A great travel instrument - the ukulele!

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Playing our ukuleles on the intact Renaissance-era city wall surrounding Lucca, Italy.

 
City wall surrounding Lucca, Italy.

One of the joys in playing the ukulele is that, because of its size, you can take it with you when you travel. So far, airlines have been good about allowing us to bring our ukuleles on board, placing them in the overhead compartments. We use soft cases, so the space used is a bit more flexible than when using a hard case, although we have to be careful that they don't get smashed when a heavy roll-away is thrown in the same compartment.

Caroline started playing the ukulele soon after the Covid-19 pandemic shut everything down in 2020.  I started playing the guitar again, to accompany her, but a few months later I picked up her uke and I was hooked. Wesley started soon after, followed by Mignon.


Caroline begins to play the uke, March 2020.


Initially, I accompanied Caroline on the rhythm guitar.


By December, Caroline, Wesley, and I were all playing.


In January, 2021, Caroline and I regularly volunteered at Covid-19 vaccination clinics with the Medical Reserve Corps, with Caroline administering shots, and me directing traffic. With the existence of a vaccine, social life started opening up again. As the line goes in the Pixar movie Up, "Adventure is out there!"


Caroline playing in motel room after visiting Dinosaur National Monument with Daren and Sree.




Our ukulele collection continued to grow!


Caroline playing in Spoleto, Italy.

Playing on the rooftop in Rome.

Practicing in Honolulu.


 
We have a couple family heirlooms, an Ernest Kaai ukulele, probably made between 1910-1920, as well as a 1947 Martin ukulele. These were used by Caroline's mom when she was a kid in Honolulu.





We now use Kala travel ukuleles. They are only about half as thick as a typical ukulele. Caroline's tenor uke is strapped to her suitcase as she boards the ship, Wonder of the Seas. 

Playing on the Wonder of the Seas during a transatlantic cruse to Europe.

There were things to do on this ship other than play ukuleles!


Barcelona.

Barcelona.

Rafting the Salmon River with Mignon and Wesley, River of No Return Wilderness, Idaho. We took water-resistant ukuleles. The green uke is a Kala Waterman.




Playing during my volunteer shift at the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Honolulu, 2022.


Caroline jamming in Honolulu. This is what I call her album cover photo. Cordoba 24C.

I got ukuleles for all my siblings. Brother Don has hands so big that this Oscar Schmidt tenor uke looks like a soprano!

You just can't talk some people into playing!


We've been playing via Zoom with our friend Michael about every week. And sometimes we even get to visit him on Maui!


Kahului Airport, Maui.

Sometimes it's a shock to return home!

South Beach, MIami. We're holding spruce concert and mahogany tenor Kala travel ukes.

Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, Explorer of the Seas.







Saying hello to Montenegro.

Argostoli, Greece.

Wes and Mignon, Clackamas OR.


It's not that I'm a hoarder... I like to collect ukuleles!

"Let me see some identification."

Sacramento Airport.

Kapiolani Beach Park, Honolulu.



Jamming out Mele Kalikimaka at Kahului Airport, Maui!


Getting ready to play "Marry You" by Bruno Mars at a wedding in Stellenbosch, South Africa.


Not another one! An Ulumac soprano.




Caroline in Italy.


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