After Marion retired from the public school system in 2005, we decided it was time to take some coach tours. Marion's sister and her husband had already been to the Maritimes with Muriel Romancia, owner of Here To There Tours. Muriel has always used the same coach owner and driver, Les Wills of Twin River Tours. Our first tour was a three week adventure billed as "Amish Ways & Smoky Mt. Haze, fall of 2005. This tour took us to the states of ND, Mn, Wisc, Ill, Ind, Ohio, TN, NC, and IA. We loved this tour so much that we repeated the same tour in May 2006, and again in October of 2009.

 In June/July 2007 we toured with her to Yellowstone and Rapid City for ten days.

The fall of 2007 we toured the Maritimes, then on to Boston, Mass., another month long tour.

In the fall of 2008 we did a month long tour to the South East USA. During that southeast trip I met approximately 24 students along the way.
Our last trip with Muriel was November 2010, a 12 day coach trip to Branson, MO, to take in some of the shows. That was Muriel's last tour as she has now retired.

 

The following images are some of the people we have met on our travels. They are not in any order of date. These are just a few people we have met along the way and that I still keep in touch with via email, text messages, and phone calls.

 

Approximately 50% of the images I take on these tours are shot through windows of our moving coach. A circular polarizer is a must as well as a higher shutter speed. I also make extensive use of ISO 400, 800, 1600. For an example of images shot through either the side windows of the coach, or the windshield, please go here.
Heading south to Alabama  
Lynda Lowery , one of our three guides we had in Selma and Birmingham.
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Lynda and her sister were on this march with Dr. King when they were young teenagers It was raining at this time and Marion and I were the only ones to exit the coach to view this sculpture that was created by the same woman that did the Vietnam Wall in Washington, DC. That is George, who was our local guide and chef in Birmingham.

Some of the names inscribed on the monument

 

 

 As the coach pulled away from the proceeding sculpture I noticed the Birmingham City hall and shot this through the window. A beautiful structure.

A typical roadway in Virginia, Nov 2008. We fell in love with this state immediately.

 

 

 

 

 

 Touring Williamsburg Historic area including Jamestown/Yorktown. The Siege of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of French forces led by General Comte de Rochambeau and American forces led by General George Washington, over a British Army commanded by General Lord Cornwallis. The surrender of Cornwall's army caused the British government to eventually negotiate an end to the American Revolutionary War.

Battlefield area in the Jamestown/Yorktown area.

 

 

Michellei Harbor meets us at the site. She lives nearby and was one of my former students and has gone into professional film photography. Here web site is here:

 
  Al and Michelle
At the Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, La. Early morning, somewhere.
Kim Anderson, VA, drove from northern Virginia to spend an evening with us in Williamsburg, VA.

Saying goodbye.

 
Duane and Carol Friesen drove from Tulsa, Okla to have a 6am breakfast with us at Branson, MO. I met Carol years ago through genealogy studies. Holli Ellis chased us down in a food court in Little Rock, ARK when she spotted our green motor coach outside. Holli purchased one of my willow books back in the late 90s and we have kept in touch ever since.
The "GO HOGS" shirt from Holli. 1000 page of recipes in that bag for Marion.
At the Helen Keller museum/plantation I noticed these two bikes, loaded down for long trips. We meet George and his lovely wife and they were touring the USA on their cycles that fall. George travels the world on his cycle and maintains a daily blog of his adventures on his web site here. We keep in touch occasionally and his home base is Chicago, Ill.
Dave and Val Perkins met us in Huntsville, Ala for an evening out. Val is a LVS instructor. Marion and Audrey at a very high end shop in Natchez, Miss.
At the same shop, the actual crown worn by Miss America was there, so I had to try it on. I also found out that you do not wear a Go Hogs shirt from Ark in Mississippi. Folks take their sport seriously down here. Beautiful downtown Atlanta, GA.
Bob and Vikki Long (LVS) from Atlanta meet us for an evening out in Atlanta. We also met them in Chattanooga, TN during one of our Amish trips.

Joseph and Pamela Hughes meeting us at our hotel in North Carolina.

Pamela has become a gifted photographer and her web site is here
Muriel Romancia and Elaine-Lee Turner at the Danny Thomas ALSAC Pavilion, Memphis, Tn. Elaine has been our tour guide on all three of our visits to this city. Shirley Carver and Muriel Romancia at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Shirley has been our guide on our three trips to Nashville and we keep in touch via emails and cell text messages.
Shirley knows how to do crowd control. Getting our group ready for a group photo shoot. Another view in the same hotel complex.
Image by Bee from Joilet, Ill. They drove 3 hrs to meet us at Davenport, Iowa and she shot this through the car window as they approached the hotel. We have visited with Bee and her family on three occasions now and the last two times right in Joilet during our over night stays there.

Another pose

 

 

 
Another pose with Bee

And here is the family, outside of one of their favorite restaurants.

We keep in touch via emails and cell text messages.

A surprise. My brother Danny Mierau meets us in Regina, Saskatchewan, several hours out on our trip. I meet Elroy Miller from Shipshewana, Ind. This meeting took place at Devils Rock, in Wyoming, June 2007. We keep in touch via telephone and on our 2009 trip to Shipshewana, Elroy picked us up in his buggy and we spent a lovely evening at his home.
Elroy picking us up at our hotel in Shipshewana, Ind. Sept 24 2009 Cody, Wyoming 2007.
At the Buffalo Bill Historical Center I met these two American dancers. It turned out that she comes from Chetik Lake, Saskatchewan and her parents still reside there. Muriel and Shirley discussing something.
Judge John Cox from Moorhead, Ky. See next frame. Our bunch with Diane Cox in the center, beside me. Diane was one of my search engine positioning clients back in the mid 90s.
John and Diane drove from Moorehead, KY, to Barboursville, WVA to spend an evening with us. They presented me with a special gift that we recently opened at our cottage. We keep in touch via emails and her Ipod. Susan Conklin and her husband spent an evening with us at Davenport, Iowa. They live in this area. We keep in touch via emails and cell text messages.
Karen and John McGeough, Ontario, drove to visit us at our Ottawa hotel, fall of 2007. John plays a mean guitar. Karen is a professional singer, hobby only. I met Karen via genealogy studies some years ago and we have kept in touch ever since.
Sherry Trudeau, former student, meets us in Saskatoon on way to NYC. They live in Flin Flon, Manitoba were Marion and I were stationed from June 1964 to Nov 1967. Al and Marion meet the Patti Ryan who came to see us during our coffee stop at Bemidji, Mn. Patti lives nearby and here is another student who has opened a studio and is doing wonderful work. Her web site can be found here.
Setting up a shoot. Final result-oh yes, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Patti. Sept 21st each year.
Marion and I did not have to travel far to meet this photographer and current student (June 2010). Peggy Jule lives right here in Saskatoon and like Patti Ryan, uses Olympus gear. Date: June 04, 2010.

August 11, 2010. Vivian Kramer, North Carolina, visits with us at Tim Hortons, Saskatoon.

Vivian used to live down the street from us.

 
Al Mierau and Larry Minter - Larry lives in VA and met me at Colonial Williamsburg. Nov 2007 March 19, 2011. Rena Lamb meets Al at Fuddruckers in Saskatoon. Rena lives in Flin Flon, Manitoba
May 2011. Marion and I meet "Juniper" who at a young age is already knowledgeable in handling a Canon SLR. Craig Cupid, computer manager at London Drugs. Known him since his high school days in the 1980s. Super good guy and knows computers inside and out.
Halifax, Nova Scotia: We meet a long time friend , Debbie Nordheimer, from Edmonton, Alberta. Debbie and her husband Dave were living a block off the Halifax Board Walk at the time. Date of this visit was Oct 02, 2007, while on our Maritime to Boston tour. Debbie and her husband are now back in Edmonton, Alberta. Patti, Renilda, Mike, Pat & Brian -Halfway Home- perform live at Berlin, Ohio for us on Sept 29, 2009. We had at least 40 Canadians from our tour group attendthis concert. Professional musicians, all of them. I also purchased several cd's after the concert was over. (names not in order).
 

Grant & Elvina Conlin - January 26, 2012. Lunch out at Jerry's Emporium in Saskatoon, SK.

The Conlins reside at Manitou Beach, Saskatchewan.