I am a member of the “Reluctant Travelers Club,” a large group, infected with a huge dose of wanderlust, who dream of traveling again… when it is safer. Obviously, some among us are less risk-averse and are happily wayfaring. We are not a member of this group so our travel plans are on hold. I’ll share a list of dream excursions which I hope will happen soon.

Marla and I are coming together with a little pushing & pulling about where we should go to first. Visiting our family is paramount before any new adventures. Number one is a trip to visit with our daughter and her family in Dallas. Miss them all like crazy!

At this stage of my life, although there is something amazingly exquisite about experiencing somewhere new, I admit to a certain joy of favorite past destinations. I love this shot of Marla at the Basilique Saint-Michel-Archange in Menton, France, from our trip in 2018.

Back on the agenda is a long-overdue Northern California trip to visit with family and friends! San Francisco always calls to me with its beauty and diversity, often edgy vibe, even with all its flaws.

We will spend quiet moments visiting my mother’s grave at this cemetery high in the El Cerrito hills. All my Mom’s relatives are buried here.

I would love to rent this cottage on the cliffs a few miles north of Bodega Bay. There are steps leading to the beach below.

We rented the cottage next door a few years ago and just fell in love with the area.

A new area to explore is Humboldt Redwoods State Park. I’ve missed walking among the redwoods so this is a must! Humboldt Redwoods spans 53,000 acres, an area almost twice the size of San Francisco. About one third, or 17,000 acres of the park, is old-growth redwood forest—the largest expanse of ancient redwoods left on the planet.

We can’t wait to see our grandson Paxton again! He is a freshman at Boston College and can be our Boston guide. Truly miss him!

We love France and mysteries! “Murder In”is a fabulous sub-titled mystery series on the MHZ Network. Each episode takes place in a different part of France. One show featured Collioure, a town on the Mediterranean coast of southern France. We are hooked! It is definitely on our radar! The hotel above, Le Relais des Trois Mas, looks like the perfect spot.

I first visited Carcassonne while on a bike tour. It is a hilltop town in southern France’s Languedoc area and famous for its medieval citadel, La Cité, with numerous watchtowers and double-walled fortifications. I would love to show it to Marla. One of my all-time favorite restaurants is here: Franck Putelat.

I should add a few coastal French seaside towns to visit like Bandol. We love the beach! “Plage TV” is the very best site for beach information in France!

We probably should add Cassis as well.

Marla and I have never been to Greece. After watching 4 seasons of “Durrells in Corfu” we have Greece on the list.

Of course a stay in Athens is on the agenda.

We must return to our beloved Big Island of Hawaii and visit my brother Gary and my nephew Kekoa. So many past memories,…and so many new memories to create.

We love our sunsets especially on the Big Island!

The wonderful island of Guernsey is a must for a return visit soon! My sister married her pen pal Vic and settled here. My niece Suzanne and husband Chris also live here. My nephew Steve and his wife Karen visit often from Edinburgh. We are on High Street in St Peter Port with some of the gang.

Taking a break while hiking on Guernsey’s famous Cliff Walks.

Every visit to Guernsey should include a day trip to the magical island of Sark, a 45-minute ferry ride from St Peter Port harbor. No cars are permitted so we always rent bikes. Horse-drawn carriages are available as well. Marla is with my brother-in-law Vic on the way to our favorite La Sablonniere Hotel for lunch. The garden next to the 17th-century hotel is perfect for sampling delicious Sark lobster.

I would love to plan a new bike tour after canceling one this year because of the virus. Three tours have perked my interest.

• Basque Country: https://www.backroads.com/trips/BBII/rioja-basque-country-bike-tour

• Ride across Italy: https://trektravel.com/trip/ride-across-italy-bike-tour/

• Thailand bike tour: https://www.backroads.com/trips/BTLI/thailand-biking-tour

Marla is intrigued by the “Wheeler Geologic Area” in South Western Colorado.

I would love to guide Lisa & Ray on a trip to Thailand, Singapore, and Bali, all favorites of mine. Marla and I took their sons to these destinations last year and we all loved the experience.

I believe I have wanderlust in my DNA. I often reflect on my great-grandfather, Captain William Brown, who sailed the world for the Queen and commerce and eventually settled in San Francisco in the 19th century. He could communicate in 11 languages!

I’ll leave you with one of my very favorite travel quotes from Anthony Bourdain: “It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have still to go, how much more there is to learn.”