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Less is More When Traveling

While working on my next book, I came across this snippet: “We’ll land in Milan and spend a few days there. Then we’ll take the train to Venice. Maybe going to Lake Como on the way. Next, we want to visit a small town where my husb...

Chicago – Day 5

Yesterday was my final day in Chicago. With the help of my new friend Louise, it was amazing. She picked me up early and we headed towards the Garfield Park Conservatory. Rather than going on the highway or sticking to main streets, Loui...

Chicago – Day 4

In addition to my traveling, I mentor entrepreneurs through Score NYC. This morning, prior to setting out I had a couple of zoom calls with people who are working to grow their small business. This was a benefit to them and me. I needed ...

Chicago – Day 3

Once again, I covered a lot of ground today, both in distance and meandering down memory lane. My first activity this morning was to take the river architecture tour. It’s something I did a couple of decades ago. But as Chicago’s arc...

Chicago – Day 2

My day today represents the best travel can be. It was jam packed and I’m tired, but I wouldn’t have sacrificed one minute of it. My first stop was to revisit the “Bean.” Officially titled Cloud Gate, it is a monumental stainless...

Chicago – Day 1

When my flight descended into Chicago there was a perfect view of Lake Michigan and the city’s skyline. This was very welcome, as NYC had been misty, gray, and muggy when I departed. Chicago is a city I know well but haven’t visited ...

London, England – Day 7

Most of today, our final day in London, was spent walking through two of the city’s glorious parks. To get there, we took a bus that dropped us off near Marble Arch on Oxford Street. Oxford Street, the main shopping street in London, w...

London, England – Day 6

After breakfast this morning I sent Scott, Sherrie and Brianna off on their own. Scott was interested in visiting firehouses. I was interested in stretching my back and resting. When I had rested, I went out for a walk. I had no destinat...

London, England – Day 5

This morning began gray and drizzly. After breakfast Scott, Sherrie and Brianna headed to the Tower of London. I didn’t go with them because I knew my back wouldn’t be happy with the amount of standing. Instead, I took off for the Vi...

London, England – Day 4

When I bought the tickets for the London Eye, I held my breath and crossed my fingers in the hopes that we’d have a bright day. Luck was on our side, when we went on it, there were a few wispy clouds and a bright sky. Later, the clouds...

London, England – Day 3

The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace occurs every morning at 11am. At this point, the ceremony has no real meaning, except as a tourist spectacular. And boy, does it ever draw crowds. We arrived around 10:30. I sent Scott, Sher...

London, England – Day 2

One of the first things I do in any new city is to take a hop-on-hop-off bus. It’s a convenient way to get an overall feeling for the place and, if I pay attention and am lucky, to figure out the geography. I know London so well that t...

London, England

Though every seat on the plane was filled, the flight from New York to London was a breeze. After the 14-hour nightmare returning from the Middle East, this was very civilized. On this journey, I’m traveling with my nephew Scott, his w...

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Short entry today. This morning I flew from Muscat, Oman to Abu Dhabi, UAE. Tomorrow morning I fly home. By the time i got off the plane, got through the airport and immigration, and to my hotel, it was afternoon. With a few hours to kil...

Wadi Bani Khalid and Wahiba Sands, Oman

Today involved even more driving than yesterday. I wasn’t the one doing the driving, but I’m still exhausted. For more than two hours we headed south through areas that became progressively less populated. We passed loads of small vi...

Nizwa and Al Jabal Al Akhdar (the Green Mountains), Oman

Today included a lot of driving, much of it through strikingly beautiful mountain ranges. The first stop was Nizwa, almost two hours southwest of Muscat. It is the capital of the interior and the birthplace of Islam in the Sultanate of O...

Muscat, Oman – Day 2

This morning, I went on a city tour of Muscat. My overall impression is that it is a very livable city. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are flashy, ever growing, with their motto being bigger is better. Here the impression I get is of the balance be...

Muscat, Oman

This morning I flew on Air Dubai to Muscat. It’s a short flight (50 minutes), but they start boarding very early so I was up and out before I’d had a good night’s sleep. Despite the shortness of the flight, the flight attendants pa...

Dubai, UAE – Day 3

Today was spent going from one end of Dubai to the other, in each place viewing different perspectives of the city. First stop was “the old town.” It isn’t old, it’s a replica. My favorite part was the painted camels that reminde...

Dubai, UAE- Day 2

After disembarking from the ship, the next stop was a transfer to the hotel. It’s a lovely hotel and the room is enormous—a welcome change after the tiny cabin on the ship. I’d wanted to visit a local souk, not the insanely over-th...

Dubai, UAE

Today was a very busy day, but this will be a short post. We disembark from the ship tomorrow morning. Between packing and saying goodbye to friends met on board, there hasn’t been much time to write. I spent this morning at the Dubai Mi...

Sir BaniYas Island, UAE

I spent most of yesterday in bed trying to shake a cold that came on like a monsoon. I didn’t know I was capable of sleeping that much. But it seems to have helped. What I missed was a return visit to the Abu Dhabi Louvre. This morning I...

At sea on the Persian Gulf

Today we are traveling from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi. So not many photos. I was up in time for sunrise, a very different experience than inspiring French Polynesia. The water was a uniform color. Not a cloud in the sky. When the sun made it’...

Kingdom of Bahrain

When I pulled back the curtain this morning, the view was less than inspiring. The ship was docking at an industrial looking pier. The view was of shipping containers and low block-like storage buildings. No green anywhere. The ride into...

Doha, Qatar

This was my first time in Qatar. I suspect that even if I had, I wouldn’t have recognized it. Everything is new and newer. The souk (market), which looks old, was built in 2006 after a fire destroyed the original 200 year old structure. ...

Aboard the MSC Euribia in Dubai

My friend Sue and I boarded the ship for a seven day cruise around the Emirates. When we return from the cruise we will spend a couple of days in Dubai before heading to Oman. The ship is quite a shock after my last two cruises. It is VE...

Abu Dhabi and Dubai, UAE

After a twelve-hour flight I arrived in Abu Dhabi late this morning. Because we departed midday, it never felt like it was time to sleep. But with the eight-hour time difference the flight arrived mid-morning. I’m now functioning on sh...

Bora Bora, French Polynesia – Day 2

Note: I’m finally posting journal entries that I couldn’t post because of limited wifi while I was in French Polynesia. I’m home at the moment. This is the only port where we stayed overnight. It’s totally fine with me. Even though it ...

Bora Bora, French Polynesia – Day 1

I woke at 5AM for sunrise and to watch as the ship neared Bora Bora, circled around the reef to the only entry into the lagoon. The entry to the lagoon was constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers during WWII. They also brought elec...

Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia

The sky had just brightened when I opened the curtain and had my first glimpse of Nuku Hiva. It is the largest island in the Marquesas Island group, which is not to say it is a huge island. I stood on the terrace entranced by the scene b...

At Sea- French Polynesia Day 2

We spent the day cruising to our next destination island. Fortunately the sea was calm and it was smooth sailing. Apart from eating, which I did a lot of–the food on the ship is delicious–it was a very full day. In the morning, I listene...

Fakarava, French Polynesia

The weather has improved immensely. We now have that postcard perfect view of turquoise water and blue skies. It’s always a thrill to arrive to a new destination, especially when it’s one you’d never even heard of. That describes Fakarav...

At Sea- French Polynesia

I’m on board the Oceania ship, the Nautica, sailing through French Polynesia. The operative word today is THROUGH. The ship departed from Tahiti last night and arrived early this morning near Moorea. Last night I watched a video about ...

Medellin, Colombia – Day 6

Yesterday was my final day enjoying beautiful and WARM Medellin. My flight was late in the afternoon, so I had time to explore a bit. I met Phil and his friends Roy and Jim for breakfast. Then Phil and I headed to the aquarium. It’s pa...

Medellin, Colombia- Day 5

Today began with only the briefest of plans—I wanted to see a local food market. Phil took me to Plaza de Mercado, Las Americas. It is one of the smaller markets in the city, but close by and of a manageable size. The other markets are...

Medellin, Colombia- Day 4

Phil had some things he needed to do today, so I went exploring on my own. What’s nice about getting around the city is that it is very easy–Uber is readily available and inexpensive. The most I’ve paid for any ride was under $5, and...

Medellin, Colombia- Day 3

oday was a tranquil respite from exploring the city. Phil and I each had a leisurely morning, then met to go to the Medellin Jardín Botánico (Botanical Garden). Phil knows that I’m a frequent visitor to the New York Botanical Garden ...

Medellin, Colombia- Day 2

Phil and I got off to an early start this morning. Our destination was Comuna 13, an area that has a wrenching history from the Pablo Escobar days. At that time, it was one of the most dangerous areas in the city, plagued by gang violenc...

Medellin, Colombia – Day 1

I’ve wanted to visit Medellin for many years, ever since the downfall of Pablo Escobar and the drug lords who terrorized the city for many years. Since his demise in 1993, Medellin has experienced a transformation into a safe (mostly),...

Oslo- Day Three (final day)

My trip to Norway is winding down. Tomorrow, I will fly back to New York City. This journey wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for—I never did get to see the northern lights. Still, it was a fascinating experience. On board the ship I met...

Oslo- Day Two

So glad I enjoyed the sunshine yesterday and spent most of the sunlight hours outdoors. Today it snowed in the morning and after it ended, the skies were slate gray. I’m hopeful for tomorrow, the forecast for my last day in Norway is f...

Oslo- Day One

I will start by saying the best part of today was the sunshine. For almost five hours there was bright sun, at one point so bright I wished I had brought sunglasses. After a week in near darkness, it came as a huge relief. Sunshine has t...

Arctic Circle Arrival

Today, in rain and wind, the ship crossed into the Arctic circle. Though about 8am, the sun wasn’t close to appearing. Official sunrise in Bodo, where we were headed, was 11:05 with sunset following quickly at 12:47. Our ship is the Midn...

Trondheim, Norway

The ship has traveled north to Trondheim. It’s colder, but manageable. No snow, but definitely icy areas. But best of all, sun!! Not for long however–sunrise about 9:40, sunset at 2:30. And from here, the days get shorter. This trip is p...

Alesund, Norway

When the ship docked in Alesund, Norway this morning it was raining. The forecast was, however, promising–rain to end at 11:30. I decided to wait for it to clear. Magically, the forecast was correct. When I disembarked to walk around the...

Bergen, Norway

I’m on board the Hurtigruten cruise north to the Arctic circle. Wi-Fi is spotty at best. So, this will be a short entry. I’ll share my full writeup when I return home. Don’t be surprised if some days there is no entry, it just means ther...

Escape to Hyde Park, NY

Though this mini trip was planned a long time ago, the timing was perfect. I’m spending a few days with two friends who I’ve known since childhood. We’re doing everything possible to avoid thinking about the election. Dutchess Coun...

Sandia Mountains, New Mexico

I’m home, but there is one more excursion to share. On my final morning, Jeanne and I drove up Sandia Mountain to view the changing of the aspens. The autumn colors in my part of the US (the northeast) is ablaze with a dozen shades of ...

Balloon Festival Glow: Albuquerque, New Mexico

The mass balloon ascension is the big draw for the festival, it’s what attracts the most people. But each evening there is a second event, the “glow.” Rather than heading into the skies, the balloons are tethered down. Lit from wit...

The Turquoise Trail, New Mexico

On my first trip to New Mexico, nearly fifty years ago, I explored the Turquoise Trail which connects Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The fifty-mile trail is named for the rich deposits of turquoise mined in the region. It meanders through the...

Balloon Festival — Albuquerque, New Mexico

The mass ascension of the balloons is scheduled to begin at sunrise. You need to get up incredibly early to drive to the fairgrounds, park, and find a good viewing spot. We were up and on the road by 3:30 AM. As we neared the area, traff...

Albuquerque, New Mexico

I’ve flown from the pancake flat land and water of Louisiana to the high mountainous desert of New Mexico. I’m here, staying with my friends Jeannie and Jack, for the balloon festival. Jeannie and Jack recently bought a new home with...

Lafitte, Louisiana

I’ve known about the pirate Jean Lafitte for many years and have recently been running into him along the gulf coast, first in Galveston Texas and now in Louisiana. Lafitte’s legacy is deeply intertwined with the lore of the area, wher...

Grand Isle, Louisiana

I left Breaux Bridge early yesterday morning for the 3-1/2-hour drive to Grand Isle, Louisiana. The terrain through the first part of the journey was familiar to me. Miles upon miles of sugar cane, which at this time of year is beginning...

Washington DC – Day 3

After my late night at the Kennedy Center, and without needing to walk Pookah, I slept in this morning. For me, that means until 7:30. By 11am I was at the National Mall, heading into the Hirshhorn Museum. It was the exhibit of the work ...

Washington DC – Day 4

Yesterday I explored a neighborhood I’d never been to before—NOMA. NOMA, north of Massachusetts Avenue, is actually about a mile north of Mass Ave. There’s a good reason I’d never visited there before, until about eight years ago...

Washington DC – Day 5

Yesterday was my final day in DC before returning home. One of the great things about the Smithsonian museums is that they are open seven days a week, year-round, except for Christmas and New Year’s Day. My first stop was at the Nation...

An Outing

Pookah is a homebody. He loves nothing more than a day when he goes for very quick walks and spends the rest of the time in the apartment. Yesterday was a gorgeous day and I decided we needed to spend time outside. It’s an easy drive t...

The Holidays are Here

This weekend will be filled with holiday events, even though it isn’t even Thanksgiving. On Friday, my destination was the NY Botanical Garden’s Train Show. I love the show and go every year. Apart from the trains, the highlights are...

Lantern Show

It was a warm, clear night. At 6:30 the sky was coal black with a perfect half-moon, ideal conditions for viewing the Lantern Show at the Queens Farm. The light show is enchanting if a bit helter-skelter. Large sculptures, beautifully cr...

Thanksgiving Prep

I arrived in Colorado yesterday to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with my cousins. We have been sharing Thanksgiving since I was a small child, and I can count on one hand the number of times we weren’t together. The preparations f...

More Thanksgiving Prep

In the morning we made cranberry sauce, worked on the stuffing, and various other bits and pieces. We bought wine for a huge crowd. Then, miraculously, we were ahead of schedule. It was a beautiful day, so we headed into Boulder for a st...

Louisiana – Day 1

My body doesn’t quite know what to make of my travels. Freezing cold, arid Colorado to moderately cold New York to balmy, humid Louisiana. I’ve managed to get a cold, fortunately not covid, and am soldiering through. I flew to New Or...

Louisiana – Day 2

A uniform steel gray sky wasn’t a good omen. But in New Orleans “laissez les bons temps rouler,” let the good times roll, is the rule. My day started the Vue Orleans. Perched on the top levels of the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans it�...

Louisiana – Day 3

Geaux Saints Geaux! A large part of yesterday was experiencing how New Orleanians participate in New Orleans Saints football games. The game was between the Saints and Detroit Lions at the Superdome. The first stop was a VIP tailgate par...

Louisiana – Day 4

After a kerfuffle with Budget car rental, I finally got a Rav4 and headed out of NOLA. I had a very specific destination in mind, the Abita Mystery House. I had visited it in 2001, when it was called the UCM museum, I loved the ingenuity...

Louisiana – Day 5

Yesterday was all about plantations along the Mississippi river. I woke up in a cottage on the property of Destrehan Plantation. Should you ever want to stay in this area, it’s a great place. Far larger than my apartment, the cabin is ...

Louisiana – Day 6

After five days of nearly continuous activity, today needed to be at a slower pace. I slept in, wrote and leisurely packed. Once I finally got moving, it was just over an hour drive to Louisiana’s capital, Baton Rouge (or Red Stick in ...

Louisiana — Day 8

After my quiet day, I was back to serious exploring. After breakfast at @MaisonMouton B&B in Lafayette I headed west towards Rayne. My friends wondered why I was going there. As Leo said, it’s not much more than a dot on the map. Rayne...

Louisiana – Day 10

I’m deep in Cajun country with my friends Liz and Leo. Liz and I set off to explore this morning. Our first stop was in Breaux Bridge for the zydeco breakfast at @https://www.buckandjohnnys.com. It’s held every Saturday morning. Peop...

Louisiana – Day 11

Today, Liz, Leo and I set off to explore the area south of Breaux Bridge. Along the way we passed truck after truck filled with just-harvested sugar cane. They were heading towards the processing plant. On this cold morning, I could see ...

Louisiana – Day 12 – final day

My friend Liz will be flying back with me to NY (she lives there part-time). We drove east to stay near the airport for our early morning flight. Along the way we made several stops. First was in Hammond to see the home of Charles Smith....

NYC in the Movies

While I was at the Museum of the City of New York yesterday, I wandered into an exhibit about movies shot in the city. Apart from the gingerbread houses, that was where most visitors gravitated. When I’m traveling and mention I’m a N...

London – Day 1

My friend Sue and I arrived in London on Wednesday morning after an uneventful, though totally packed, flight. After checking in at the hotel and miraculously being able to get into a room immediately, Sue and I set out for a walk and lu...

London – Day 2

My plans for the morning included taking a long walk to see holiday decorations and what is new since my last visit. I should have known better than to make plans. It was drizzling when I woke. Rather than the sky brightening, it became ...

London – Day 3

It didn’t rain today!!! It was cold and windy, and rain threatened but never came. But with the forecast for rain, I changed my plans from a walking tour of the street art of Brixton to visiting two of my favorite museums. My first des...

London – Day 4

This has been a whirlwind trip, cramming a lot into a brief time. Today our friend Jacqui took the train down from the Midlands to meet Sue and me. After catching up during a leisurely breakfast, we headed to the Tate Modern. The Tate Mo...

London – Day 5

I started the day off very slowly because I hadn’t slept well. Caffeine in my system, I had just about enough energy to board a bus to Selfridges on Oxford Street. In years past they’d had some wonderful holiday windows. This year mo...

London – Day 6

Five out of six days have been rainy, but that hasn’t dampened my spirits. London has too much to offer, inside or out, to make me feel gloomy. I walked from the hotel to Covent Garden with the intent of exploring the London Transport ...

London – Day 7

The weather on my final day in London convinced me it was time to go home. For the sixth day out of seven it was raining—not a drizzle but full-out drenching rain. Because my flight wasn’t until evening, I wanted to spend it producti...

Fabrics

I can neatly sew a button or hem, but beyond that I’m not fond of sewing. That’s probably because of a home ec class in middle school. The wrap-around skirt we sewed and were required to wear to class was less than flattering. Conseq...

Women Dressing Women

This morning I headed over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There were two shows I wanted to see: at the Fashion Institute, Women Dressing Women and in the Japanese Galleries, Anxiety and Hope. The fashion exhibit was interesting, but ...

Metropolitan Museum: Japanese Art Galleries

There’s a new exhibition at the museum, Anxiety and Hope. The art is from the 12th to the early 19th centuries. I was struck by a number of things in addition to the beauty of the work. Considering the age of many of the scrolls, they ...

Back to the Future—The Musical

Yesterday I went to see Back to the Future on Broadway with my nephew Scott, his wife Sherrie, and daughter Brianna. I’m always somewhat leery of seeing adaptations of movies into musicals, especially movies that I remember fondly. But...

Terence Blanchard

Until a few years ago I hadn’t been aware of Terence Blanchard. Then his opera, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, premiered at the Metropolitan Opera to rave reviews. Friends told me to see it, unfortunately I didn’t. But Blanchard’s name ...

Border Crossings

The NY Public Library for the Performing Arts is a gem located in Lincoln Center. Researchers from around the world head to their massive collections of theater, film, dance, music, and recorded sound materials. The public can also use t...

Manhatta

The building is now known as 28 Liberty. But the minute I saw it, I knew it was the old Chase Bank headquarters. It was a place I’d visited often; Chase was a client for many years. The building has since been sold. I never noticed or ...

Orchids in NYC

Yesterday, when it was gray, cold and windy I ventured north to the NY Botanical Garden for warmth and beauty, specifically to the Orchid Show. It is one of my favorite shows of the year, a riot of color, unusual varieties and fabulous p...

Orchids and more

I could easily write many posts about the orchids at this year’s show at the NY Botanical Garden. As I mentioned yesterday, I don’t like the theme of the show. But the individual specimens are glorious. As the orchid show had just op...

American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) NYC

On Saturday I visited the AMNH with my nephew, his wife and daughter. Brianna is in fifth grade and is studying the Aztec and Incas so she asked if we could go look at those exhibits. The museum is enormous and even though I visit it reg...

Quirky American Towns

I’ll be teaching a couple of classes this spring focusing on offbeat small towns that have some of the best the US has to offer – and almost no one knows about them. They’ve got fabulous art, architecture, music, history, scenery, ...

More Small Quirky American Towns

By the time I was nearing age fifty I’d traveled extensively around the globe—visiting every continent except Antarctica and all fifty states. However, I’d mostly been to large U.S. cities and a few national parks. It was time to s...

Even more quirky American towns

The abundance of off the beaten path but fascinating American towns is nearly endless. The more I explore, the greater my admiration for people who have transformed their hometowns into fun, beautiful places. What sets a town apart from ...

More Quirky American Towns (and more to come)

Columbus, Indiana is actually a city of 47,000. Not a town, but considering its small size, a mecca for world-renowned architecture. The American Institute of Architects ranked it sixth in the nation for architectural innovation and desi...

Quirky American Towns

I love the southwest for the scenery; the desert, cacti, vast expanses and endless sky are magnificent. But between the open spaces are slews of interesting towns. Here are just a few of my favorite towns in the southwest. Jerome, Arizon...

Quirky American Towns — West Coast

Cannon Beach in Oregon has a population of about 1,500. You don’t go there for the town, but for the beach, which is among the most beautiful on the west coast. When I first went there it was so foggy I couldn’t even see the famous H...

Hudson Valley

I decided I needed to get out of the city, even if only for a few days. So, I’m spending the weekend in Cold Spring. It’s a charming Hudson River town. And, in many ways fits in with my recent posts about quirky American towns. For m...

Beacon and Newburgh NY

This morning, I traveled a short way upriver to Beacon. When I was younger, I often hiked in the area. Just driving past reminded me of the difficulty of those trails, including the aptly named Breakneck Ridge trail. As I watched rain dr...

Heading South along the Hudson River

Yesterday I headed home after my brief stay in Cold Spring. Driving back there were hints of spring—daffodils, weeping willows swathed in pale green, buds ready to burst. But, for the most part, branches remained bare and there was a g...

Fort Tryon Park, New York City

Even though it’s not nearby and has hills, Fort Tryon Park holds the title of my favorite Manhattan park. Why? First, it is a ten-minute drive and has loads of free parking. Second, I’ve never seen it crowded, a rarity in the city. Thi...

Street Art Bushwick, Brooklyn

The last time I visited Bushwick to explore street art was during one of the worst parts of the pandemic. Streets were devoid of people but filled with fabulous art. This time, people swarmed the neighborhood. And, because marijuana is n...

Solar Eclipse (not quite total)

Thin wispy clouds scurried across the sky as if trying to get out of the way of the nearing astronomical event. I’d tried to get eclipse viewing glasses, but when I looked for them, they’d all been given away or sold. The doormen in ...

Whirligigs

Even if you think you’ve seen whirligigs, you’ve never seen anything like the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park in Wilson, North Carolina. I’m visiting my cousin in Raleigh, and we took a drive because she knew I’d love the park. Any...

North Carolina Museum of Art – Raleigh

Today my cousin and I went to see an exhibit at the NC Museum of Art: To Take Shape and Meaning – Form and Design in Contemporary American Indian Art. I’m fond of both traditional and contemporary Native American art and have seen a ...

Recycling

A growing trend is using recycled materials to create art. Think of the quilts created in Gee’s Bend with old clothes and fabric scraps. Scrap metal is a favorite of many artists, as are abandoned plastics and construction materials. C...

Seattle—Day 1

I’m in Seattle visiting a client, @Pacific Northwest Ballet. Last night, as their guest, I attended one of the best evenings of dance I’ve ever experienced. There were three pieces choreographed by women—Twyla Tharp, Jessica Lang, ...

Seattle Day 2

The day began watching a professional class at Pacific Northwest Ballet . While I’ve viewed many classes, the dancers never fail to impress me with their flexibility, grace, and athleticism. Seemingly effortlessly, they get into positi...

Seattle – Day 3

I was glad to have gone to the top of the Space Needle yesterday because today started cloudy and never cleared. It seemed a good day to do two of my favorite things in Seattle—go to art galleries and to the Pike Place markets to see t...

Seattle – Day 4

The prediction was for a gray, chilly day. Fortunately, the forecasters got it wrong. Today has been sunny, though a bit cool. I’ve truly lucked out weatherwise, something to be grateful for in Seattle. I met an old colleague and frien...

Super Bloom Road Trip — Day 1

Yesterday I flew south from Seattle to Ontario (just outside of Los Angeles). My friend Jeanne picked me up for a week’s adventure on the Pacific coast. She’s got a truck camper that gives us the freedom to meander and stay overnight in ...

Super Bloom Road Trip – Day 2

Today we meandered on back roads heading north. We had to stay away from the coast because the recent torrential rains caused devastating mudslides. Many of the roads remain closed while crews make repairs. Even inland we saw evidence of...

Super Bloom Road Trip – Day 3

Still driving inland because many sections of the coast road remain closed due to the recent flooding, we continued to make our way north. Rather than head quickly on the freeway to the coast and towns we’d both been in, we decided to ...

Super Bloom Road Trip – Day 4

As is often the case on the California coast, the morning was overcast and misty—very mysterious looking. We continued our journey north, stopping frequently to admire the view and take short walks. It was so windy, short walks were th...

Super Bloom Road Trip – Day 5

Today was our first day of remaining within a small area. We drove to Freestone, a short distance from Bodega Bay. Our first stop was at Wildflour for breakfast. When we arrived the queue to buy loaves of bread, scones, cookies, and coff...

Super Bloom Road Trip – Day 6

Today was a day trip north from Bodega Bay, up Highway 1 – the Pacific Coast Highway through Sonoma County. It was a perfect day—clear, blue skies with visibility for miles. Because it is early in the season, there wasn’t much traf...

Super Bloom Road Trip – Day 7

The end of this trip is closing in. Today we headed back to San Francisco, my last chance to savor the gorgeous flowers, epic vistas of coastline and verdant rolling hills as well as more seal sightings. Route 1 heading south from Bodega...

Museum of Asian Art, San Francisco

On my final day in California, I visited with several friends. Michael is a volunteer at the Museum of Asian Art and suggested I meet him there. The current exhibit, he said, is a knockout. The show, Phoenix Kingdoms, displays recent bro...

Baskets

While at the Asian Museum of Art in San Francisco I visited an exhibit of Japanese bamboo baskets. Many years ago, I tried my hand at basket weaving. A simple basket isn’t difficult but once you get past the basics creating a beautiful...

Netsuke

One last entry from exhibitions at the Museum of Asian Arts in San Francisco. Netsuke have always fascinated me. The small, intricate carvings, often in bone, ivory or wood, originally served a practical purpose. They were used as part o...

Galveston Texas – Day One

I’m in Texas attending the #NATJA (North American Travel Journalist Association) conference. #visitgalveston Galveston is an island in the Gulf of Mexico, about an hour from Houston. The last time I was here was decades ago, prior to H...

Galveston, Texas – Day 2

Galveston, Texas – Day 2 If I were going to sum up the day three words would suffice—history, art, and food. The first two conference speakers talked about Galveston’s history, from it’s earliest native Americans to the present d...

Galveston – Day 3

In the morning, I met with representatives from the DMOs (Destination Marketing Organizations). They gave me lots of great ideas for trips I hadn’t even considered and I’m now thinking of how to fit them into my 2025 travel schedule ...

Houston, Texas – Day 1

The conference ended last night, but I decided to spend an extra day in Houston. My friend Ann lives here, and I hadn’t seen her in a while. Getting to Houston from Galveston was interesting. Last night there were massive thunderstorms...

Houston Day 2

My penultimate day in Texas focused on the art of Kehinde Wiley at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. On my final day, I hunted down lesser-known artists showing their work in alternative spaces. Sawyer Yards was my first stop. I’d read...

Bilbao, Spain – Day 1

I arrived at my hotel at midday. With only about 3 hours sleep in 36 hours, a nap was a necessity, then it was out to explore, even though I remained a bit groggy. As it turns out, my hotel is in the central shopping area and close to th...

Bilbao, Spain – Day 2, Part 1 – The Guggenheim Museum

Bilbao, Spain – Day 2, Part 1 – The Guggenheim Museum Today needs to be split into a couple of entries, because there is just too much for a single entry. I spent many hours at the Guggenheim Museum, it was the major reason I wanted ...

Bilbao, Day 2 — Part 2 – Soccer and the Old Town

Today is a big day for soccer in Bilbao — the 2024 UEFA Women’s Champions League final is being held at San Mamés Stadium. The tram into town was jammed with fans wearing team gear, singing chants and ready for a good time. When I walke...

Spain – Day 3

Well, not really Spain, I spent a large part of the day in France. Whenever I think of Basque culture, I’d only ever heard of it in conjunction with Spain. The tour I took today taught me otherwise—parts of France are considered Basq...

San Sebastian, Spain — Day 1

This morning, I wondered if I would get from Bilbao to San Sebastian, at least as planned. It was one of those, if it can go wrong, it will days. The bus was scheduled to depart at 11 am. From the hotel to the bus terminal, the trip is s...

San Sebastian, Spain – Day 2

Today was the unofficial start of the conference. For those of us who arrived early, we had a choice of activities, like a city tour, rowing in the bay, a boat trip along the Basque coast, surfing, hiking, and the one I selected “cooki...

San Sebastian, Spain – Day 3 – part one

The official start of the conference is tonight, with what sounds like a lot of surprises for us. But before then. I took another pre-conference tour. This one was largely outside in lush, green sites. The weather cooperated, warm but no...

San Sebastian, Spain – Day 3, Part 2

After the tour was over yesterday I had just enough time to return to the apartment, relax for a few minutes and then head out to the first “official” event of the conference. We took buses to a town just outside of San Sebastian to ...

Amsterdam, Netherlands—Day One

Some of you may have noticed that I didn’t post anything for a couple of days, which is unusual for me. The first omission was because the conference I was attending so occupied me, there simply wasn’t time. Yesterday I took an early...

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Day 2

I seem to have shaken the worst of my cold, so today was a packed day. After an early breakfast, I went out for a walk, heading vaguely in the direction of the Central Station. Within minutes I found myself at the flower market, a long l...

Amsterdam – Day three

Yesterday was my final morning in Amsterdam before flying home. The friendly desk clerk at my hotel (the @NesHotel) helped me come up with a plan. He suggested that I walk over to the Oude Kerk. But, he cautioned, “go now. You have to ...

Roof lines

While traveling in Spain and the Netherlands I couldn’t help but notice the two countries differing architectural styles. In both San Sebastian and Amsterdam older, traditional buildings showcased their approach to ornamentation and, i...

Embellishment

Yesterday I showed rooflines; today I’m focusing on architectural embellishment. While I didn’t have a preference for the rooflines in San Sebastian or Amsterdam, Amsterdam wins hands down for embellishment. Dutch merchants wanted to...

Athens, Greece – Day 2

The first time I visited Athens, in 1996, the Parthenon thrilled me, as did the Plaka, the statuary, and the overall vibe. The next time I visited, my enthusiasm had waned. Athens looked dirty, was hotter than hell on a bad day, the sky ...

On Board the Oceania Vista

Early this afternoon I arrived at the port of Piraeus (Greece) to board the Oceania Vista. The size of the ship surprised me, though it shouldn’t have. My stateroom is on the tenth deck and there are six decks above me. The ship can ac...

Santorini

Last night I slept better than I have in many nights—the gentle sound of the ship’s engines lulled me deep into dreamland. When I woke, we’d dropped anchor in Santorini, part of the Cycladic group of Greek islands. Santorini is a b...

Antalya, Turkey

This morning the ship docked at Antalya, the first port of call in Turkey. I haven’t been in Turkey since 1997, and when I visited, I never made it to Antalya. I’d been hoping to visit some of the historic sites, but the excursion de...

Bodrum, Türkiye

I’ve been told that Bodrum is the playground of wealthy Turks, Greeks, and other Europeans. Judging by the yachts in the area, it must be true. However, I never made it into Bodrum, just viewed it from the water. I took a tour on a “...

Kusadasi / Ephesus – Türkiye

In 1998 I came to Türkiye with two friends. After spending a few days in Istanbul, we rented a car and drove around the coastline. One of the most memorable places was Ephesus. While I’ve been to many ruins, few give the same feeling ...

Istanbul