Travel Tales amongst my Ramblings
True stories of our world-wide journeys interspersed with bits of my real life journey, retired now in Silicon Valley
After a late-summer visit to Yellowstone, we capped off our family trip in Cody Wyoming, for the express purpose of visiting Heart Mountain, where husband Irv -- and many of the Japanese-Americans living in Santa Clara County -- were held during WWII. The museum at Heart Mountain is fairly new, but rivals other Japanese-American museums, … Continue reading Heart Mountain
It's a rainy and cold week in February, when we have friends visiting from out of state. We manage to pick one rainless afternoon to go to San Francisco––sunny, windy, and quite chilly. The best day of the week to see a few sights. We like to take CalTrain up to the City if we'll … Continue reading An Afternoon in San Francisco
If you read my post about Hawaii, you saw that we were unhappy with the outcome of a tour we booked with the resort's Expedia desk. I'm here to tell you we've achieved a resolution that made us happy. The facts: (1) Wednesday, February 20, make reservations on a Moana Kea Stellar Viewing Tour for … Continue reading A Squeaky Wheel Gets Results
On our flight to Sydney from Cairns ("just say Cans"), I sat next to a nice couple from Queensland––"hobby farmers" they called themselves. I didn't catch their names and didn't even think to ask what they farm, but it could be sugar cane. I usually ignore my seat mates on a plane, but this time we … Continue reading Tips For a Visit to Sydney
Bula! A smiling man named Peter meets our car and extends his hand in greeting. “Bula,” we repeat as we introduce ourselves to this muscular guy in a bright turquoise blue and black shirt. A black sarong covers his thighs, similar to the brown ones worn by the male employees at the resort. We’re on … Continue reading Fiji Village Lunch
We're recently back from Australia, where a trip would not be complete without seeing the Sydney Opera House. From the outside, that is. This structure is perhaps the most photographed in the world, and justifiably so. It is beautiful. On the outside. We did our share of picturing––from viewpoints, from the bridge, from the ferry. … Continue reading Two Opera Houses
The first few days of our Japan trip was arranged by friend and neighbor Kaori, who kindly went with us to translate because we were meeting relatives who could speak no English. Kaori wanted us to experience the hot springs in the Kumamoto area and arranged for us to stay at a very old and … Continue reading Onsen ♨️
It's almost cherry blossom time in Japan. Did you know that there is a website that tracks sakura blossoms, similar to those that track the fall colors in New England? If you're planning a trip to Japan, you should check it out: Cherry blossom forecast. We were lucky to be there in the spring of 2016. Sakura … Continue reading Sakura
In Cape Town, we drive through neighborhoods with funny Dutch-sounding names like Tamboerskloof and Hout Bay, and capture the brightly colored homes of the Malay district when the sun shines. We walk through the gardens along Government Avenue and past huge posters that say “Thank You Madiba” and learn that Madiba is Mandela's Xhosa … Continue reading Cape Town — Part Two
People ask us why we liked our trip to Antarctica so much. My answer: "We don't know, but everyone loves their trip to Antarctica. You should go." I do know I loved the quiet. And the stillness. And the penguins. And the scenery. Some of the highlights: Ushuaia––a nice little town with wonderful ice cream … Continue reading Memorable Moments in Antarctica
Travel Tales amongst my Ramblings 