Spotlight PURSUITS NJ couple has been literally everywhere, 193 countries and more Marsha A. Stoltz NorthJersey.com Jul 19, 2026 Jul 19, 2026 Updated Jul 20, 2026 0 Prefer us on Google Learn More Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save If you think planning a summer vacation is tough, think of what it must have taken to travel to all 193 United Nations member countries.kAm%92EVD 6I24E=J H92E 2 uC2?<=:? {2<6D[ }]y][ 4@FA=6 5:5]k^Am Angie and Robert Penna of Franklin Lakes, N.J., during a 2014 trip to Antarctica Robert Penna kAmu@C 244@>A=:D9:?8 E96 8@2= @7 EC2G6=:?8 E@ 2== E96 >6>36C 4@F?EC:6D @7 E96 &]}][ A=FD aa @E96C E6CC:E@C:6D[ p?8:6 2?5 #@36CE !6??2 H6C6 ?2>65 &]}] vC2?5>2DE6CD @7 %C2G6= 3J E96 8C@FA |@DE %C2G6=65 !6@A=6 2E 2 yF?6 4@?76C6?46 ?62C {:D3@?[ !@CEF82=]k^AmkAm%96 !6??2D 2C6 2>@?8 76H6C E92? c__ :?5:G:5F2=D 2?5 @?6 @7 `a >2CC:65 4@FA=6D H9@ 5@4F>6?E65 C6249:?8 E92E 8@2= H:E9 E96 Q6IEC6>6 EC2G6=Q @C82?:K2E:@?]k^Am People are also reading… NC doctor receives reprimand after telling patient to put hand sanitizer in ear Friday Five: Walmart in the sky comes to Concord Commons Commissioners approve $400M bond package for November ballot Concord seeks artists for traffic signal box art project Legislature changes Kannapolis elections to partisan races Governor appoints Concord council member to state juvenile justice panel Cabarrus County Football Jamboree set for Aug. 14 at Jay M. Robinson State Archives webinar to explore real North Carolina history behind 'Outlander' Correll Farms, Big Elm and Second Harvest partner to feed the hungry Harrisburg graduate receives 2026 arts scholarship Rowan-Cabarrus launches one-year plumbing certificate program Fayetteville is NC’s sixth-largest city. So where are the skyscrapers? Public hearing Tuesday on up to $400 million in Cabarrus education bonds Cabarrus Chamber CEO earns national professional designation Friday Five: Caldwell Park and Rogers Lake Road bridge open kAmQ(6 92G6 EC2G6=65 2D 2 4@FA=6 7@C E96 de J62CD H6 92G6 366? >2CC:65 2?5 6?;@J65 4@F?E=6DD 25G6?EFC6D E@86E96C[Q #@36CE D2:5] k^Am The Pennas and their daughters in 2009 while visiting Thailand Provided by Robert Penna kAm}@H 3@E9 C6E:C65[ #@36CE !6??2 H2D (2=5H:4<VD DFA6C:?E6?56?E @7 D49@@=D 2?5 p?8:6 !6??2 H2D 2 AC:?4:A2= :? E96 u2:CG:6H !F3=:4 $49@@= s:DEC:4E] %96:C EC2G6=D 3682? =@?8 28@[ H96? 52F89E6CD p?86=2 2?5 #@3:? 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E@F49] w6 2=H2JD 3C:?8D 2? :?E6C?2E:@?2= 252AE6C <:E E@ 7:E 56G:46D E@ E96 G2CJ:?8 6=64EC:42= DJDE6>D :? 5:776C6?E 4@F?EC:6D]k^Am Robert and Angie Penna with daughters Robin and Angela in 2002 at the Beijing Zoo Provided by Robert Penna k9amu@==@H:?8 :?E6C6DEDk^9amkAm%96:C 9:DE@CJ :?E6C6DED 42CC:65 E96> E@ C6>@E6 4@C?6CD @7 E96 A=2?6E]k^Am kAmQ%96 9625 @7 y@9? E96 q2AE:DE :? E96 vC62E |@DBF6 @7 s2>2D4FD[ E96 pC< @7 E96 r@G6?2?E :? E96 tE9:@A:2? ~CE9@5@I %6H2965@ r9FC49[ E96 w@=J {2?46 :? pC>6?:2] %96 3FC:2= A=246 @7 {2K2CFD[ H9@ y6DFD C@D6 7C@> E96 5625[ C6A@CE65=J 7=65 E@ rJACFD[ H96C6 96 D6CG65 2D E96 7:CDE 3:D9@A @7 z:E:@?[Q #@36CE D2:5] Q(6 9:C65 2 42C2G2? :? D62C49 @7 E96 =@DE 4:EJ @7 w2G:=29]Qk^Am kAmq642FD6 E96:C EC2G6= 8@2=D 2C6 D@ 64=64E:4[ E96 !6??2D AC676C EC2G6=:?8 2=@?6[ 9:C:?8 8F:56D E@ D6CG6 2D :?E6CAC6E6CD 2?5 5C:G6CD C2E96C E92? 36:?8 E:65 E@ E96 :E:?6C2CJ @7 2 8C@FA E@FC]k^AmkAmQ(6 5@?VE 5@ @FC @H? 5C:G:?8[Q #@36CE D2:5] Q%96 CF=6D 492?86 7C@> 4@F?ECJ E@ 4@F?ECJ] p 5C:G6C :? x?5:2 E@=5 FD E96 EC277:4 =2HD 2C6 @?=J 4@?D:56C65 DF886DE:@?D[ 2?5 E92E E9C66 E9:?8D J@F ?665 E@ 5C:G6 E96C6 2C6 2 8@@5 9@C?[ 8@@5 3C2<6D 2?5 8@@5 =F4<] x? $:4:=J[ E96 4@HD =:G6 @? E96 C@25D] x? *6>6?[ E96 5C:G6C H2D 9:89 2== E96 E:>6 3642FD6 E96J 496H ?2C4@E:4 =62G6D]Qk^Am The Pennas and their daughters in 1996 during a visit to Sicily Provided by Robert Penna kAm%96:C 25G6?EFC6D H6C6 2=D@ 4F=:?2CJ]k^Am kAmQ(6 925 5:??6C :? }6A2=[ 2?5 @FC 5C:G6C 25G:D65 FD E92E H92E H6 H6C6 E@=5 H6C6 A@C< 2?5 3667 H6C6 AC@323=J 8@2E 2?5 H2E6C 3F772=@[Q p?8:6 D2:5] Q(6 925 =F?49 H:E9 D@>6 9F?E6C\82E96C6CD :? q@EDH2?2 2?5 E96 G686E23=6D H6C6 42E6CA:==2CD] %96J C@2DE65 E96 4@4@@?D[ H9:49 H6C6 4C:DAJ[Q D96 D2:5]k^AmkAm%96 F=E:>2E6 CF=6[ #@36CE D2:5[ :D 5@?VE 5C:?< =@42= H2E6C @C :46 >256 7C@> :E] QsC:?< 42??65 D@52 2?5 3@EE=65 H2E6C[ 3FE @?=J H96? 4@?E2:?6CD 4@>6 E@ J@F D62=65 D@ E96J 42??@E 36 C67:==65 H:E9 4@?E2>:?2E65 H2E6C[Q 96 D2:5]k^Amk9amu62ED 2?5 72F?2k^9am kAmp?:>2=D 2=D@ H6C6 2? 25G6?EFC6] p?8:6 C642==D A6EE:?8 2 C9:?@46C@D :? z6?J2[ 52?4:?8 :? 2 4@>A@F?5 H:E9 2 8@C:==2 H9@ H2D 7@?5 @7 >@G:?8 E@ 2 A2CE:4F=2C D@?8[ 2?5 D:EE:?8 @? 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DFCG:G2= DF:ED 7C@> 2? :463C62<6C :?E@ E96 H2E6CD @7 E96 vF=7 @7 q@E9?:2[ 36EH66? u:?=2?5 2?5 $H656?]k^Am kAm%96 !6??2D 7@F?5 xE2=J[ A2CE:4F=2C=J $:4:=J[ >@DE 6?;@J23=6 Q3642FD6 @7 E96 4F=EFC6[ C:49 9:DE@CJ[ 7C:6?5=J 2?5 244@>>@52E:?8 A6@A=6[ 8C62E E@FC:DE :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2?5 4F:D:?6[Q #@36CE D2:5]k^AmkAm%96 r@?8@ H2D 2>@?8 E96:C =62DE 72G@C:E6 56DE:?2E:@?D 3642FD6 @7 QE96 9:89 =6G6= @7 4C:>6[ F?ECFDEH@CE9J A@=:46 2?5 >:=:E2CJ[ A@@C 244@>>@52E:@?D[ E9C62E @7 <:5?2A[ A@@C D2?:E2CJ 4@?5:E:@?D[ 325 7@@5[ 2?5 @G6C2== 5:DECFDE @7 DEC2?86CD[Q 96 25565]k^AmkAm%96 !6??2D 92AA6?65 E@ 36 :? p7892?:DE2? 27E6C E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D AF==65 @FE :ED >:=:E2CJ[ 2?5 p?8:6 6IA6C:6?465 A2CE:4F=2C D4CFE:?J[ 7C6BF6?E=J DE@AA65 2?5 D62C4965 7@C H62A@?D 56DA:E6 36:?8 5C6DD65 :? 7F== C6=:8:@FD 82C3] sFC:?8 2 a_ab G:D:E E@ *6>6?[ E96J 6?4@F?E6C65 2C>65 >6C46?2C:6D[ 2?5 #@36CE 9:C65 2 D6A2C2E6 3@5J8F2C5 ;FDE 7@C p?8:6]k^Am kAmQ(6 925 E@ DE2J E@86E96C[ 36 2=6CE[Q p?8:6 D2:5] Q(6 EC:65 E@ 36 4:G:=:K65[ =@?8 D=66G6D[ ?@ ;6H6=CJ @C 56D:8?6C 4=@E9:?8]Qk^Am Heavily armed mercenaries shared weapons with the Pennas for a photo  in 2023 while they were driving through Yemen. Provided by Robert Penna k9amp 3:E @7 25G:46k^9amkAms6DA:E6 E9@D6 :?4:56?ED[ #@36CE 6?4@FC286D D6?:@CD E@ 86E @FE E96C6 2?5 EC2G6=[ H:E9 E96 7@==@H:?8 42G62EDik^AmkF=mk=:mx7 8@:?8 H:E9 2 8C@FA[ A:4< @?6 H:E9 D6?:@CD @7 2 D:>:=2C 286] |:I65\286 8C@FAD[ A2CE:4F=2C=J E9@D6 H:E9 D>2== 49:=5C6?[ 2C6 >@C6 5:77:4F=E E@ <66A FA H:E9]k^=:mk=:mpCC2?86 H966=492:C 2DD:DE2?46 H:E9 2:C=:?6D :? 25G2?46]k^=:mk=:mr964< H96E96C 2 9@E6= 92D 2? 6=6G2E@Cj :7 ?@E[ 2D< 7@C 7:CDE\7=@@C C@@>D]k^=:mk=:mpD< 9@E6=D 23@FE 2:CA@CE D9FEE=6 D6CG:46[ 3642FD6 E2I:D 42? 36 D42C46 2?5 6IA64E J@F E@ =@25 J@FC @H? =F88286]k^=:mk^F=m kAm%96 4@FA=6 2=D@ 42FE:@?D EC2G6=6CD E92E p>6C:42?D 92G6 2 >:I65 7@C6:8? C6AFE2E:@?[ 2?5 E96J >2I:>:K6 E96:C 492?46D @7 DF446DD 3J C625:?8 FA @? E96 4F=EFC2=[ 5C6DD 2?5 3692G:@C 4FDE@>D @7 E96 2C62 E96J A=2? 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