Traveling to Japan during this time of year puts you into the heart of Cherry Blossom Season, an annual occurrence throughout the islands. Recently, I traveled from East to West Japan and back again and saw some beautiful samples of the flowering cherry trees, aka Sakura, throughout Japan. Their significance is threefold: (1) they signal […]
Legends from the old Wild West of America — outlaws, marshals, wooden wagons, Tombstone, Boot Hill — still are evident in the Southwestern United States. Many museums, roadside attractions, and small town businesses play with this enduring fascination. Links with the old west and Gold Rush days are still strong. In today’s video, you will […]
As tomorrow is the first day of Spring, (March 19, 2024,) it is a good time to relish some of the flowering joys of this season. There once was a hamlet, a small California Gold Country town in the Sierra Nevada foothills, called Volcano, where a beautiful flower show sprang every spring in a place […]
One of the U.S.A.’s newest National Monuments is Gold Butte, close to the city of Mesquite in southeast Nevada, alongside the Utah/Arizona border. As one of President Obama’s last actions in office, 300,000 acres of the Mojave Desert were declared a National Monument under the Antiquities Act in 2016. (National Monuments are similar to National […]
For a final destination in Australia, (this time,) I travelled to the Great Barrier Reef. The easiest way to see the Reef, and dive or snorkel there, is by boat from Cairns and Port Douglas. Or, as I did, you can hop aboard a fast, rubber Zodiac boat from the beach off the coast of […]
In Australia, most of the land developments are on the coastlines. Well, that is true anywhere in the world – the biggest population centers are on or near a coastline. Perhaps it is the human affinity with water. the more temperate climate near a coast, or just that they like the look and sound of […]
The title of this post plays on the pronunciation of the city name “Cairns” in the tropical northeast part of Australia. It sounds like “can,” and if you enjoy this post, someday you Cairns go there! My favorite site in Cairns is the display of beautifully stained-glass windows at St. Monicas War Memorial Cathedral. Also, […]
During my trip last year, one of the museums I visited in Sydney, Australia, was the Hyde Park Barracks. It is located conveniently downtown, and it is free. This type of museum, in which a historical place has been converted into a museum with items of its era, can be just as intriguing as a […]
As we continued on in our travels in Melbourne, Australia, modern architecture became one of the most striking sights encountered. Of course, we discovered historical cottages and public buildings in Melbourne as well. But, the juxtaposition of these different styles brings forth the vitality of this country in a good way. Although you may prefer […]
Wherever I travel, I like to view the local art scene. If it be at a museum, an art gallery, or even on a wall, (sometimes,) I take in as much art as I can as part of my travel “sightseeing.” As an enlightening experience, I better understand a culture, a history, and what makes […]