Passport CLUB

by Dr. Patsy Warmack, President

The mission of the Passport Club is to share travel experiences, plans, and bucket lists for travel domestic or international; by land, sea or air; self-drive or sit back and let others do the work.

February 2nd: Loren Hoffman, Mustang Odyssey: A Trip into the Last Forbidden Kingdom. In the Summer of 1992, Hoffman was among the very first allowed to visit Mustang after the Nepal government made limited access available to visitors. The experience of visiting this culturally rich and arid landscape is not unlike being transported back into Biblical times. Join the adventure!

March 2nd: Larry and Joy Wissing, Lewis and Clark Trail – Undaunted Courage. Share the 47-day tour with the Wissing’s and about twenty other RV’ers along the historic trail. The original Lewis and Clark round trip pushed, pulled and portaged boats and canoes up against and sometimes down the Mighty (muddy) Missouri river. 30 members, embarked on May 14, 1804; the expedition crossed the Continental Divide of the Americas near the Lemhi Pass, eventually coming to the Columbia River, and the Pacific Ocean in 1805. The return voyage began on March 23, 1806 and ended on September 23, 1806. Only one member of the original expedition died of appendicitis early on in the trip; all 29 members returned to their homes after the grueling 2-year trek. How did the Wissing’s do? Attend the March 2nd presentation to find out!

•Meet-ups: 1st Thursday of the month - Downtown Club

•Social time at 5:00 pm; Presentation at 5:30 pm

•Reservations Required: www.spyc.org or (727) 892-6882

$10++/pp - Includes presentation and a plated snack. Bar service is available.

The Passport Club invites all SPYC Members & their guests who are frequent or frequently-aspiring travelers who share our mission. There are no dues - just sign-up! Have a travel program you want to share?

Contact: patsywarmack@tampabay.rr.com

by Angela Kowalik, President

Ever wonder how far back your family tree goes, or are you looking for a lost relative, sibling, or child? April Min, a lawyer and professional genealogist, will lead us in discussions to explore how to start a journey into our own family history, the tools to research our genealogy, DNA testing, and how it can help uncover our family histories. Including strategies for using the most common genealogy databases like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch. Who knows, perhaps you too might turn your hobby into a profession, trace your lineage to early pioneers, or find that "someone".

Join us for our February 20th program, as we are Exploring Heritage through Genealogy. Make your reservation now online (www.spyc.org) or call (727) 360-1646. We start at 11:00 am but arrive early as doors open at 10:30 for socialization and just plain fun! A special luncheon follows the LBC meeting and program.

Congratulations! At our January meeting, we celebrated reaching an important milestone: 100 Members! It’s quite an achievement to reach these triple membership numbers in this, our 15th year of the Ladies Beach Club! Marcia Smith was honored as our 100th member with a champagne toast and a bottle to take home. It was a joyous occasion. (By the time you are reading this article, we are already exceeding that number.)

Interested in joining or renewing? Dues are just $32.00 and worth every penny!! Contact our Membership Chair Helle Getz (sailtym@yahoo.com) or refer to our membership form found online at www. spyc.org (log-in then go to Clubs Within the Club, then LBC - form is on page 2). Hope to see you at the beach!!