Vee asked me to post a personal response to the LIST, so here goes: I've been to New Zealand; we went for our honeymoon (a month late). It > was October in Chicago and SPRING in N.Z. What a joy to behold. The > azaleas grow to astounding heights!! Some varieties have individual > flowers as big as your hand!!! There are "stands" of Bird of Paradise > adorning the parks and parkways, even in the middle of the street ! > There are white sand beaches and black sand beaches, mountains and > lowlands, snowcapped peaks and cottonfields. There are wonderful little > delis that sell meat-and-potato pies just the right size to fit one's > hand. Orchids abound. [Ed.note: azaleas grow to 30+ feet tall.] > > To add to the delight of the trip, we accidentally crossed the Queen's > car in "traffic" after trying ever so hard to avoid her entourage. We > knew she was there, but didn't want to get into the traffic jam. But it > was so exciting!! We could actually SEE her riding in the car. How > cool is that!! My husband said we saw the Queen in Auckland, but I think it was on the south island. We discovered she had changed her plans. > > I, too, traveled Route 66 as well as the northwesterly path through > Yellowstone to Seattle to visit relatives. My grandparents were with > us; the only trip they made with me and my Mom before they died. I was > 14, maybe 15. When we got to Montana, Mom let me drive---there was > nobody on the roads anyway. I drove clear across that lonely, empty, > state---flying along at 70 miles per hour. I got my license when I was > 15 so I could drive grandma to work (in Wisconsin). She was so short, > she could hardly reach the pedals of the old '48 Plymouth! Mary Ellen (Douglass) Moravec-Newsom