Sue & Stuart
From the howler monkeys and swimming with the sharks in Belize to the screams of 60 family members having a tug of war in Turks and Caicos to skiing and Apres drink in Colorado, Idaho and Vermont to guinea pigs and llamas and hiking to Machu Picchu, Peru to drinking Aperol Spritzes and rating Tiramisu desserts in Italy to Paris Air Show, a Finnish wedding and Mid Summer’s Eve “sunset” at a beautiful lake near Tampere to laughs at a 40-year reunion at Pawleys Island with dear friends to fishing and exploring the NC mountains and wineries with family to multiple visits to Maine….. This has been a year of travel.
There were many “once in a lifetime opportunities” that seemed to come up this year, so we took advantage of them all.
Belize – October 2022
Stuart and his friend, Jim Shafer wanted to go to Belize to fish and decided the wives should join them. We stayed in an all-inclusive Orvis fishing resort. What we didn’t realize was the resort would be empty all day as everyone left before dawn and fished all day, so Ann and I had some adventures of our own while the guys fished. We passed the time by walking, exploring San Pedro by golf cart and doing two excursions from the resort. The first excursion was a trip to Lamanai. After embarking on a four-passenger airplane, we flew an hour and landed in a sugar cane field where a van awaited to bring us to the boat that would take us two hours into the jungle to explore the Mayan ruins of Lamanai. We may have had second thoughts at some point about whether we would return! We saw tarantulas, several species of monkeys and lots of ruins that we hiked up. The boat captain was also our guide at the island and made a nice lunch for us. We were relieved that he accompanied us until we returned to the plane and back to San Pedro. Stuart will fill you in on the fishing. Lot’s of bonefish and missed opportunities for tarpon and permit.
The local bar at the resort had an extensive menu of free rum drinks which of course we had to try.
On our return trip to the states, we were able to spend a night in Miami and visit with old friends, Sam and Margaret Silverman and were treated to a delicious Peruvian style dinner. Sam had a connection to the renowned chef, and he came out and met us and prepared a special meal of his choice.
Turks and Caicos
Allan turned 60 and invited 60 family members to come to Turks and Caicos and celebrate his birthday, all expenses paid. What a reunion and what fun to play, eat, sail, swim, dance, drink, compete in fun family beach games, and get to hang out with the extended family and friends. We were treated to a house with a butler and took advantage of all there was to offer including Family Feud night and pickleball. The fire dancer at the beach dinner was a treat! Thanks Allan!
Skiing-Colorado and Idaho
In February, we went to Steamboat Colorado with a ski group and enjoyed many nice views and après ski afternoons.
In March, we travelled to Idaho to visit and ski Grand Targhee with Stuart’s sister and brother-in-law, Betsy and Brett. Then we joined our GE Ski group at Schweitzer Mountain for another week of great skiing
“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you are climbing it.” Andy Rooney
Machu Picchu, Peru – (This was going to be our one big trip this year)
Our friends, Lisa and Bill Boyce, had a bucket list item to go to Machu Picchu and asked us to go along. A group of nine travelers went to Lima and Cusco and Machu Picchu. The trip was organized through Mountain Lodges of Peru, and we were quite impressed with the lodging, food, itinerary and two guides who led us through the jungles and rain forests, coffee plantations and scenic countryside. We hiked 60 miles in seven days and went from lodge to lodge. Each lodge had its own charm and we were the only ones staying there so it was relaxing and private each evening. It was challenging but such a feeling of accomplishment. We tasted some of the local food, guinea pig and llama included, and especially liked the pisco sours!
“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”
Udine, Italy
Jeff and Anna, our dear friends from Australia, invited us to spend a week at their condo in Udine, Italy.
They met us in Venice and had so much fun visiting the piazza each day and enjoying a new favorite drink, Aperol Spritz. We dined out for lunch and dinner, walked everywhere and sampled Tiramisu at all the places we ate. Side trips included a trip to the beach town of Grado on the Adriatic Sea and a trip north to the clock town of Psariis, inventor or the famous Groundhog Day Flip Clock. Thank you to our hosts, we want to go back. Ski mountains and trout streams in the area too!
“I travel because I’d rather look back at life saying “I can’t believe I did that” instead of “If only I had…”
Helsinki and Tampere Finland
Our exchange student Tiia Haukipauu invited us to her wedding in Finland. Tiia spent three months with us in high school. She brought her family to visit us in the states twice and even attended MillerFest. The last time she brought her boyfriend, Jani, who was to become her husband. We had been invited to visit Finland many times and thought now would be a great time. It was such an honor to be at their wedding and to spend time in her country with her parents and her other host exchange parents. It was a treat to be there on Mid Summer’s Eve and we enjoyed dinner at an island the night before the wedding with Tiia’s parents. After the wedding we spent several days at their camp on the lake where the guys fished, we ate fresh walleye, toasted the newlyweds who joined us sleeping in a tent and managed with an outhouse for a bathroom. It never really got totally dark. We enjoyed the sauna and hot tub too.
“If something good happens, travel to celebrate. If something bad happens, travel to forget. If nothing happens, travel to make something happen.”
New Bern, NC
October is a chance to play in the annual golf tournament in memory of Scott Davenport, Lynne’s husband. Money is raised for cancer and our team has been together for 14 years now.
Raleigh, NC
We surprised Emily in March and were in Raleigh at the wine bar when she became engaged to Shoji Banno. A September 2024 wedding is planned. The four kids were together which was special.
Connecticut- June
We had another reunion with two dear couple friends, Cathy and Bill, and Mary and Pete. We travelled to Connecticut to visit and explore New London area.
Pawleys Island, SC.
Stuart and I met at Pawleys Island in 1980. The friends who introduced us, Betsy and Chuck, were having a family reunion at Pawleys and invited us to join them. Since we were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary on July 16th we thought it would be great to go back to Pawleys Island. It was fun reminiscing about our times there and we reconnecting with several old friends. We were also able to fit in a visit with Stuart’s niece, Sarah, and her two-year-old son, Briggs.
Rensselaerville, NY
We spent some time in Rensselaerville, hosting the annual church luncheon on our side lawn. We enjoyed the annual MillerFest, organized, and planned by the kids. It was another successful event which gets better each year. Sue and Stuart are both still active in the church and tried to attend as many services as they could during the summer.
Oneida Lake, Bernhards Bay, NY
With all our many trips, our time at the lake seemed to be too short. We did sail a few times and enjoyed hosting Niles’ girlfriend from Brazil who even took a turn at the helm. We had a Peruvian reunion at camp with the nine travelers and shared our memories and photo albums and of course a few pisco sours.
Beals Island, Maine
Stuart’s sister-in-law, Jewell, passed away in September just after Labor Day. She had cancer for five years. Our trip in September 2022 to Maine was special as we got to spend time with her visiting for a week. Stuart and his siblings took many trips to Maine from June until October to support his brother, Robert, and help him with his lobster traps and life.
Trap Hill, NC
Blair and her boyfriend, Tyler planned a vacation in the NC mountains to fish, hike, visit wineries and get to know Tyler’s family. The airbnb was a log cabin in the woods with a stream on the property. It was very relaxing and fun. Another memory with the Miller clan all being able to be there.
Next summer I think we are staying home!
Sue and Stu Miller
Niles
Cameron
Andrew
Emily
