Opening this blog and judging from the title, you might expect a mind-blowing epic and insightful read…. But the center of the Universe is actually just a tiny space in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In downtown Tulsa, you’ll find a bridge that was burned down in the 1980’s. When it was rebuilt, engineers made a circular design that accidentally turned into an anomaly where you can hear your voice amplified several times over! Some people believe that this spot is the vortex where all of the cosmic energies meet. Which I’m totally open to as well, of course. But experts say the sound is a result of the parabolic reflectivity of the circular planter walls around the circle. Either way it’s very cool. Courtney, Dan and I had a great time in Tulsa. We also got to check out Ollie'son Route 66- the restaurant that was the inspiration for the original Pixar movie “Cars”. It was closed on a Sunday, but still fun to see. If you're headed to Oklahoma, other recommendations from our Tulsa experience are: Spinster Records, a fun and hip record shop downtown, The Tavern, a really lovely wine bar called that has a delicious chocolate cheesecake with a unique pepper crust, and Shades of Brown, an INCREDIBLE coffee shop that has unique and amazing creations including a peach chai that hit the spot. Our favorite night spot was Prairie Artesian Ales, where we enjoyed a tasting that included beers like “Consider Yourself Hugged”, “Prairie Paradise” and my personal favorite “E-Juice”. Good food, good drinks, good service and good company. Overall, tour life always takes us to interesting spots and allows us to enjoy a variety of memorable experiences. In conclusion, I would say that Oklahoma is….. well….. OK! (Get it)?
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An “attitude of gratitude” is something to embrace each and every day. Every year at Thanksgiving dinner, I would always bug my parents and family and whomever else happened to be at our celebration feast to go around the table and say what they were grateful for, and so this year, I decided to bug my tour family and thought we’d share with all of you. Courtney says…… “There are so many things I am thankful for when it comes to Letters From Home, from seeing the world to having new experiences every day, I honestly believe that there is no better job in the world. But what makes Letters From Home truly special are the many people we meet and the many people who touched our lives daily. I am so thankful for every veteran, for every active military personnel, for every person who helps support them, and for the opportunity to help those people realize how special they are. So for this Thanksgiving I want to let every person we’ve met along the way and every person we may or may not meet down the road know that I am extremely thankful for them. Thank you for your kindness, thank you for your service and sacrifice, thank you for your support, and most of all thank you for the love you give every day. You truly make the world a better place”. Dan says….”My mother had a friend pass away from brain cancer a couple of years ago. In her final days, she chose to travel the world and spend time with those she loved. She also encouraged those around her, my mother included, to find a moment in each and every day to be appreciative of. My mother, who is a life-lover with an attitude of gratitude, began to add this to her daily routine, and she passed it off to me. I find this practice, this taking a moment every day to step back and examine a slice of time from the outside in and say, "This. This is my moment. Of my many special moments in each day, this is the one I am actively choosing to step outside of and be thankful for right now, right here, as it is happening" -- this practice fosters gratitude, genuine happiness, and a greater appreciation and admiration for all of life's little gifts, both big and small. I find that these moments are rarely spent alone, but rather with people. Unlike sharing ice cream or the shade of a tree or a park bench, sharing an experience (whether totally extraordinary or entirely mundane) with others never seems to divide the quantity or quality of experience amongst those involved, but rather, multiply it. Exponentially. Today (and all days) I am exceptionally thankful for the people who surround me week by week, year by year, who engage in the experience of life with me and enrich my existence tenfold. Be it one quite close to me -- a best friend or a family member or a lover -- or one with whom I have never and may never again cross paths -- a barista or cashier or toll booth worker or child in a park -- it is the lives we touch and those that touch us which make this and every day colorful and rich. Thank you to those from all corners of the earth, from all walks of , and to you, yourself, reading this now, for helping to manifest such findable, all-inclusive human joy”. For me, my heart is exploding with gratitude on this amazing day. This year, the source of my gratitude comes from the influence that my dad continues to have on me each and every day. When he passed away in 2015, I thought that I had lost my best friend, but the truth is, you never lose the people who you love, they just become a part of you. Dad would never meet a stranger, and everyone he met- weather he knew them for years or if they just passed on the street- everyone he met would feel special, and he was able to form an instant bond with them. Every day on tour with Letters From Home, we now have the privilege to meet amazing and incredible people who constantly remind me that humanity is good. While you may hear about the negative things on the news, that is just the exception, because at this VERY moment, there are millions of positive things and acts of love going on that the media will never cover, and on tour we get to see it every single day. People are everything. I am grateful for our veterans and active military who allow me to live in a country where I can be free. I am grateful for the next generation of our youth, as in their eyes I see so much potential and love for our future. I am grateful for my family and my extended tour family who make life interesting, amazing and bright in my heart every single day. I am grateful for love, which truly surrounds us all the time. From the entire Letters From Home family, we love YOU. Happy Thanksgiving, and we can’t wait to see you this holiday season!
As almost everyone knows, my daddy, Pat Dearth, was a veteran of the United States Coast Guard… a multi-mission, maritime, military service and the smallest of the five Armed Services. The Coast Guard’s mission is to protect the public, the environment and U.S. economic interests in the nation's waterways, along the coast, on international waters, or in any maritime region as required to support national security. One of our favorite tour stops for the past several years has been the beautiful city of Southport, North Carolina. While the salubrious breezes, the rich heritage and stunning scenery are out of this world, what truly makes Southport special is the people. Rick and Jean Sessa are two such amazing individuals who reside in Southport that we have come to call our “Goomba and Aunt Jean”. We have had many a good time with them throughout the years at the 4th of July celebrations and performing at Rick’s American Legion post. Because of dad and my personal connection to the Coast Guard, Goomba was able to pull some strings and get us an amazing personal tour of the Oak Island Coast guard station. They may be the smallest of the 5 armed forces branches, but on an average day, the Coast Guard conducts 45 search and rescue cases; saves 10 lives;saves over $1.2M in property; seizes 874 pounds of cocaine and 214 pounds of marijuana; conducts 57 waterborne patrols of critical maritime infrastructure; interdicts 17 illegal migrants;escorts 5 high-capacity passenger vessels;conducts 24 security boardings in and around U.S. ports; screens 360 merchant vessels for potential security threats prior to arrival in U.S. ports; conducts 14 fisheries conservation boardings; services 82 buoys and fixed aids to navigation; investigates 35 pollution incidents; completes 26 safety examinations on foreign vessels; conducts 105 marine inspections; investigates 14 marine casualties involving commercial vessels AND facilitates movement of $8.7B worth of goods and commodities through the Nation’s Maritime Transportation System. Wow. The United States Coast guard’s official birthday is today… August 4th… so to all Coast Guard veterans and to the men and women who are serving right now… Semper Paratus! -Erinn xoxox
This week’s tour took us to places that were truly uncharted, unimaginable and unbelievable. We have performed on 7 Un-Cruise adventures now, and if you’ve read any of my other blogs on Un-Cruise, you know that they are out of this world. The “Un-Cruise way” is like nothing else in the travel industry, and the care and passion that each team member has to give their guests a true unique experience is just beautiful. This year, Un-Cruise Adventures turned the ship we perform on, (the SS Legacy), into an adventure boat like their other ships. The “Sea Dragon” which is now towed behind the Legacy carries all sorts of fun ways to truly explore Alaska like paddleboards, kayaks and small boats that go right up to nature. The inner passages of Alaska re truly a sight to behold. The tall snow-capped mountains, the clear beautiful glaciers, the extensive wildlife… and we didn’t miss one moment. The cruise left out of Juneau, a beautiful city with so much personality. Courtney and I visited the world-famous “Red Dog Saloon” and had their delicious “duck fart” shots. My parents went to the Red Dog on their honeymoon, so it was special to go back and visit. We had the opportunity to hang out with the Red Dog’s entertainer- an 80-year-old piano player who has toured the world but always comes back to the Red Dog Saloon to play and have fun. Onboard with us were 29 other passengers, including some friends and Letters From Home folks and my mom who’s an amazing travel agent and huge advocate of Un-Cruise Adventures. After a quick lifeboat drill, we were on our way. The next morning we woke up in Tracy Arm, a fjord with cascading waterfalls, sheer granite walls and the cutest harbor seals you ever did see! We got to kayak with these amazing creatures and also saw some beautiful eagles. In the afternoon, we went down to Stephen’s Passage, where Hannah from our ship guided us on an intense hike up the mountain with some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world all to ourselves. We had to make lots of noise every time we were in these woods as it was true bear country. Not only did we see bears off of the coast, but we followed their tracks for hours! We also saw so many amazing kinds of liken and plants that are unique to the region that were truly awesome. Thomas Bay was our next stop, and in the morning we hiked for 6 miles with Megan from our ship, seeing some porcupines, eating different roots and plants along the route and truly treading through the mud along the coast. Here we discovered what boot-sucking mud truly was- and had to be careful not to get stuck in it! Our first glacier was the amazing and awe-inspiring Baird Glacier. We boarded a skiff that afternoon and passed by harbor seals and birds on the way to view this spectacular sight, brought some ice onboard and took bets on how many days it would take to melt. The next day, we went to an area that looked like we were waling on the moon in the most southernmost tidewater glacier in North America- the LeConte Glacier. It was an afternoon of touching icebergs, eating ice, finding bird eggs, and giving ourselves “glacial facials” with the mud that is extremely good for your skin. Courtney and I even went paddleboarding, in Ideal Cove (which is as ideal as the name would suggest!) with the seals around the trip and enjoyed the peace and energy of the waters. The next day after a stop in “Kake”, we sailed through the amazing Frederick Sound and cruised around watching bears, porpoises and whales all afternoon. Baranof Island was one of the most incredible places, and we bushwacked to some of the most untouched wilderness in the Tongass. It was amazing to make our own path across trees, through the brush, over ponds and under roots that were thousands of years old. There, we met a slug named “Roger” and after we kissed him, I licked him and lost feeling in my tongue for 10 minutes. That afternoon, I kayaked with my mom which was a hoot and so much fun surrounded by sea otters. The next day we went bear watching and bushwacking in some truly incredible untouched places in the Sergius Narrows. After an afternoon kayak with Courtney, we decided to take the POLAR PLUNGE! Being in my bathing suit in Alaska leaping into icy cold water was definitely one of the most invigorating experiences of my life. I loved it so much I did it twice. We sailed through to a beautiful scenic waterfall and saw more wildlife along the way. Though the sights were some of the most incredible I’ve ever seen, the true beauty of the trip was the people. The passengers who ranged in age from 9 to 90 were some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and it’s incredible to see people from all different walks of life come together for a week experience and leave feeling like they are extended family. The crew onboard is truly the best. You can feel the love they have for each other and for the company. The late night card games, visits to the bridge, amazing meals, comradery and fun times we had performing will never be forgotten. In your lifetime, I highly encourage you to take an Un-Cruise adventure. You’ll come out changed for the better, and with indellable memories that will make you see new beauty on our planet. –Erinn xoxoxoxox
Every year for Memorial Day weekend, Letters From Home has had the privilege of calling Marion, Virginia our second home. We were performing at the National Convention for the VFW in San Antonio, Texas in 2011 when we met Turk Johnson, the commander of the Marion VFW and his lovely wife Penny. When they invited us to perform in their home town, we had no idea just what we were in for! The town of Marion is one of the most patriotic towns I have encountered along our many travels. The mayor, David Helms is a one-of-a-kind character who truly cares about the people in the town, knows them all by name and actively gets everyone involved for a better community. After our first show at their beautiful Lincoln Theatre so many years ago, the mayor presented us with the keys to the city…. Though the door has always been open to anyone who wishes to venture into Marion, and we’ve never needed a key. :) We have enjoyed the warmth of people everywhere in the town, including the world-famous Dip Dogs, the lovely Frances Marion hotel downtown, and the beautiful Hungry Mother park. This year’s trip to Marion was particularly special, as we arrived in the early afternoon Saturday to do a small show for their nursing home. Though I am grateful that we have had the privilege of performing at several large and seemingly impressive venues lately, my favorite performances are always the small, intimate shows at retirement and nursing homes where there are veterans and residents who can rarely get out to see live entertainment. The smiles on their faces as a memory comes back or a song gets into their heart is more rewarding than any large audience ever will be, and I truly have the best seat in the house as their eyes twinkle and they start tapping their toes and singing along. The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is always a highlight as well, as we do a big performance in the beautiful Lincoln Theatre. This historic theatre that was built in 1929, and almost every movie star of the generation has performed at that theatre… including Roy Rogers who rode his host and co-star Trigger onto the stage! The theatre is now where the television show The Song of the Mountainis filmed, and it’s architecture is truly stunning. During the show this year, I had a few of my Spring Theatre kids join me onstage tap dancing, and it was a amazing special feeling to perform alongside these young professionals who I taught and directed for years as they were growing up. For the Memorial Day show, Nelson also rendered a version of “Just A Common Soldier” before I sang Taps, and of course there were plenty of jokes and tap dancing to go around. A truly fun afternoon at the theatre with a special veteran-filled audience. Many friends from Winston-Salem make the drive each year to Marion now, and it has been wonderful to see two of our “families” combine and become an even larger family. On Memorial Day itself, we are honored to each year play a large role in the beautiful Marion parade, riding alongside WWII Veterans on a float down Main Street. Our first year in the parade, there were almost 15 veterans on the float, and this year we were down to 5 special guys who served in WWII. I treasure every moment with these heroes. The parade is a beautiful balance of celebrating patriotism while remembering those who are no longer with us. After the parade at the VFW, everyone in the town is invited for a free lunch and a meaningful Memorial Day service. It is a true humbling honor to be a part of this service. But, the thing that truly makes Marion different than any other town is their crosses that they put up for Memorial Day each year. These crosses carry the names of veterans who have passed away that are either from Marion, or have had a connection to the town in some way. Each year more and more flags are added, this year there were over 70 names and flags added to the grounds. The light of my life, my daddy, was honored with one of these flags. Since his passing in 2015, each year when I visit his flag, I feel like he’s become a part of the strong spirit of the town. –Erinn xoxoxox
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ON TOURA peek into tour life with Erinn Dearth of Letters From Home and some of the amazing places and people in these beautiful United States of America. PAST BLOGS
February 2019
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