There are plenty of great restaurants in Las Vegas to try out during your upcoming trip, but filling up at one of the many Las Vegas hotel buffets is worth at least one meal! Actually, you might as well count that meal as “two,” since we know you won’t be calling it quits after the first plate. It’s all about indulging yourself in Las Vegas Hotels so save the guilt for the plane ride home! Las Vegas buffets are ideal for groups that can’t seem … [Read more...]
The Catch of the Day: A Guide to Fishing in Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is one of the biggest lakes in the world (the 26th largest lake by volume) and by far the largest alpine lake in all of North America. With such a large amount of water in (and around) Lake Tahoe, there are plenty of opportunities for a good catch. Lake Tahoe is known for her crystal clear waters, and the fish that these waters entail. You’ll find mackinaw, kokanee salmon, rainbow and brown trout and largemouth bass to name a few. … [Read more...]
Dalian China Greetings
Greetings from Dalian China. This and the last city we visited of Shenyang would EACH be the second largest city in all of the USA! Here is a stat to chew on that I read in the latest issue of Conde Naste Traveler, not sure if its true or not, but it read something like this, "China has 370 cities with populations of between 1 and 5 million, the United States has eight - nineteen China cities have populations of more than 10 million - more than … [Read more...]
Travelling in Prague on a Budget
Why go to Prague? The capital city of the Czech Republic is one of the most picturesque places in all of Europe – with its ancient history and diverse and mixed architectural styles. Prague is not only a sophisticated and calm city, but also extremely hospitable. Delicious Czech food, breathtaking historical monuments, old churches and galleries, traditional architecture – Prague has it all and the city cannot wait to share it with you. … [Read more...]
Final Thoughts on Palau
It was like pulling teeth to leave this amazing place. Now it is just a dream - a dream of sadness at being back yet a dream still tinged with those amazing turquoise waters - that are in front of me whenever I close my eyes. I cannot sleep. I stay awake and write about Palau and this remarkable trip. I gorged myself silly on sashimi the last few days - both from fish that I caught and that my home-stay hosts caught. Peleliu Island has … [Read more...]
Paradise in Palau – Kayangel
The word "paradise" is truly defined by Palau's northern most state of Kayangel, which is composed of merely four small atoll islands. Total population: under 100. Total "wow" factor: 100+ percent. It is places like this that you only read about in travel magazines or see on TV - and when you find yourself in one of these places (such as Kayangel), you have to pinch yourself to make sure its not a dream. It's easy to get 'high' here - perhaps … [Read more...]
Kayangel, Northern Palau
Today we visited Kayangel - the northernmost coral atoll island in all of Palau. The scenery here is much different than the rock islands to the south - yet just as stunningly beautiful. We went line fishing for an hour and almost every time we dropped the line we pulled it back up with a fish on the other end. We caught White snapper, grouper, a long fish the locals called a "marijuana fish" and other colorful fish. We dropped anchor on a … [Read more...]
Tuscan Delights
When I first married into a Tuscan family, I was stunned at the sheer number of butcher shops that stood under the elegant porticos in Greve-in-Chianti's gracious piazza. This tiny town in the middle of the Chianti Classico wine country has a score of butchers, many more than I would have thought could possibly earn a livelihood from the miniscule population. Americans may be known for consuming large quantities of beef, but Tuscans are … [Read more...]
Visiting Narita and Tokyo
Narita Airport is a major hub airport for both Japan and all of the Asian Pacific rim. Hundreds of flights arrive and depart daily. We have flown here a number of times and on long layovers enjoy visiting both nearby Narita and the Tokyo metropolitan region. The airport itself has two major terminals (1 and 2) and a bus provides transportation between each one. The airport is modern, has free WiFi in a number of selected WiFi stations and for … [Read more...]
Peach Cigarettes in Tokyo
The first time I ever smoked a peach cigarette, I was wearing a dinosaur suit and sitting on my friend's balcony in a Tokyo suburb. My friend had a dinosaur suit because he'd gone to a fancy dress party the week before, and I was wearing it because I was cold and it was made of fleece. I'd never been much of a smoker, but the vending machine sold dozens of different flavours and what was the point of traveling halfway around the world if I wasn't … [Read more...]