Annecy is a quaint little town in the southeast part of France and is located between Lake Annecy and the mountains.

The cobbled streets of the Vielle Ville (Old Town) hosts a weekly farmers’ market, which offers every delicacy you can imagine and colorful fresh flowers. 

Unique little shops encircle the town while artists display their handicrafts along pathways and bridges. 

It is a lovely place to enjoy everything French.  With the lake, its three canals, and the River Thiou, it is known as the Venice of the Alps!

Little outdoor cafes spring up everywhere along the streets and canals.  I can certainly see Dave with a cold beer watching the world go by and absorbing the moment.

This quaint, unique alpine town is another special place for Dave.  J’taime mon fils.

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The Hatfield-McCoy Trails consist of over 700 miles of trails and are located in the mountains of southern West Virginia.  Trails range from the scenic mountain views, to tight and twisting trails. Those with a penchant for endless ATV trails are drawn to this second largest vehicle trail in the world!

A few weeks ago, Rob enjoyed a long weekend with friends on these trails.  He enjoyed a sense of freedom and camaraderie he hasn’t felt in a long time.  With work and house responsibilities, he finds little time for himself.  Dave would have chided him for not enjoying life and doing the things he likes.  I heard it from him all the time.

This trip reminds me of Rob and Dave’s adventure in Corfu, Greece around 1999-2000. Although they didn’t rent ATVs, they did rent scooters to tool around the island. Corfu also has many winding roads, but with cliffs overlooking the Ionian Sea. I am glad I didn’t know about this until they were safely home.  As always, when Rob and Dave got together, there were many laughs and always a few mishaps.

Dave decided to give a “hefty” young lady a ride on his scooter. It didn’t quite work out as planned since they both fell off the bike. I guess they decided it wasn’t such a good idea.  Rob has really fond memories of this trip. I am sure if Dave could have joined Rob in WV, we would be laughing at their escapades.

So, with this in mind, we felt this should be another special place for Dave.  The guys found the best overlook they could and lined up all their quads in Dave’s honor.  Rob placed Dave’s boonie hat on top of his quad and sprinkled his ashes nearby.

Family, adventure, camaraderie—what could be better?

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I always feel sad that Dave has not been a part of so much of our family’s history. There have been so many times in the past 13 years that our family has experienced joyful celebrations and the sadness of losing those close to us.  I feel Dave is watching over us, but I just wish he could be alongside us to share in our laughter and tears.

I remember how Dave would encourage me to slow down, quit the rat race, and start enjoying life.  He just wanted me to find peace and contentment.  This post is about his wish and how, in a small way, he was a part of it.

Fred and I were married this past January.  We dated back in high school over 57 years ago. We went on to marry others, have children, and experience a lifetime of joy and sadness before reconnecting three years ago. Young love is written about in songs and books, but senior love is just as special.  It is a comfortable companionship when you can enjoy the peaceful day-to-day happenings together, or share the excitement of world travel.  It’s knowing that someone is there for you all the time; someone on your side.  This would make Dave smile and say, “It’s about time!”

It was raining on the morning of our small ceremony.  However, as we arrived back at the B&B later that afternoon, we were greeted by a beautiful sunset. The next morning we were thrilled to see the dramatic sunrise over the Delaware with the sun’s rays streaming down the Catskill mountains.  It felt like a message of congratulations from Dave.

Dave is in so many spectacular and unique places all over the world, but this time I just wanted him to be with us on our amazing day.  And, by the way, it is a beautiful place, too.

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This small mountain pass in the French Alps connects the towns of La Clusaz in Haute-Savoie with La Giettaz in Savoie and is located in the Aravis Mountain Range.  The drive to and from the pass consists of sharp switchbacks with amazing views of the surrounding mountains.  The lovely homes and farms on the rolling hills of grass and yellow wildflowers are picture-perfect.

Whenever I travel, I have a vision of places that I determine to be “Dave-worthy.”   Some places are pretty by most standards, but just don’t meet those criteria.   There are other places, however, where there is no hesitation.   My eyes widen and emotion fills my heart.  I hear Dave’s voice in my head saying, “Wow, this place is awesome!”  I don’t just wander around looking for the right spot for Dave. Every spot is the right spot! I was especially drawn to the quaint travelers chapel of Sainte Anne.  Standing on the steps of the chapel is a breathtaking panorama with a dramatic view of Mont Blanc.

Dave absorbed nature into his soul. The outdoors was his religion.  He wrote poems about bumblebees and wind chimes and would forego tents so he could sleep under the stars.  Nothing pleased him more than the beauty that surrounded him in nature.  Here, near the chapel, Dave is surrounded by the nature he loves.

On the front of the chapel are the words “Sainte Anne Protegez les Voyageurs,” which means Saint Anne Protect the Voyagers.

I’m hoping that includes heavenly voyagers.

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For as long as I can remember, I wanted to tour Neuschwanstein Castle.  When I lived in Germany for a brief time in 1968, I had hoped to find the time to visit.  Unfortunately, Vietnam interrupted those plans and I was prematurely sent back to the states.  I mentioned to Dave it was still one of my travel wishes.  He thought it would be a “cool” idea.  (I think the German beer was also a draw!)

The castle overlooks the Village of Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany and sits between the Alpine foothills in the south and the hilly landscape in the north.  There is a magnificent view of the castle from the Marienbrücke (Marie Bridge).

As King Ludwig once wrote, “the location is one of the most beautiful to be found, holy and unapproachable.”

On a beautiful, sunny day in May, I sprinkled Dave’s ashes from the bridge overlooking the castle. The bridge spans the Pöllat River and overlooks the Pöllat Gorge.

As we walked down the mountain, the clouds rolled in and it began to rain. I was so thankful that, once again, my “weather angels” helped us out.

It may have taken fifty years to get there, but it was definitely worth it. It’s an amazing feeling when you finally get to enjoy an experience that has long been on your wish list.  I just never could have imagined it would be the subject of a remembrance post for my child.

I hope Dave still thinks it’s cool.

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The Bernese Alps is a mountain range in the Swiss Alps, which connects the peaks of Jungfrau and Mönch.  It is accessible only certain times of the year by a railway that slowly makes its climb to the top; sometimes traveling underground.  It is the highest railway in Europe at 11,371 feet.

When we were a short distance from the top, the train stopped for a few minutes to allow us to acclimate to the high elevation.  The amount of time was surely insufficient for when we arrived at Jungfraujoch, we were clearly not ready for the lightheadedness, the shortness of breath, and feeling as if our limbs didn’t belong to us!

We slowly climbed (and I mean SLOWLY) to the vantage platform hoping to see the spectacular views of the Aletsch Glacier with Jungfrau in the distance.  However, as we stepped outside, we were surrounded by grey clouds and cold whistling winds. I made my way to the railing and kneeled down to sprinkle some of Dave’s ashes into the void.   Needless to say, I was disappointed not to be able to document another beautiful place for Dave. I knew it was such a special place—even if I couldn’t see it.

As we were lining up to head down the mountain, I turned around and was shocked with what I saw through the window.  In a brief moment, the grey clouds disappeared, the sun brilliantly lit the area and opened up the most amazing view. It instantly brought tears to my eyes as I was sure I was seeing a pathway to heaven. THIS is where Dave’s ashes are.  Such magnificence! I was given this exquisite moment for Mother’s Day.

Thank you, Dave, for that much needed message.

As we rode back down the mountain and absorbed the grandeur of the Swiss mountainside, we reveled in the beauty of lovely little Swiss towns with thundering waterfalls as backdrops.  The snow capped mountains completed the picture-perfect scenes.  I knew Dave would forever be a part of this beauty and I smiled.

We were staying in the town of Interlaken and decided to take a cable car up to Harder Kulm, Interlaken’s hometown mountain.  It was quite a steep climb to the top where we were greeted with beautiful panoramic views of Jungfrau, Mönch, and the town of Interlaken.  At an elevation of  “only” 4,337 ft., we were able to freely move about the area.  Although not as spectacular as Jungfraujoch, this was definitely a scenic charm and another worthy place for Dave.

Between Jungfraujoch and Harder Kulm, I couldn’t ask for more beautiful places for Dave.  He would have loved Switzerland.

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Many years ago, I visited Northern Ireland and hoped one day I would return to visit the Republic.  I had heard so much about the beauty of the Ring of Kerry and the Cliffs of Moher. 

Of course, my thoughts were always that they would be more wonderful places for Dave.

After spending a few days on our own, we joined a tour to take us along the Wild Atlantic.  Not all, however, was wild.  Some places were simply serene and beautiful and ever-so-green.  Such a place was the Killarney Valley.  The highest mountains in Ireland, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, form the backdrop of the many lovely lakes and sweeping countryside.  We cannot forget the comical scene of a dog resting atop a donkey along the roadside with a picture perfect view of Caragh River and rolling hills behind them.

We traveled on to the lovely, peaceful Dingle Bay (pictured above) and Dingle Peninsula.  This 25 mile bay empties into the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the westernmost places of Ireland.

We visited the little village of Portmagee.  It is the departure point for the adventurous to visit Skellig Michael (Michael’s Rock), which is eight miles off the coast of Ireland.  The seas are very rough and climbing the rock stairs can be quite tricky. (I could definitely see Dave doing this!)  A Gaelic Monastery was founded between the 6th and 8th centuries on a twin-peaked crag.  It is here the monks found the solitude they sought.  (More recently, it was the location of the final scene of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.) We were quite content to be able to see the island from the picturesque shore.

We were able to see all of these beautiful places with perfect weather.  Our guide said, “We are very lucky, indeed.  I haven’t seen such beautiful weather in a long time.  It is especially perfect to see the Skellig Islands.”  (He didn’t know about my “weather angels.”)

Once we finished the tour, we took a day trip to the Giants Causeway and Carrick-a-rede Bridge.  Dave’s ashes were already in these places so I felt like I was visiting him.  Dave’s ashes are in all of the places that I mentioned in this post, as well as the Cliffs of Moher.  (My weather angels took a day off that day!)

Just before Dave died, we had agreed to do some traveling together.  We each mentioned places we’d like to go. One of the places we both agreed on was Ireland.

Now I feel there’s a little bit of Dave in some of the most beautiful places in Ireland; north AND south.

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Alaska is wildly beautiful place with such extremes.  One afternoon you can be walking alongside a glacier-fed lake and watch harbor seals casually sunning themselves on ice floes and the next day hike through a colorful maze of wildflowers.   You can cautiously watch a black bear stroll down to the water’s edge, yet laugh out loud at the antics of the sea otters. This dichotomy is what makes Alaska so special and I know Dave would love these special places I chose for him.

We explored the moraine along the Pedersen Glacier. The glacier-fed Aialik Bay was lovely against the clear blue sky.   Birds flew overhead while the harbor seals floated by and were not at all intimidated by humans.  Pedersen Lagoon also had ice floes, but much smaller.  The reflection in the water of the mountains and the glacier made for a picture perfect moment.  We kayaked along Pederson Lagoon and hiked through bogs and wildflowers to meet up with a canoe on the remote Addison Lake.  The water was simply roiling with salmon; such an amazing sight.

On the tenth anniversary of Dave’s passing, I lit a candle of remembrance on the shore of the Kenai River.  I had  sprinkled his ashes in the Kenai nine years ago so it was a full circle.

Dave would have loved each and every place where his ashes now rest. I know it in my heart and soul.

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