous for burning)

History in Toronto* (Casa Loma, CN Tower, Niagara Falls)

Football in New York* [(Bills), (UB), (High Schools in Section VI)]

Football in Ohio* [(Cleveland Browns at Municipal Stadium, and Huntington Bank Field), (Training Camp,) (’21 NFL Draft), (Columbus-Ohio State vs. Michigan State), (Pro Football Hall of Fame)]

Football in Tennessee (Titans at Nissan Stadium)

Basketball in Ohio [Gund Arena (Cleveland Cavaliers)]

Hockey in Buffalo* [Sabres (Memorial Auditorium, Key Bank Center)]

Concerts and Stage Performances (Number of times in Parenthesis), Tribute Bands noted with *

Jimmy Buffett (16), Trans-Siberian Orchestra (8), Billy Joel (2), Beach Boys (2), Rod Stewart, Coral Reefer Band, Doobie Brothers, Neil Diamond, Huey Lewis and the News, Journey, Toto, The Eagles, Pentatonix, Fins to the Left*, A1A*, World Turning*, Michael Cavanah w/Chautauqua Institution Philharmonic in a Night of Billly Joel, Michael Cavanaugh w/Chautauqua Institution Philharmonic in a Night of Elton John, The Michael Stanley Band, Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra, 10,000 Maniacs (numerous times), Eddie Money, Ilo, Caroline Jones, many Bemus Floating Stage and Reg Lenna concerts, Jersey Boys (3), Fiddler on the Roof (2), Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Escape to Margaritaville, A Beautiful Noise, To Kill a Mockingbird, Les Miserables, The Rat Pack Show in Vegas, and numerous High School, Jr. College, Community Theater Plays.

Other Museums and Sights and Events

Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, St. Louis Arch, Budweiser Clydesdale Stables, Two Worlds Series (’97, ’16), 2019 MLB All Star Week, Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, Hands Across America (Cleveland 5-25-1986), Variety Club Telethon (Ch. 7), American Pickers Showroom in Nashville, Playing Catch with Jon 20 minutes before his wedding in Richmond, Numerous Beaches in Florida, also Virginia Beach, and a number of beaches in New York (Barcelona, Allegany State Park, Long Point, Point Grotiot), four Margaritaville Restaurant/Bars, and Tony Paco’s Hot Dog Emporium (Toledo, OH).

I’m sure I may have forgotten some places and events we’ve experienced in our 45 plus years as a family, but all these, plus the picnics, camping early on, all the kids activities, the more recent Family Tennessee Trips and Virginia Visits, can truly describe our living by the slightly tweaked words of Dr. Seuss as we can say, “Oh, the Places We Did Go,” and putting them in context with Jimmy Buffett’s song, every place we’ve been has its own memorable story we can tell.