Military Officer - April 2006 - (Page 50)

T R AV E L I N S T Y L E IF RETIREMENT’S ON YOUR LIST OF PRIORITIES The dining car exudes elegance. a gourmet luncheon was served in the winery’s caves. Then it was on to San Simeon and a tour of Hearst Castle, one of the showplaces of the world. William Randolph Hearst had originally requested his architect to “just build a little something.” The following day the group toured San Francisco, had lunch on Fisherman’s Wharf, and then checked into the Westin St. Frances Hotel in the center of the city’s exclusive shopping district. Of course, Miriam wanted to shop at NiemanMarcus and Saks. Fortunately, Saks served champagne for tagalong male mates. After dinner at the hotel, Miriam vanished to the bathroom for an hour, soothing herself in a tub of scented, foaming water. On day four we arrived in Napa Valley and tasted sparkling wine at the Domaine Carneros Sparkling Winery. Next we had a candlelight lunch in the cask room at the Merryvale Winery, surrounded by century-old, 2,000-gallon barrels. Day ﬁve was spent onboard the train, a respite from bus touring. Relaxing as the train snaked past Mount Shasta, I continued reading Murder on the Orient Express: The chef de train pointed to the multiple stab wounds in the body, saying, “This murder is the act of a man driven almost crazy with a frenzied hate.” Hercule Poirot mused, “Or a woman.” “You mean — ” The next day we emerged from this winter wonderland and pulled into Portland for a day of touring. The highlight was seeing Multnomah Falls, which drops 620 feet from the cliff above. We walked up a steep slope to view the falls within the mist. Then, this charming, romantic interlude in our lives was over as we entered the Seattle train depot and detrained. I remembered a few lines from Murder on the Orient Express when Hercule Poirot muses: “All around us are people of different classes, of all ages. For days these strangers to one another are brought together, they sleep and eat under one roof; they cannot get away from each other. At the end they part, never see the other again.” I smiled as I thought we have not experienced “murder” on the Orient Express, but “life.” MO PHOTO: COURTESY AMERICAN ORIENT EXPRESS YOU SHOULD BE ON OURS. Planning your future involves more than money. There’s your community, your lifestyle, your retirement. And for all these things, there’s Falcons Landing. It’s the best choice for retirement in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. In fact, it’s fully occupied, and the wait list for admission is growing. But that doesn’t mean you can’t live here when you retire. If you're an officer – or you’re married to one – only $1,000 saves your spot at Falcons Landing. Sign up today, and know that your future – not just your money – is secure. Call 1-800-952-3762 or 703-404-5151 for more information. End of the journey At dinner on the train that evening, I mentioned to Miriam, “A trip starts slowly, ends fast, and is big around the middle. I ﬁgure 5 pounds.” She replied, “With the pitching and rolling of this train we’ll shake off that many pounds.” Then she ordered dessert. 20522 Falcons Landing Cir., Potomac Falls, VA 20165 www.falconslanding.org 50 MILITARY OFFICER APRIL 2006 http://www.falconslanding.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - April 2006

Military Officer - April 2006 Contents From the Editor President’s Page Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Lap of Luxury Magic Carpet of the Rails Blue Ridge Wonderland Salud, Santé, Cin Cin! Cover Story: Wounded Warriors On Duty MOAA Scholarship Donors MOAA Member Services Pages of History Information Exchange Member Books MOAA Calendar Advertising Index Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - April 2006

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