It IS a Small World After All!!

The Magic Kingdom at night (photo courtesy of Laura Fayne Hedden)

This is a bit of of an update on a brief two-week trip back to the States at the end of August. Fayne's family had planned the first reunion of the three Leventhal siblings and their now three generations. There was only one appropriate venue for the event, the same site of two prior gatherings over 20 years ago: Walt Disney World in Florida.
It was a very unusual trip for us in that we had recently been back for six weeks in June and July, and because of the distance we don't usually have such a short turnaround for a brief stay. It was not unusual in that we crammed a lot into the visit and covered a lot of ground.
First, we spent a few days in Northern California. I never feel my summer is complete unless I make it to at least one baseball game, preferably the A's. I enjoyed sharing in their now routine second half surge, hopefully leading to the post season. With any luck, that run will last more than one game in 2019. GO A's!!

A's defeat Astros 8-4 August 17.

Even a few days in our true home, Fort Bragg, are precious. Sofia's friend from school (and ours from numerous trips to volleyball tournaments) Keilah waitresses at a favorite Mexican restaurant. It is always great to see her and enjoy authentic comida mexicana, very hard to find in NZ. We always try work in as many dear and cherished friends as possible while there; walks with Linnea, dinner with Christine, etc.

K & F

We headed down to the LA basin for educational, familial, and remunerative reasons. I attended a three day conference enticingly entitled " A Systematic Approach to Medically Unexplained Symptoms" in Marina del Rey. It addressed such challenges as the dizzy patient, chronic cough, and mysterious itching. Well-run by the Mayo Clinic, it did not fully elucidate these conundrums, but it was extremely worthwhile, especially the opportunity to chat about medical topics over meals with the experts.

Grandma and Kimarra enjoy a laugh with Charlene Benoit

My lecture were over in the early afternoon, just in time to visit with the Heards after school.

Next stop: Orlando, Florida

It has been two decades since we made the pilgrimage to Disney World and a rendezvous with Fayne's side of the family. I'm sure many of you have had similar Disney vacations, and with each visit the experience is more overwhelming. If you add in the August heat and humidity (truth be told it could have been worse), it can seem like a true endurance test. The highlight was a dinner we had at Boma- Flavors of Africa®, an African-themed buffet at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It was great to have all three generations there and there was food to match all diets: vegetarian, gluten-free, carnivorous, and somewhat exotic. 

The only thing missing (other than Sofia and the Heards who couldn't make it due to school) was Fayne's sister-in-law Nancy, who passed away unexpectedly last year. She was a big Disney fan. In fact, she and her husband Gary had sponsored a paving stone in honor of all of us years ago. Gary took the time to track it down.

To me, the most remarkable thing about a Disney experience is how carefully crafted the whole illusion is, down to minute details. The decor of the Animal Kingdom Lodge is one example in its recreation of a grand hostelry.

We ended up spending a fair amount of time in the Animal Kingdom, where the centerpiece is an iconic Tree of Life.


The hottest attraction currently is in an Atatar-themed section (opened in 2017) where you can marvel at the other-worldly landscape of Pandora, and you can "ride" a mountain Banshee in the Flight of Passage Ride (if you are dedicated enough to wait 2-3 hours in line).

One unnamed sucker in front of an avatar in the queue for the ride

Of course, no Animal Kingdom would be complete without........

...animals and a safari!

The Animal Kingdom in Disney's view encompasses all knds of creatures:

1. Fictional
2. Live
3. Extinct, and 
4. Mythical.

In Category 3 there are dinosaurs.

As you look through the meticulously manicured grounds "Mount Everest" appears, the home of the legendary yeti.

If you ride the Everest Expedition coaster you will encounter the creature.

One of the signature features of any Disney park is a spectacular light/fireworks show. The A. K. presents "Rivers of Light".

Of course there are other theme parks under the Disney World umbrella, like EPCOT, where after all the rides you somehow end up in outer space.

The EPCOT World Showcase has plenty of international dining options. We chose Mexican.

I think everyone had a grand time at the 2019 Leventhal family reunion.

The Leventhal siblings: Gary, Fayne, & Mary

On our last day in Florida we took time to drive down to West Palm Beach to see my Aunt Alex, Cousin Sophia, and her husband Rudy. It was a brief but worthwhile and overdue visit.

So that's all for now. I am deep into planning our next big trip, to Vietnam and Malaysia before returning home for the holidays in December and January. If any of you have tips on Indochina, please let me know. Safe travels to all!