Final day in Taiwan

I returned home from Taiwan last Friday. Total travel time, including getting to and from the airport plus a long layover, was 30 hours. There is a twelve-hour difference between Taipei and NYC, making night day and day night. I was very jetlagged for a couple of days. So now I’m catching up on our final day. It was the … Read More

Taipei, Taiwan

One week into the trip we were both in need of a “do-nothing” morning. We slept late, read emails, I wrote while Tristan played computer games. When we finally got ourselves moving, we headed to Ximending, an area Tristan wanted to explore. That didn’t surprise me, Ximending is known as a “cool” entertainment center geared towards the young. There are … Read More

Return to Taipei, Taiwan

Breakfast was another extravaganza of flavors and textures; each carefully explained in the multi-page menu. Before departing we did a bit of walking around The One hotel’s grounds. They are as well designed and immaculate as the building. Danny met us for our final day before returning to Taipei. Leaving the hotel, we passed by tea plantations. I was surprised … Read More

Taiwan – Day 6

The buffet at the La Lu Hotel surpassed any I’ve ever experienced, and that is saying a lot. The choices were endless and delicious. I tried several foods for the first time including loofah. Prior to this trip I only thought of a loofah as something to wash with. But Ivy Chen explained that if you pick it when it … Read More

Sun Moon Lake

Leaving the B&B was difficult because our host, Frank, kept bringing more and more fruits for us to try. We had plums and mangos from his garden as well as local lychees, peaches, and bananas. Then it was time for photographs in the garden. When at last we managed to say final goodbyes, we drove through the Taroko gorge. Our … Read More

Taroko National Park, Taiwan

We were up early to enter Taroko National Park. Because of the earthquake last year, the road is undergoing major repairs. There is a single tunnel to enter and exit and they are working on it, they only allow a few cars at specified times—6 am, 10am and 12pm were our choices. We took a quick look around the visitor … Read More

Taipei, Taiwan – Day 2

Today was all about food and drink. We met up this morning with Ivy Chen for a market tour. Because it was just Tristan and me, we got to ask all the questions we wanted. Ivy is a fount of information. The market is filled with small stalls, each specializing in something different. At the tofu seller Ivy explained the … Read More

Taipei, Taiwan – Day 1

The flight seemed to take forever, but it will have been worth the endless hours in the air and the lengthy layover. I’m traveling with my grandnephew, Tristan. This is his high school graduation present—a trip to anywhere he chose. He’s a well-traveled kid, and he selected Taiwan because he has studied Chinese, and had heard about the excellent food. … Read More

Boulder, Colorado

By now you may have heard about the terrorist attack on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder. Three of us were only a few blocks away when the attack occurred. The Pro-Israel protesters had peacefully walked past us while we were meandering. A few minutes later there were sirens, flashing lights, and a lot of commotion. Because firetrucks were on … Read More

The Potato Museum – Blackfoot, Idaho

Years ago, on a road trip through southern Idaho, I stopped in the tiny town of Blackfoot. As a lifelong fan of weird roadside attractions, I couldn’t resist visiting the Idaho Potato Museum. Right outside the entrance is a giant baked potato sculpture the size of a small car—complete with a pat of butter. Inside, the museum walks a fine … Read More