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Since the early 80's I have been sending out an annual Christmas letter in similar format; a sheet of paper folded in fourths, a cover photo and back photo with a summary of the year inside. Here are the text portions of those letters back through 1985. I am missing 1987 and letters before 1985. If any of you Christmas card 'savers' who have been receiving my letters all these years have a copy somewhere, I'd be happy to borrow them!
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2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998
1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983Christmas 2012
Dear Friends far and near,
2012 was marked with numerous highlights: family, tours and travels, and personal; as well as with a few sobering events.
Mother celebrated her 90th birthday this past summer and 200 people came from all over to join in the festivities. On a sad note, my long-time Florida friend Ann Menges, ‘the bride’, died in August. We met on my first world cruise in 1989 and have had countless good times since. Truly the end of an era!
My cabin continues to progress. The walls were completed in May to a height of 8 feet all around. During the summer we got the adobe on so it’s beginning to look like a cabin. Hopefully we will get some work done on the roof this winter. I neglected to mention last year, that the long, gravel road to my land has now been paved and it’s a delight to drive out there now!
My travels were punctuated with two major priorities from my bucket list! In January I made it to Machu Pichu, Peru, and in April I finally made it to Ayers Rock in Australia. Those were the last two I needed to cross off my list of what I consider the world’s top tier of attractions and destinations. Machu Pichu was a real thrill and I’d go back in a heartbeat. I’m glad I got to Ayers Rock, but once was enough to satisfy my interest.
It was probably the fullest year of tours I’ve ever had, and I certainly put on lots of airline miles on Delta and partners, over 160,000. In November I became a 2-Million Miler with Delta!
In January I took 20 people on a tour/cruise to South America, a new tour for me, and one with lots of challenges. We ended with 2 nights at Iguassu Falls and 2 nights in Rio de Janeiro, both spectacular. The reward was continuing on to Machu Pichu with Kermit Kauffman and Alan Schuyler. It was just fantastic. Machu Pichu was exactly what I expected, but the Andes, the countryside, and the people exceeded my expectations.
In February it was back to Dubai – always a favorite – with an extension to Petra and the Dead Sea. Then in March I took 6 gals to New Zealand for two weeks. We were blessed with perfect weather and great views of the Southern Alps. After that tour I flew to Ayers Rock in Australia on my ‘way home’!
Another special tour was to Europe in June. Four years ago some of my nieces and nephews decided when they graduated from high school they’d have Uncle Kent take them to Europe. So off we went to Switzerland, France, Germany and Austria.
Other tours took me to the Northwest, the southwest parks, to Italy, and of course two tours back-to-back in South Africa in November. This continues to be one of my favorite destinations, but the tours this year just seemed even better than usual. I plan on doing two more next November!
I’ll be gone for Christmas this year, hosting a group for Isings Travel on a Caribbean cruise on the Prinsendam. The ship used to be the Royal Viking Sun and this will be my first time aboard since 1996 when we hit a coral reef in the Red Sea and almost sank! The ship is different now, but it’ll bring back memories!
There are bunch of links below for the curious. Most of them are also available on my website.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2012.
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2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998
1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983Christmas 2011
Dear Friends far and near,
This Christmas letter is definitely getting a late start this year. I didn’t get home from South Africa until December 10, and then pressing matters with future tours kept me from this task.
I’ve been thinking about what to write. Of course my travels provide enough material to write a book each year, but I don’t want to bore you with the glorious details here. Still, there were several adventures that stand out. Last spring, 94-year-old Armina asked me if I would take her to Egypt. Being just after Arab spring I suggested we wait until August 1 to decide. We decided! Ruth Mark went along and we did a Nile cruise and visited Cairo and Alexandria. I’m ready to go again!
My annual South Africa tours are also high on my list. Every year I look forward to two tours back-to-back in that incredible country. People generally go because of the animals, but after the tour find themselves reminiscing about many aspects of their history, culture, cuisine, hospitality, and traditions.
Another of my standard work relationships has taken a twist. My ‘Ladies in their Eighties’ has expanded considerably and I now do several tours a year with Isings Travel for retirement communities from all over the east coast. The trips include cruises as well as land tours. An offshoot of the partnership is that now, for the first time in my life, I’m actually an official travel agent as well as a tour operator. So next time you want information about great cruise deals, I can book them for you!
It seems I’ve been too busy lately to spend as much time in Switzerland as I used to, but I did make it over for a week in May to help Abraham Gerber celebrate his 80th birthday. Then we toured the Alps for a couple days and found an area high in the mountains, where wild narcissus were blooming as far as the eye could see. Rod Hazard made it for that celebration as well and we both enjoyed the mountains and wildflowers.
After a long winter and heavy rain and snow through June, Montana was green! Still, I managed to plant a few trees that my family bought as a memorial to my friend Bob, and the rains got them growing well. The weather did keep me from getting much done on the cabin however. But in the summer and fall we got more bags on the walls, particularly with the help of Ruth, and now the front walls are done and roof-ready! I hope to get the rest of the walls done in April. Volunteers welcome!
In April my niece Stefanie married Kyle Griffith and I had the honor of playing the organ. What a lovely bride!
In July we had our Mullet family reunion in Eastern Montana and it was good to see it looking like the Garden of Eden from all the moisture. Of course it was fun visiting with family too.
It really was a busy year for work, with tours/cruises to the Caribbean, British Isles, Virginia, Maine, Florida, and several in the western US and Canada. My schedule for 2012 probably has more foreign tours than I’ve ever done in one year so I should be able to maintain my diamond medallion status with Delta! By the way, there is still space on the ‘Fabulous Dubai and Arabian Nights” tour/cruise end of February if anyone is interested.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All!
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2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998
1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983Christmas 2010
Dear Friends far and near,
It was a wonderful year. It was a terrible year. Terrible because I lost my best friend of over 20 years here in Bozeman. Bob was only 53 and in good health, but in October he suddenly dropped dead of a massive heart attack. His death leaves a huge hole in my life in Bozeman, as we spent a lot of time together. If you want to know more, check out the front page of my website.
It was a wonderful year in many other ways. In March we acted on a 30-year wish of Mother’s, to remodel her house and swap the dining room and kitchen around. We ended up doing a giant “6-month” project in 3 weeks! Lots of volunteers made it possible and the result is fantastic. Check the link on my website for photos of the whole ordeal. Oh, did I say, “Mom’s thrilled!”
My land looks a lot different. In January we dug a well and had to go 360’ to hit water, but as consolation got 40gpm. In August my Amish friends Lynn and Jerry came from Illinois and helped me start building a cabin. This is no ordinary cabin, of course, but an earthbag house! It’s a simple 16’ x 24’ room built partially into the hill. The excavated dirt goes into (rice!) bags, which are then packed hard into place to form the walls. As winter hit, the walls were about halfway up. A big ‘thank you’ to the many volunteers! Check my blog for detailed info.
In February I repeated the Dubai tour/cruise and again it was a big success. Mother went again, as did Twila, and my sister Gaylene joined as well. The highlight for Mother was the 3 days after, when 5 of us went to Jordan for Petra and the Dead Sea. Mother had known of Petra for years, but never dreamed she’d get to go there. I think going there was one of the highlights of her life. Next chance for this tour is February 2012!
South Africa is the other area that is rapidly becoming a main destination for me. In November I ran 2 tours back-to-back, the first with 7 people and the second with 12. What an amazing country – I could easily live there. We saw so many animals up close and personal – lions, elephants, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, gnus, hippos, leopards, cheetahs, buffalo, and all kinds of birds and antelope species. Then the Garden Route on the south coast is breathtakingly beautiful. It’s all capped off with 3 nights in Cape Town with the glorious Cape, Table Mountain, the vineyards of Stellenbosch, and of course penguins! I plan on doing 2 tours again next November, but space is limited!
In spite of the recession I had my busiest year of tours ever! Main destinations were the national parks of the southwest and west, Europe, Canadian Rockies, and even the east coast. Still, Dubai and South Africa were the big highlights for me.
We hosted a family reunion in Bozeman again, this time dad’s side. We have a strange family – we enjoy each other!
There are bunch of links below for the curious. Most of them are also available on my website.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2011.
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2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998
1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983Christmas 2009
Dear Friends far and near,
In my life of travel I’m used to putting on miles each year, but this year, with trips to Dubai, Europe, Singapore and South Africa, I racked up over 160,000 Medallion Qualifying Miles with Delta/NWA! I’ve never even had 60,000 in a year before and this gave me platinum/diamond frequent flyer status.
Two tours were definitely a new experience for me and both will be repeated. In February I took 25 people to Dubai for a cruise and tour. From outrageous luxury and architecture to the gold souk (market), spice market, and little alleyways of ancient Dubai, we had a great time exploring and then cruising for a week in the region. Of course the desert safari was a highlight as attested to by the photo of Mom and my sister Vaughn! (back of card). I’m repeating the Dubai tour in February 2010.
In November I drew on my world cruise experience to do a tour to South Africa with 6 Swiss and 4 Americans. Amazing safaris, landscapes, seascapes, mountains, and the Cape Peninsula.... even penguins! And what hospitality! For those interested, the next South Africa tour is next November.
One way I racked up miles was a quick trip to Singapore with my friend Rod. Delta was offering double/triple miles so on a lark we booked to Singapore for 5 days. We had a great time, not having to do anything but, relax, explore, shop and tour botanical gardens. Now I know why people go on vacations! :)
On the other side of the coin, in August we started a ‘small’ re-siding project on the back of the house which soon grew into a giant project of insulating, replacing windows, redoing the electrical system, re-siding and painting. It took about 6 weeks and my sister, Gaylene was fantastic keeping things going. We had lots of volunteer help from friends and family. Thank You!
I was home enough this year to appreciate a lot of beautiful weather. We had good precipitation all year so that I only had to take water out to the trees on my land 3 times. It was one of the nicest summers we’ve had. There was a dry spell from mid-August to the end of September, then it went right from summer temps in the 80’s to winter on Sep. 30. Other than a few nice days in October we’ve pretty much had winter since, including a couple big snowfalls and some below-zero temps. Speaking of my land, I was hoping to start on a small cabin, but our house project and a couple other things got in the way. Now I’m pursuing drilling a well and maybe I can build next year.
We hosted a Mullet family reunion in Bozeman end of July and had the biggest turnout ever with over 100 people. What a great family we have and what good times we have together!
I hope the world situation settles down a bit in the coming year but I’m not holding my breath. My forecast is for a severe decline in both the value of the US Dollar and the American economy – at this point I’d bet on Dubai over the U.S.!
In spite of that I wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy, successful, and happy new year 2010.
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2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998
1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983Christmas 2008
Dear Friends far and near,
For over 30 years I've been traveling the world and have often had the privilege of taking Mother on trips, but few of the rest of the family. In February we finally got my older sister Pam to go along. I had seen an offer for a 4-day cruise on RCCL out of Los Angeles for $199 and convinced Mom, Pam, Uncle Bud, Cousin Bev and friends Doris and Steve to go. We had a great time sailing to Catalina Island, San Diego, and Ensenada.
In a couple months I'll get to take more of the family on a trip. In February about 25 of us are doing a trip to Dubai, with 2 nights in the city and then 7 nights on a cruise ship going to Oman, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, and Bahrain. Mom and my sisters Vaughn and Twila, as well as several cousins are coming on that trip as well. There is still some room available in case anyone else is interested!
Last December over Christmas I took the White family from Wyoming to Italy for 10 days. The prospect was daunting, considering the weather can be wet and cold, security can be a major problem, and the group included 4 children - the smallest being only 4 years old. But the trip was blessed from beginning to end, with no major problems. All 4 children had a wonderful time and were a great delight to travel with.
The most challenging trip this past year was from Boston to San Francisco with my Swiss family, the Gerbers. Both Anny and Abraham are in their 70's and have had major health issues and people were skeptical about them taking such a big trip. Grandson Raphael and his friend Luke came along, as did our friend Gerhard, auspiciously to help with Gerbers. But it was none other than Gerhard, who collapsed at Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone Park, and was helicoptered to Idaho Falls where he had open heart surgery and 5 bypasses! Then in Sequoia National Park, Raphael, Luke and I climbed Moro Rock and were struck by lightning! Fortunately we were not injured, but it was ironic that Gerbers were the only two out of the 6 of us who ended up with an 'uneventful' trip!
Last spring I took 2 small groups on less explored areas of New Mexico and Arizona. Tent Rocks National Monument near Santa Fe (see back photo) was a favorite on both trips. We enjoyed myriads of cactus blossoms, cliffs, and canyons.
Another unique trip was to Eastern Europe. That one was a real challenge, but it turned out great. We started in the Swiss Alps with gorgeous blue sky for the mountains and continued to Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest, Cracow, and Prague. Now that I've done all the research, I wouldn't mind repeating it!
Another historic milestone must be acknowledged with the retiring of the QE2. She made her last transatlantic crossings in October and then was taken to Dubai to be transformed into a 5-star hotel. I worked several years on the ship and could write books on my experiences. My Amish friends, Lynn Miller and company, were on the last crossing from Southampton to New York. I first met Lynn on the QE2 on his first trip to Europe.
I would be remiss to not at least mention our historic elections, but suffice it to say perhaps the American people have finally elected the government they deserve!
In spite of all the turmoil in the world I wish you a Merry Christmas and a very good New Year 2009.
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2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998
1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983Christmas 2007
Dear Friends far and near,
As evidenced by the photo on the front of the card, a ship played a significant role in my life again this year. The Queen Mary 2, for her maiden world cruise, went "Around the World in 80 Days" and I was privileged to host a group for Virtuoso for the entire voyage. The QM2 truly is a stunning ship and people turned out in throngs to see her as we called at some of the world's major ports. Particularly impressive receptions were in Auckland and Sydney. Sydney actually hosted two Queens at once, as the Queen Elizabeth 2, on her world cruise, joined us. So many people came to see the two ships and the fireworks display that the traffic actually shut down the city! Dubai was another highlight of the cruise, including lunch for my group on the top floor of the Burj al Arab, the world's only 7-star hotel!
Mother's books, Volumes I & II of "As I Remember, Stories of Eastern Montana's Pioneers," continue to be popular sellers, and not just locally. Mom still can't believe the success of the stories, which fascinate people everywhere. Excerpts and more information are available at www.as-i-remember.com.
I have also enjoyed fairly frequent visits to my land northwest of Bozeman this year. Thanks to the thriving deer population, most of the trees I planted during the past year didn't do too well, but recently I put up a solar electric fence around a small area and the deer are keeping a respectful distance. Next spring I should be able to plant more successfully.
In November I spent a couple weeks in Switzerland, from where I often write my Christmas letter, but it was just too busy, so here I am at home in Bozeman trying to get them out before I leave again for Europe. I'll be taking a family to Italy for ten days over Christmas and won't be home until December 27.
In May I spent ten days in Switzerland with three Amish friends from Illinois. Lynn, Leona & Matt Miller took the Queen Mary 2 roundtrip and spent a month traveling Europe in between. They are so much fun to travel with. With the great weather we had the whole time, I'm sure they think it's always that nice in Switzerland in May!
I was in the Northwest quite a bit this year with parts of three tours. I led my "Ladies in their Eighties" from Florida on a cloudy, rainy tour roundtrip Seattle. We did get to see the world's largest Sitka Spruce tree, which was then toppled in the early December violent storm that hit Washington and Oregon.
After the Alaska/Yukon tour in August and September, I'm afraid it will be difficult to do another to the area. Nothing could match this one! Great weather, bright fall color in the tundra, lots of bears, moose and other animals, spectacular glaciers, whales and migrating birds made it a memorable trip!
I have to also mention a hiking tour to Southern Utah. We lucked out and got permits to the Wave and hiked in under cloudy skies. As we were about to leave it started to rain. Within minutes the whole area was deluged with cascades, waterfalls and raging torrents. What an experience. It also washed out our road so we made a 70-mile detour to get out, but it was super!
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2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998
1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983Christmas 2006
Dear Friends far and near,
As usual, I can say this has been quite a year, but for the first time in a long time I am not writing my annual Christmas letter from Switzerland and neither of the two main highlights of the year involve a world cruise or a tour! In a nutshell, I am a landowner and a publisher!
I finally found some affordable land (can we say cheap?) less than an hour from Bozeman and bought 20 acres. I've enjoyed planting trees and shrubs, clearing a lane, and putting in a picnic table. Did I mention solitude? I love the quiet. It's 25 miles west of Bozeman on I-90, then north 15 miles on gravel. It's only 4 miles from the Missouri River and 2 miles from a hundred other families, but no sign of civilization is visible from my land and there is a spectacular view of the Tobacco Root Mountains in the distance. You are all welcome to come for a picnic any time!
The main project, which has been nearly all-consuming this year has been getting Mother's book published - actually two volumes! I decided not to do a world cruise this past winter in order to stay home and work on the book. In 1964, in spite of having nine children between the ages of one and thirteen, mom started interviewing the pioneers that settled Eastern Montana. She published their stories in the local newspaper, calling the column, "As I Remember." Over the next decade she recorded the stories of over 160 pioneers. This year we took those old articles and typed them up and stored them on computer. Then we organized them into two books, each about 400 pages! It was hard to squeeze all the material into just two paperbacks, but we didn't want them any bigger than that. We were also pleased to find some wonderful photos for both volumes.
When the first volume arrived in June it was met with an enthusiastic response, but we were busy preparing Volume II for the printer (between my tours). We had many orders for the second book before it was even released the last day of October. Now, November and December are busy with book signings, interviews and receptions. Mother captured the era of longhorn cattle and homesteads and it has been rewarding to see them preserved! For excerpts and info see www.As-I-Remember.com.
Of course, I did have some wonderful tours this year. In any other year I would have used a photo of Mt. McKinley for my Christmas letter. Late summer I had a tour to Alaska and Yukon with a German couple and we had two of the most stunningly clear days possible in Denali National Park. Few visitors actually see the full mountain and it's rare indeed to see it as we did. Fall color in the tundra added an extra delightful dimension.
In June I went to Switzerland to take 40 Swiss on a tour of their own country. We had a great time and there, too, the skies were blue with crystal clear views of the Bernese Alps. Nice!
Naturally I enjoyed wonderful tours through the national parks and a trip to New England and Quebec for fall foliage. You can see photo sites of most of my tours on the "Tour Photos" page of my website, www.kentkauffman.com.
I've decided to go back to sea this winter and host a group on the Queen Mary 2 world cruise. It's only a little over 2 1/2 months so I decided I could afford that much time to go 'round the world in 80 days!' It's tough, but somebody's got to do it! :)
I wish you all a blessed Christmas season and may your New Year 2007 be one of health, peace and happiness.
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2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998
1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983Christmas 2005
Dear Friends Near and Far,
People are going to start wondering if I've become Swiss, as I've written my Christmas letter in Switzerland fairly regularly the last few years. Not to worry, but this year is no exception, as I type away on the computer at my Swiss family, the Gerbers. This year I combined my trip with a little "work" as well. Three Amish came to Europe on the Queen Mary 2 and I took them around Switzerland for a week. We enjoyed unbelievably good weather in the Bernese Alps, Emmental, and in Zermatt, where the Matterhorn towered stunningly above us.
Perhaps my annual world cruise has become almost mundane to read about each year, but since I've decided not to do one this coming winter, I'll emphasize it a bit more this time. From January to April I again hosted a group on the RSSC Voyager around the world from Los Angeles to Ft Lauderdale. I was able to have my friend Kathy Aaron on the first segment and then my friend Rod Hazard on the second. Then my past co-host, Svein Johnsen, joined me for the remainder of the cruise.
It was the first time the ship had called in Arab countries since 9/11, and we weren't quite sure how we'd be received. However, we had a warmer reception in Dubai, Oman, and in Egypt than in any other country on the whole cruise. No matter who we spoke with, when they found out we were Americans, they immediately became much friendlier. It was amazing.
One of the highlights of the cruise was an overnight trip to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Radisson arranged a special dinner in the ruins of the ancient Luxor Temple, something that had only been allowed three times previously and would not be allowed again. As we arrived at the temple, the ruins were floodlit and we strolled up the Avenue of the Sphinxes to the music from the opera, Aida, and the walk was lined with young men in ancient dress, holding flaming torches. It was an extraordinary experience.
After the world cruise I had only 5 days at home before my first tour and I've been busy since. In May alone I had two tours in the Southwest, both of which included the Wave, one of my all-time favorite secrets. It's hard to believe the colorful rock formations are actually natural.
From then on I kept going with tours in the Canadian Rockies, Yellowstone, Europe, the West Coast, and another three in the Southwest. After my tours I spent a week in Hawaii visiting cousins, followed by three weeks in Switzerland. That has left little time for home this year, but since I'm not going on a world cruise this next winter, I should have time to catch up on a few things. Maybe I'll even find some time to travel!!
Between trips I did manage to find time to put tour photos on my website, which are viewable on the "Tour Photos" page at www.kentkauffman.com.
I should mention one more tour highlight, Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, which I visited with 17 Florida Seniors. It was delightful to watch over 700 hot air balloons ascend into the blue New Mexico sky early in the morning. Wow!
I wish you all a blessed Christmas season and a New Year of health, peace and happiness.
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2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998
1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983Christmas 2004
Dear Friends far and wide,
What a year. Most of us certainly breathed a sigh of relief when the 2004 elections were finally over. It's really too bad they can't keep the campaign to just a couple months and get it over with faster. However, I suspect neither side will wait too long before gearing up for 2008.
The cover photo is of me sitting on an old stagecoach in front of Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park. The Inn celebrated its 100-year anniversary in May and I got to stay in one of my favorite rooms on opening night. I had made a reservation over 20 years ago while working at the Front Desk of the Inn! It was a great weekend of nostalgia and seeing former colleagues who came for the opening.
2004 started off with a bang when I had the huge pleasure of seeing two mountain lions in the wild! I was driving in the Absaroka Mountains south of Livingston with my friend Rod, when I looked off to the side and was shocked to see two big lions sitting on a side lane enjoying the sunshine. We had just enough time to get a couple photos before they stretched and wandered off into the bushes. I had never seen mountain lions in the wild before and certainly didn't expect to see them so close in broad daylight!
Then it was back to sea for 3 full months. This ship thing is becoming a habit again. Svein Johnsen and I hosted the Virtuoso group on the Radisson Voyager on its maiden world cruise. It was actually a big Circle Pacific cruise, starting and ending in Los Angeles. We hit Hawaii both directions, then proceeded to the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia, up through the Orient as far as Japan and back across the Pacific. I had a lot of fun with two passengers in particular, Carol Farber and Barbara Cook. After a funny incident in a grocery store in Tasmania, they became known as the Lettuce Ladies and we had numerous adventures together. One of the best was a 3-day trip to Northern Thailand, Laos and Burma. I wrote regular reports of my cruise adventures and you can read all about them on my website www.kentkauffman.com on the "World Cruise 2003" page. There are photos on the "Tour Photos" page.
While on the cruise I took up writing and finally got down on paper a few of my more memorable life adventures. Some are available to read on my website on the "My Stories" page.
After the cruise I jumped right into my tour season and kept busy through October with tours in the southwest parks, west coast and Alaska. In June I took a German couple through the Maritime Provinces of Canada. That was a new experience and Newfoundland was our favorite area. In Iceberg Alley we saw lots of huge icebergs, which had floated down from Greenland.
Again I'm writing my annual letter from Switzerland, as I enjoy my yearly break with Swiss friends. After Thanksgiving I have one more tour in the southwest before spending three weeks at home over Christmas.
As I said, cruising is becoming a habit and I plan on doing the full world cruise on the Voyager again in 2005 from January 5 to April 23. This is a full circumnavigation from Los Angeles to the South Pacific, through the Orient and India, the Suez Canal and Mediterranean back to Ft. Lauderdale. You can follow my progress on the website or if you would like to receive updates by email, let me know in advance.
Happy Holidays and may 2005 be a year of Peace!,
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2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998
1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983Christmas 2003
Dear Friends far and wide,
The two photos on this card represent a dream come true - a hike into the WAVE! In October, five friends and I took a hiking trip to southern Utah to explore secret treasures that are not possible to do on normal tours. Wow! We had a fantastic time and kept our digital cameras busy. The highlight was the Wave with its incredible, colorful sandstone formations. Only 20 people are allowed into the area per day and we were thrilled to get a permit for our group. You can see 6 photos of the Wave on my website www.kentkauffman.com under "The Wave Photos". On the Tour Photos page click on "Secret Southwest" to see a slide show of 59 pictures from the whole week.
It was also a pleasure to be out in the wilderness away from the babble of humanity, news and politics. The canyons and mountains of Utah were a welcome respite for me, as it has become less pleasant recently to travel around the world as an American. It is sad to see the extreme anti-American sentiment in Europe and it makes me often wonder how opinions will change over the next 10 years. I hope for an improvement.
As I write this letter I am on my regular November visit in Switzerland. I had to come over early enough to sing with the Kreuzlingen church choir in their annual concert. Our friend Rod from Maine and I had planned to do a tour with Gerbers to northern Europe, but Gerbers' health problems prevented the trip. Instead we settled for a few days closer to home in Munich and Salzburg. That was also a lot of fun. The day before Thanksgiving the women's group had a big bazaar and we helped out there before heading back home.
2003 was otherwise full as well. In the winter I was back out to sea for 6 weeks on the Radisson Mariner. That was the best ship I had ever sailed on and Radisson impressed me so much, I could almost be convinced to go back to sea and work. Well almost. We sailed from Fort Lauderdale through the Canal to Los Angeles, down to the South Pacific to New Zealand and Australia. I left in Sydney and spent a week visiting friends on the Aussie east coast and in Auckland before returning home.
Through the summer, mostly trips in the national parks and Canadian Rockies kept me busy. One group consisted of six 23-year-old Amish gals from Illinois and they laughed and sang their way through the mountains and out to the Pacific. Another small-group tour in September was with a Swiss family of four through some of my favorite southwest parks. I got some good photos on that tour to update my website slide-show page. If you ever want to check up on me to see what's going on just take a look on the internet. Of course, you can also send me an email at kentkauffman@hotmail.com any time.
Oh yes, I also bought a "new" car for mom. It's actually a 1990 Buick Century, almost identical to our "old" 1988, but it had only 21,000 miles on it and it was worth the drive home from Florida where I picked it up.
For now I wish you a wonderful holiday season and all the best in the New Year 2004.
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2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998
1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983Christmas 2002
Dear Friends Far and Near,
Merry Christmas everyone. This season is always a good time to count our blessings and remember how blessed we are with family and friends. I feel wonderfully blessed in both those categories and am grateful for each of you.
This was again a busy year, but I managed to find time in between for some personal travel as well as for home and garden. However, four tours back-to-back August through October was overdoing it a little.
The highlight of my year was joining Mensa International (if you have to ask, don't!) It's something that's intrigued me for years and this past February I finally did it. Not all that much benefit, but nice recognition.
Ships are still very much part of my life. Though I resigned from Cunard in 1999, I still enjoy cruising, escorting groups for Reid Travel of Virtuoso (a consortium of travel agents in US and Canada). The escorting is not a paid position, but I get a free cruise, which is most enjoyable. It also allows me to keep up with the ships, passengers and staff I've known through the years. This kind of work fits in perfectly with my philosophy of life, which I've mentioned before - you can be rich in two ways: either have a lot of money or learn to live well without it. The next paragraph is a good example. I'd have to work all year to pay for a 2-month cruise like the one I did last winter.
For 2 months, February to April, I escorted with my friend Svein on the last world cruise of the Seabourn Sun. The Sun has provided more than a few interesting experiences for me. It used to be the Royal Viking Sun, then Cunard bought it in 1994 and it was renamed the Seabourn Sun most recently. This was the ship I transferred to in 1996 after the Sagafjord burned. After a month aboard the Sun we hit a coral reef in the Gulf of Aqaba and nearly sank. However, for her last world cruise she was really in her glory and we had a marvelous time on board. I was most sad to say adieu to Captain Tore Lura. At the end of the cruise the ship was transferred over to Holland America Line to become the Prinzendam. While on board I began writing descriptions of ports of calls and life on board. If you'd like to read them, they are all on my website on the page called World Cruise 2002. You'll also find some photos on the slide show page. I took advantage of free time on board to do some typing for mother. Back in the 60's, when my parents were raising 9 children and dad was attending college night classes, Mom decided someone had to interview the early pioneers to Montana and get their stories down in writing. She had them published in the local newspaper, but they've never been organized and put on a computer. So, I spent much of my time typing up the stories. They are fascinating, and we are planning to put them into a book so more people can enjoy them.
Tours of all kinds kept me busy from May to October. The first one in May was a west coast tour with Mennonite-Your-Way. Mom was even able to go along on that one, though she broke her wrist a few days before the tour. She managed fairly well in spite of the cast and came home with lots of good memories.
Some of my Swiss friends have been on numerous tours with me and by request; I organized a tour in June for a small group through Montana, Wyoming and the Black Hills of South Dakota. From Bozeman we went up to Glacier National Park, where we had one nice day and then got snowed out on the second! We crossed Montana to Glendive where we got rained IN in Makoshika Park. We stayed at the Lions Camp out in the park and rain made the roads utterly impassable. The group loved it, however, even remarking to Cindy Mullet in an interview for the local newspaper that, "Had they been in the mountains they would have been bored, but Makoshika was so different and so beautiful that it was the highlight of their tour!" I'm sure Glendive folks appreciated reading that quote! We had better weather for the remainder of the tour in the Black Hills, Yellowstone/Tetons, and the Swiss returned home thrilled.
One of the more remarkable tours was in July when I went to Switzerland to do a short tour of Switzerland for 40 SWISS!! Yep, an American had to go over and show the Swiss their own country. Pretty funny, but we had a great time.
Tours in the west and southwest kept me busy through August and September, then in October I changed pace with a small group tour in New England and Canada. A bit different, eh? We had a lot of rain and gray weather and unfortunately, due to the summer drought, the leaves didn't really develop to their normal brilliance. The people seemed to enjoy the tour anyway, but it didn't really have the "wow" factor it should have had. We loved Montreal and Quebec in spite of the weather.
It was a real relief to finish the tour season this year. I stayed home for a couple weeks enjoying family and friends and helping my sister Twila celebrate her 50th. Then I took off for Switzerland for a few weeks to unwind and enjoy my second home awhile. My friend Rod Hazard, from Maine (formerly Bozeman) joined me for a week over there. I'd seen him briefly at the end of my New England tour and suggested he fly to Switzerland for a week, since he'd always wanted to go. We found him a cheap fare to Zurich and voila! We had a great time exploring together and had one really gorgeous day in the Alps. See how much fun spontaneous people can have!
I made it home just in time for Thanksgiving and we had a nice family holiday. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the MSU Football team finally broke the 16-year losing streak to UM, beating the Griz in Missoula 10-7, thus becoming Big Sky Conference Champs!
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Dear Friends Far and Near,
I really need to buckle down and get this written or I'll never get it done. I leave tomorrow for London and a 2-week pre-Christmas crossing on the QE2 so I need to at least get my cards made so I can personalize each one during my leisure moments on board the ship. Between those spare moments aboard we'll be calling at Cherbourg, France; Funchal, Madeira; and Tenerife, Canary Islands on our way over to Fort Lauderdale. Of course, as far as I'm concerned the days at sea are the best part of cruising anyway.
The cover photos was taken aboard the "26-Glacier Cruise" in Prince William Sound, Alaska this summer in front of Barry Glacier. One of the Swiss tour members took the photo and I thought it turned out well enough to grace the front of my card.
