A JOLT FROM JILL

by Jill Rumbley-Beam

When asked this month to write about my most memorable travel experiences, well I have some great travel experiences.

My first big travel experience was in 1972. My mom and dad paid for me to travel to Europe with twelve other classmates from the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. We were accompanied by my English teacher, Mrs. Warlick and her husband. We traveled to Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, France and England. I especially loved England the best. First and foremost, visiting Hyde Park, since I knew that I wanted to make my career working in the park system in Dallas. It was beautiful. We also got to see the White Cliffs of Dover, where we traveled on a big boat. I remember us getting a sack lunch with some bread, cheese, and a bottle of red wine. Oh boy, my first taste of wine. The boat was traveling down the channel where we viewed the beautiful White Cliffs of Dover, in Kent, England. Well, I’ve always been prone to getting seasick when I am on a boat. Well guess what? I threw up all over the channel, right in front of the White Cliffs of Dover. Now the other highlight in England. Before boarding the plane, with my classmates, my mother said, “Jill have a great time but, please take pictures of Shakespeare’s home when you get to Stratford upon Avon. It was the night before we were to take that memorable trip to visit Shakespeare’s home and I remembered that Wimbledon was taking place while we were in England. I was a huge tennis player, and I told my roommate, “Let’s see if can get tickets to Wimbledon”. We told our English teacher our intentions that we wanted to get a cab and go to all England Club. We caught a cab; got tickets and we watched Evonne Goolagong win the female championship! Wow, what a thrill. The next day, we travelled back home, to Dallas. My mom and dad were at the airport, to pick me up and the first thing mom said was, “How was Shakespear’s home?” I said, “Mom it was great… Evonne Goolagong won Wimbledon!” She understood because I loved tennis!

My husband and I also love to cruise. Funny, since I get seasick on boats but usually not cruise ships. I know Celebration Travel does many cruises and I encourage you to take one. They do everything! You don’t even have to lift a finger!

I would say that my favorite two cruises were to Alaska and the Bahamas. I loved Alaska because of the beautiful scenery. The glaciers are breathtaking. We flew to Anchorage, Alaska and then got on the ship and visited Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and then ended up in Vancouver, Canada. It was an AHMAZING time!

Ah, the Bahamas! If you want to relax, the Bahamas is the place to cruise. On our last cruise, we discovered Bimini. Bimini has the greatest historical landmarks, natural attractions and the best beaches. Ken and I took a cab and toured this island. Jimmy Buffet spent a lot of time in Bimini, writing his book. Martin Luther King composed his acceptance speech in Bimini. Ernest Hemingway did a lot of his writing in Bimini.

I would have to say, the most scenic trip was flying to Portland Oregon and driving the west coast and ending up in San Francisco. I recommend this trip highly. We saw Multnomah falls, a huge waterfall that is surrounded by beautiful foliage. We saw Cannon Beach and Point Reyes Sea shore. A highlight was Tillamook Cheese Factory in Oregon. I love cheese and it was so interesting to see so much cheese in one place. Plus, they had free samples! But the highlight of this trip was seeing the Redwood Forest! The trees were breathtaking and HUGE! We enjoyed going through the forest and climbing the trees. It’s not for the faint of heart but take it slow and you will enjoy this beautiful gift from God!

And speaking of God, I guess my favorite trip was Israel, with 32 people from our church. This was a trip I’ll never forget. The highlights included a visit to the Garden of Gethsemane, but the best of the best was I brought my flute and played in the actual tomb, where Jesus was buried. If you ever travel to Israel, you’ll never forget it!

I love to travel, and I wish I could do more of it. I will end by saying, the best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been and the memories we’ve made along the way!

Happy travels!