Cali and the Valley:Thoughts on vacation by Kevin Eckert

Hello Falcon fans! I hope everything in your world is going as well as it is in ours! For the first time in my multitude of years here at BG, I took an actual vacation, all the way to California, and thought I’d blog about the experience. The plan was to meet up with my brother, who actually lives in Charlotte, as he was heading out there to visit some friends he knew from when he lived out there for a few years. We’d hang out, relax, and have a blast!

So much for the best laid plans. I love my brother to death, and he’s got a good group of friends, but his idea and my idea of a “vacation” differ about as much as our head-to-head match-up has with The School Up North over the last 5 years (I’ll take any chance to remind the world we’ve won 12 in a row over them!). It was nice seeing my brother, but, honestly, if you’re looking for something cool I did in LA, I assure you I pretty much did nothing. We ate, drank, and I was somewhat merry. Till I came home and realized I gained 247lbs. The only picture I have is this one my brother took of me as I tried to squeeze into my seat on the plane ride back –

Sorry about the half-nudity, but the plane was hot, and I was sweating like a pig. To summarize that trip, it cost a fortune, took a day to get there and a day to get back, and I’ll probably never take a vacation again.

But sometimes it takes going away to realize how nice you have it close to home. This past weekend I went to my hometown, Berea, a suburb just outside of Cleveland. I biked almost 100 miles in the Rocky River Valley Metropark, and here are some photos that I took there:

Absolutely gorgeous scenery, awesome trails and wildlife, and all a stone’s throw away from where I grew up! And, you haven’t LIVED until you see the most unique, distinctive, and unknown War Memorial in the entire country – The Memorial to the Dogs of War. Here’s a picture of the main statue:


It’s really kind of cool! They have memorials and stories of all these dogs from every war, and how they served our country. I have no idea why it is where it is, but I’m glad it’s there!

Finally, there’s one more thing that I get to see when I’m home “in the valley”, something that brings me more joy than any vacation ever could –


That would be my 4 month-old nephew. He doesn’t do much but smile, poop, eat and cry, but I think I like him anyway. And no worries – he’s already got TONS of Falcon gear!

Needless to say, I learned that vacations are nice, but there’s no place like home! I hope everyone in Falcon-land is doing well, and with the tough economic times facing us all, next time you long for a vacation, remember your Robert Montgomery:
Home, the spot of earth supremely blest.
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.

May your travels be smooth, and your journeys always bring you home!

Roll Along!

Kevin

(Stayed tuned for updates on other coaches vacations, as well as what the players are doing for vacation!)