I’ve always had a thing for Napoleon Bonaparte. After all, he was a pretty amazing guy. In addition to his military exploits, he oversaw the centralization of the French government, established the Bank of France, got the French people to accept the metric system (something I doubt even Barack Obama could do in the United States), reformed the law (the Napoleonic Code still forms the basis of legal process in a quarter of the world), and … [Read more...]
The Caves of Chattanooga
When I tell Lilia that we are going to view bats, she is scared at first. She knows bats only from horror movies and vampire stories in her favorite manga. All the same, she is willing to go. My concerns, as usual, are about accessibility. My daughter is deaf and uses a wheelchair. We are in the United States on our first mother-daughter trip. My husband and son are back home in Japan, busy with work, and summer school, and baseball practice. … [Read more...]
What you’re missing while looking for the Big Five
When animal spotting on safari, people tend to get obsessed with the Big Five game, as though they matter above all else. I’m not going to stand here and talk down the beauty of the lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros, but I will say our admiration for the Big Five can distract us from the other equally wondrous creatures in our midst. So let’s imagine you’re on a luxury African safari with the view to collecting all five of the … [Read more...]
Finding Inspiration Among the Redwoods
“The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always...from them comes silence and awe. The most irreverent of men, in the presence of redwoods, goes under a spell of wonder and respect.” - John Steinbeck As we drive along the Redwood Highway, I am reminded why so many great writers, the likes of Steinbeck and Muir, found their voices in the forests of Northern California. The story tellers that came before … [Read more...]
A Visit to Munich Germany
I made it to Munich in one piece! Let's just say that's thanks in part to the complimentary wine and liberal alcohol laws on my flight. After getting my luggage, I met my German host family that I'll be staying with for the next two weeks - Hans und Gaby. Gaby was holding one of those signs with my name on it, I felt like I was powerful or something. About fifteen seconds after meeting, they shepherded me to the nearest Biergarten, which … [Read more...]
Eureka Springs Revisited
In early November, I spent two serendipitous days in the tiny resort town of Eureka Springs, located in the Ozarks, at the edge of Arkansas. I had accepted an invitation from a friend in the American Midwest to join her on her ranch in Kansas, and she was taking me on a road trip. Since we would be riding through Missouri, I asked if I might see something connected with Mark Twain. “Hannibal is on the other side of the state.” I was mildly … [Read more...]
Onward And Upward To Machu Pichu – Part 1
My heart kept beating like a tom-tom drum feverishly signaling an imminent enemy attack. It kept racing, and thudding, and pounding – not allowing me to get a wink of sleep. I recognized the symptoms. I knew what was happening. I had tried to prepare myself for it. It was oxygen deprivation, and it could lead to altitude sickness. Although I wasn’t in any immediate danger of becoming stricken with the illness, I knew that I was … [Read more...]
Learning to Fly at the End of the World: Travels Down the Yucatan Peninsula
A second huge palm frond hits my left shoulder, catching a little of my face this time. It smacks the woman behind me dead on. She squeals and leans down to her daughter, placing the girl’s little hand on the offended cheek. The salsa pounds and the colored flashing lights pulsate to the beat of the blaring music. The top of the bus sways as we follow the curve on this part of the Bahia Boulevard, a beachfront drive that snakes down the peninsula … [Read more...]
National Aquarium, Baltimore new Blacktip Reef Exhibit to Open
Get Face-to-“Toothy” Face with Blacktip Reef Sharks in 260,000-Gallon Coral Reef Ecosystem BALTIMORE (March 25, 2013) – National Aquarium visitors will get up close and personal with blacktip reef sharks, stingrays, a giant green sea turtle and other marine life, as well as the vibrant light, color and activity of an entire coral reef ecosystem when the highly anticipated Blacktip Reef exhibit opens its “jaws” in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on … [Read more...]
Charleston offers great boomer getaway
There is so much to see and do in Charleston that it’s hard to squeeze so much fun into a four day weekend, but this baby-boomer decided to try! The four of us girls flew to Charleston on an early Thursday morning flight and took the last departure out on Sunday evening packing in as many delightful activities as possible while still leaving down time to enjoy each other’s company and share stories of previous travels. This was my … [Read more...]
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