Global Scale Modeller

Little heavy on the last topic, so will lighten it up a bit this week with all that is going on in Europe

1. Have you ever travelled ( a substantial distance) to attend a modelling show or to visit a model store?

2. Where is your favourite place in the world that you have gone to for a vacation; bonus points for a few photos

Our own resident Top Gun suggested this angle of questioning

I.
No
2.
Still working on that, haven't as yet found a favorite spot or perhaps not had enough holidays to have a favorite.

Question 1 - travelled 90 minutes (long way in England) to a model show only to find it was the wrong weekend. I came away convinced of one thing. I'm a moron

Question 2 - content to come, not enough time to post a proper answer before work this morning.

No I've never traveled for a modeling show...and they are none in my area except the ones from local clubs.

As for my favorite part of the world... hard to decide. I had the chance to start traveling at an early age with my grand parents all around the US. So that started my taste for traveling. I went in a few places in Europe (Ireland, Great Britain, Netherlands France, Switzerland), West Coast of Canada, Africa. Only Asia I haven't put my feet on yet but would love to go to Japan, Korea and Vietnam one day.

So for my favorite place, I'm hesitating between 2 places which are Ireland and Kenya. I won't go into details about each places because it would be a long post ! But what's not to love about Ireland !! The nicest people I've encountered, beautiful landscape, beautiful cities, pubs !!!!!! and the best beer around. I was lucky enough to go there for 5 weeks. So I went all around ! As for Kenya, sooooooo beautiful and so harsh at the same time. It's when you go to Africa you realize how lucky we are to be born in Europe or North America or other places like that... Water is life I was told many times. You see people traveling by foot for a long distance to get water in a well that's when you realize how lucky we are !

Picture from Kenya

Afrique 123 by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

Picture from Ireland (the quality is poor because it's taken at the beginning of the digital camera age )
029_29 (2) by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

1. Have you ever travelled ( a substantial distance) to attend a modelling show or to visit a model store?
Nope - I've only been to two model shows in the last few years and they were both within a 90 minute drive

2. Where is your favourite place in the world that you have gone to for a vacation; bonus points for a few photos
I've been lucky enough to travel extensively for both work & vacation mainly across Europe and the US. The furthest West I've been was California and the furthest out East was to Abu Dhabi initially to marshal the first Grand Prix out there but then we visited again to see the Australian V8 series.




I've not yet made it to the Southern hemisphere although my wife has been to South Africa and we also have Canada on our hitlist

But my favourite place is without doubt Iceland - I've always been in the winter but it's apparently glorious in the summer as well for different reasons. We've spent time in and around Reykjavik, but also travelled up to the Westfjords for a few days as well but we'll head for Akureyri in the North whenever we get chance.

I could bore you silly with photos from our travels but here's a few

My first experience with the Aurora - something off the bucket list


I fell in love with this mountain called Herdubreid in the highlands - here are a few different views from different trips


This was the view on our 10th wedding anniversary


And our guide had never seen this view before in all his years of travelling up there


Isafjordur in the Westfjords - the town is on the spit in the middle of the fjord


Ok I'll stop now

1. Have you ever travelled ( a substantial distance) to attend a modeling show or to visit a model store?

This has to be answered with both a yes and no. Years ago, when I use to compete at IPMS events I never went any farther than 200 miles. My Eddie Rickenbacker IPMS Club in Columbus Ohio is just around an hour trip on way. They host a regional IPMS event every year that is a qualifier for the IPMS Nationals if you place in the top three, so I guess that answer is no for that part. As for hobby or model stores, again years ago, whenever my family took yearly vacations (children are grown and gone now), I would always set up time to frequent as many local model stores or hobby shops in the vacation area. Some include Daytona Florida, Outer Banks in North Carolina, Colorado Springs Colorado, LasVegas Nevada, etc.. I think the farthest distance for those vacations would be around 1100 miles. Keep in mind the trip was not exclusively to go to the model shop, but when I traveled that was a priority within the trip so that part is yes.

2. Where is your favourite place in the world that you have gone to for a vacation?; bonus points for a few photos

I am fortunate living in America that there are many places within the USA to visit that are wonderful. I've also traveled some overseas as well. but it is too hard to pick just one favorite place. You see, it depends on the activity, sights, beauty, people, or what ever your after on the specific vacation. My wife, son and I are going on a seven day cruise through Alaska and Canada in just a couple months and I hope to add that to my list of favorite places too.

Some of the places that currently rank as my favorites include:

Bavaria, Germany







U.S. Virgin Islands



Las Vegas, Nevada



Grand Canyon National Park



My bucket list to still see include Hawaii, Scotland, Ireland, Japan, and many more. It is definitely too hard to pick just one favorite place.

DRUMS01 / Ben

Wow this is shaping up to be a great thread
Really nice pics guys!

1. Have you ever travelled ( a substantial distance) to attend a modelling show or to visit a model store?
I haven't. When I first started back into the hobby, the IPMS regionals or nationals were here in town. I wish I would have known to attend that

2. Where is your favorite place in the world that you have gone to for a vacation; bonus points for a few photos
The Sheridan Bougainvilleas Hotel in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This is a picture from the bar. The front and back of the building are open so the ocean breeze blows thru. Breakfast and dinners on the beach. Whale watching. Margaritas to die for. This picture is my happy place image.

Bar by Big Wall, on Flickr

My tuppence worth:

1. Have you ever travelled ( a substantial distance) to attend a modelling show or to visit a model store?

I've never been to a model show for the express intent of going to a show - if that makes sense? Been to display tents at Living History shows. Likewise model shops - I have to confess I primarily buy on-line because its safer for my wallet. When we lived in Dagenham we'd often go to Thurrock Lakeside where there was initially a Beattie's then that closed and shortly after in a different part of the complex a Model World. Whenever I went to either the wife removed my wallet from my possession!

2. Where is your favourite place in the world that you have gone to for a vacation; bonus points for a few photos

Tricky... Been to many many places. Ireland as someone else said is a lovely country for scenery (but I have a ban on travelling there now) as is Queensland in Australia. I think - overall and after semi sober reflection - though my real favourite place isn't a place but a thing. A Cruise Liner. On these multiple lovely destinations come to you.

1. Travel for model shows: no. I’ve only really been to one local show, haven’t really been able to find others.

2. Favorite place to travel: that’s tough! Been lucky enough to go to a few cool places. Here are some readily available photos, the first few should be pretty obvious.

Got to spend one day in Paris, need to go back!


Notre-Dame cathedral, one year before the fire.


Two weeks in Australia, one near Sydney.


One near the Great Barrier Reef.


Having grown up in the Northeast US, it’s always great to go back.


We’ve been try to coordinate some trips with LA Kings away games. Was fortunate to tour the new Boston Gardens Arena during the Kings morning skate.


Nothing like New England in the fall.


We have a timeshare in South Lake Tahoe, so we’ve been there a lot; not in the winter though!


A view of the lake from Heavenly ski resort (in the late summer)


Finally, a few days at a B&B in FairbanksAnchorage, Alaska; this I a view from the lake we were on.


And enjoying the sunset on a train ride back from visiting glaciers.


We’ve also been to Maui, HI, Sedona, AZ, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Vancouver, BC, Niagara Falls, and I’m sure others I’ve forgotten. They’ve all been great, picking a favorite is like picking your favorite child!

Wow Bob, those are beautiful. Your response reminded me of some places I've also been but not mentioned, like Niagra Falls and New York City.

Above all though I have to tell you the sunset in Alaska looks wonderful. We are going there in May and visiting Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. Do you have any recommendations of things to see while visiting there?

DRUMS01 / Ben

DRUMS01 wrote: Sat Feb 26, 2022 10:10 pm Wow Bob, those are beautiful. Your response reminded me of some laces I've also been but not mentioned, like Niagra Falls and New York City.

Above all though I have to tell you the sunset in Alaska looks wonderful. We are going there in May and visiting Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. Do you have any recommendations of things to see while visiting there?

DRUMS01 / Ben

Thanks Ben! You made me look at a map and realize my post was in error; we were in Anchorage, not Fairbanks!

Looks like you will be quite a bit south of where we were. We did two memorable things: the train/day cruise to see glaciers and a small plane ride to land on a glacier near Denali! Turned out that the pilot was from my wife’s home town in So Cal, small world!

Bob, in Juneau we are going humpback whale watching in Auke Bay; In Skagway we will ride the narrow gage railway up the White Pass Yukon Route; and in Ketchikan we plan on viewing the Rainforest, Wildlife Sanctuary, and go eagle watching. We're also stopping at Glacier Bay for a day and in Victoria, British Columbia for a day but not sure what we will do there. Regardless of where you photo was from, it is beautiful. I think the same can be said for the Icelandic photos too.

DRUMS01 / Ben

Ben, sounds like a great trip. I’m sure you’ll have tons of fun!

Nice trip you have planned Ben. It's one my wife and I have talked of doing as well.

1. Have you ever travelled ( a substantial distance) to attend a modelling show or to visit a model store?

I go to the Old Dominion Open every year. It's about 180 miles~ (290Km) one way. Always a good show, lots of good vendors and some interesting subjects. It's not happened the last few years as I think everyone besides me is a high risk for COVID-19. Even got the wife to go one year. She actually liked it!

2. Where is your favourite place in the world that you have gone to for a vacation; bonus points for a few photos

This is actually a series of vacations. The end of WWII set. I was able to visit the Missouri, Enola Gay, Bockscar and Hiroshima within 2 years.



From the Smithsonian. Enola Gay that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima.



From the USAF Museum in Dayton, OH. Bockscar that dropped the bomb on Nagasaki.



The "ground zero" of where the first A-bomb fell.



The T shaped bridge that was the aimpoint and the building where the bomb detonated over.



Guns of the USS Missouri. This is in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor next to the Arizona.



The spot the end of war documents were signed.







From the guns of Missouri looking at the Arizona. I didn't take any phots on the Arizona memorial out of respect. A lot of Sailors died their. It's a very somber experience.



The Hiroshima memorial.

Flying in to Tokyo for our connecting flight I got to fly over Tokyo bay, though I didn't know exactly where the surrender was signed. I only took pictures of Tokyo Disney from the airplane.

A very cool experience that I don't think a lot of people have done. However very sobering. The Japanese on their Hiroshima memorial vowed to keep the site forever, to show how bad nuclear combat could be.

Wow some very humbling photos there, showing the juxtaposition of sides, cause and effect.
Certainly timely with the world right now
Easy for people to say what should or shouldn't have been done in the past when we are comfy in the present time (kinda)
Really eye opening man
Wow. We will have a discussion opportunity about this in our next Friday Diatribe

So I have two favourite places in the world
The first is a ski hill resort about 5hrs away from home, close to where I was born and grew up. Sun Peaks in BC
We have bought a condo being built here as a rental/retirement plan about midway of the ski lift on that right ski run clearing


A certain dog liked it here




Then Hawaii is our favourite veg out relax place, especially Kailua city on Oahu Hawaii

This is Lanakai beach, not my photo but the first place we stayed in Oahu


This is Big Island at sunset, my picture with turtle in the foreground


This is some drunk in the surf at Kailua beach. I could live here if I had the means.


Not really travelled much so there are some places in Europe on the bucket list