This was enormously difficult for me. First of all, choosing a top five is never easy. Ranking was totally out of the question! And then condensing days and days of vivid and rich experiences into a little summarized blurb was near impossible. I could go on and on but here are 5 of my fondest travel experiences. Montezuma, Costa Rica Body-surfed for breakfast after having watched the spectacular sunrise through my tattered tent door then … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Farmers Markets
There are well over 100 farmers' markets in Los Angeles County. We have visited 40+ farmers markets as listed below - and to date, two have earned our 'top choice' award; the Hollywood Farmers' Market every Sunday and the South Pasadena Farmers' Market on Thursday. We also list select farmers' markets in Orange County. When visiting a market for the first time, it is always a good idea to: 1. walk as much of the market as possible, … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Annual Events
The following are annual events held in greater Los Angeles. If you know of an *annual* event not listed below please email dave to have it added. Additional daily events are listed here: www.laweekly.com/calendar LA Event Calendar January - Rose Parade (Pasadena) - Golden Dragon Parade (Los Angeles) - LA Times Travel Show (Los Angeles) February - Academy Awards (Hollywood) - Golden Dragon Parade (Los Angeles) March - … [Read more...]
Huaraz, Peru – Day Trips & Activities
As the gateway to this part of the Andes, most travelers will make travel arrangements through a variety of tour operators headquartered in Huaraz. It is helpful to communicate with agencies in advance of your trip - but we have found that trips can often be arranged last minute. Regardless, shop around, services and prices vary between each company. We have been to or participated in the following area activities. Read on! Bike Riding A … [Read more...]
Peru Expedition Part 1 6/20/01 – 7/15/01
Wed. 6/20/01 My sister Patty drove me to the San Luis Obispo airport, as she has done on many previous trips; and I left SLO at 10:36 am, arriving in LAX at 11:45 am. There I joined several other fellow climbers and trekkers (including my son Kevin and his friend Deborah) who had arrived from other cities. Leaving LAX at 2:10 pm, we arrived in Lima, Peru at 12:40 am on 6/21 after an 8.5 hour flight and adjusted our watches for the 2-hour time … [Read more...]
Going Home
A traveler from Singapore finds his country's colorful past in present-day Kuala Lumpur. It's 9.50pm in Kuala Lumpur. Our 'time-travel machine' is here to take us home to 2003 Singapore. And for once, the KTM railway train arrived on the dot. 36 hours ago, we were standing at the tail of a long queue snaking from the departure gate to the main entrance of the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in Singapore. The gate opened slightly after … [Read more...]
Huaraz, Peru – Restaurants
Dave has eaten at all of the restaurants listed below. More restaurants will be added here during future climbing trips. Cafe Turmanye is owned by Finnish and Spanish missionaries with proceeds from the cafe funding local missionary work. This cafe opened in early summer 2008. Several couches make this a nice place to relax during your breakfast and lunch. Good fruit juices and simple food items. This cafe is just down the hill on the left … [Read more...]
Death Valley, CA – Accomodation
CAMPING Death Valley National Park features a variety of campgrounds, some quite large like the 1000+ Sunset campground near Furnace creek (only open in the winter months), to just a few camp spaces. Many campgrounds close for the summer season - approximately mid April through mid October. For the campgrounds that do stay open in the summer months, often the prices will be cheaper. We have often found campgrounds closed in the park due to … [Read more...]
Arequipa, Peru
Arequipa is often referred to as the white city due to the white washed look of its buildings (made from sillar, the Spanish name for the volcanic white rock mined from local quarries). The city is located at about 8,300 feet in southern Peru and is surrounded by tall mountains and the prominent volcano, El Misti. However, it is only a couple of hours from the ocean by vehicle. The weather is dry, crisp and clear with pleasant days and cool … [Read more...]
Arequipa, Peru – Colca Canyon
For those who are in decent shape, a trek in Colca Canyon is one of the highlights of visiting Arequipa. Choose from a variety of trekking itineraries ranging from 1 to 2 to 3+ days. The actual canyon is about 4-5 hours by bus from Arequipa (depending on which trailhead you use). We do not recommend doing this as a day trip - as the distances are to great, with very limited time at the canyon and extremely early departure and late arrival times. … [Read more...]