Category — Events + Sights

I’m heading out to Mexico tomorrow, but before I go, I wanted to share these photos. On a trip to Park City last month, I found I was in a prime position to capture some incredible views from my little airplane window on both the outbound and inbound flights. I have flown in and out of SFO probably hundreds of times, but the approach on my return flight is one I have literally never experienced, and made for some neat photos of my favorite city. We flew in from the northeast, over Marin or Sonoma county, then looped back down on the western (Pacific Ocean) side of the Golden Gate Bridge. It made for some stunning views of all of the major bridges and a clear outline of the city’s distinctive 49 mile peninsula.

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Kamakura is a small, peaceful beach town about an hour (by train) outside of Tokyo. It was the political capital of Japan for a couple of hundred years, but that ended in 1333; still, the town is rife with beautiful temples and Shinto shrines, some with hundreds or thousands of clay figures used as funerary offerings.

Kamakura is also home to the Great Buddha, which is known as the Daibutsu. It’s the second largest Buddha in Japan and is thought to have been cast in bronze sometime during the mid-1200s.

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A few years ago I had one of the most incredible travel experiences I have had so far – two days of tracking the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. I am probably not skilled enough as a writer to describe how moving and unbelievable the experience was, but I will try.

I’m not sure why it has taken me so long to write about this, but it might have something to do with the fact that I have hundreds of gorilla photos to wade through, and when they are this cute – it’s hard to choose which ones to share.

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What could be better than spending the day with dozens of sweet, energetic dogs pulling sleds through the snow? In a word, nothing. Sure, it’s cold and snowy, but the exhiliration of guiding your own eight-dog team takes care of that quite nicely. A major plus of this experience is that I got to spend a little time in the picture-perfect Old West town of Livingston – a treat whether you’re hanging out with huskies or just on your own. 

I arranged my dog sledding experience through the funky and fabulous Chico Hot Springs Resort. Rumor has it that Teddy Roosevelt once stayed there, too. 

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I am guessing you have never heard of Matera, a city in the far south of Italy. Despite its incredibly unique and beautiful architecture and its fascinating history, it doesn’t even make it into most Italy travel guides.  Truth be told, I had never heard of it until I saw an obscure article about a hotel housed in old cave dwellings. I put it on my mental bucket list and found myself thinking about it from time to time. When a family trip to Italy was in the works, I knew I wanted to make a special trip to check it out in person.

It is stunning.

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When cold winter is at its worst, I try to recall the sultry, summery days and nights in Taormina, Sicily – one of the most picturesque, fun, and delicious beach towns in the whole world. Oh, and there are some pretty incredible ancient ruins right in town, too. 

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Every year on Memorial Day, there is a huge Floating Lantern Festival at Ala Moana Park in Honolulu. People make paper lanterns to commemorate loved ones who have passed away, and at sunset they light a candle with each lantern and set them into the ocean. It is a moving experience that is aesthetically and emotionally very beautiful. For more information, check this website. You can find more of my Oahu and Honolulu recommendations here. 

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Handsome devils, aren’t they? And the setting ain’t too shabby, either. This is your ten second vacation for today! And if you like these pictures, you can see a couple more posts about Egypt here and here.

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It’s Monday morning – so if you’re like me, you might need a 10 second vacation to chase the blahs away. Today, I offer you some scenes from the hot, steamy, sunny, shadowy walled city in Cartagena Colombia. Enjoy!

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Last month, I hit up Thailand for a quick trip on the way to and from Bhutan. I had been forewarned that Bangkok was a big, messy, dirty place, but once I got a little beneath the surface, I found there was a lot to love about it. Here are eight fun things I recommend you try if you find yourself in Bangkok!

Eight Fun Things to Do in Bangkok

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