A Hike and a Waterfall in Snoqualmie, Washington

A natural site one can count on to attract a crowd is a waterfall. My daughter Andrea is particularly fond of searching out waterfalls which we did on our trip to Iceland. There are many waterfalls in the northwest, but if you are looking for one that is easy to get to from Seattle, then Snoqualmie Falls is the one to check out. On a clear, beautiful day in March we decided to drive up to see the falls. First,…

Dash Point State Park: From the Beach to the Forest

A beautiful, sunny day in February is a great opportunity to do some exploring. On such a Saturday we decided to travel down to Federal Way and explore Dash Point State Park. Washington state has over 100 state parks so there are a number of locations to see, and we have only visited a few of them. It was time to explore more. Dash Point is on Puget Sound in Federal Way. We took the 320th St. exit off I-5…

40th Birthday Trip to Budapest and Prague With My Parents

My mom has always mentioned that she would love to see the Christmas markets in Europe. Given I’m still making up for missed trips due to COVID, I suggested that we make the journey to Europe this year to see some Christmas markets. My dad suggested Budapest and Prague. Of course perhaps I also wanted to go because I was turning 40 and felt like I deserved a special trip for my birthday. Ten years prior, for my 30th, I…

Prague: From the 70s to the Jewish Quarters

Saturday was our final day in Prague. Unfortunately Silvette was not feeling well. She had a bad cold and decided it would be best to stay at the hotel and rest. Andrea and I then took off to take in our final experiences in the city. It didn’t all go as well as we had hoped. Our first stop for the day was a place I had discovered online. It was the Retro Museum. Prague seems to have a museum…

Spending a Day in Prague’s Castle Complex

A visit to Prague requires one to visit the castle complex. I say complex as this is a large area with a number of buildings and things to see. The complex is easily visible as it looks down over the Vltava River and the Charles Bridge. Today was our day to explore this significant part of Prague. First one has to make it up the hill. We weren’t exactly sure how to get up to the castle, but we figured…

Prague’s Charles Bridge and Christmas Markets

When we visited Budapest, we walked everywhere. Our hotel was near enough to the city center that we could walk there in about fifteen minutes. Such was not the case in Prague. We had a very nice hotel, but it was some distance from the city center so we took a light rail back and forth every day. Fortunately for us, seniors over 65 ride the light rail for free so only Andrea had to pay. Payments were made on…

A Morning in Budapest then a Train to Prague

Wednesday was our last day in Budapest. We would be leaving by train for Prague in the afternoon. We should have had another full day here, but as happens too often, I managed to be confused about the dates when I made the reservations. Since Andrea had been to Budapest before, she was more excited about visiting Prague so it worked out. Our train to Prague wasn’t leaving until 3:30 so we still had time to take in more of…

More of Budapest and an Evening Cruise on The Danube

Since we had only one full day in Budapest, it meant we had a lot to see in that day. Having visited the Fisherman’s Bastion the previous night and our first Christmas market on this day, Boxing Day, it was time to find the second Christmas market we planned to visit. We knew it was close by, but we were having a little challenge finding it. However, getting lost only allows one to explore the area even more, and we…

A Christmas Market in Budapest and More

One of the things Silvette wanted to do was visit the European Christmas markets. The most famous markets are in Germany, but the German markets finish on Christmas Eve. This year was Andrea’s 40th birthday on December 26, and when she heard we were thinking of going to the markets, she wanted to go with us. Unfortunately, as a teacher she was not able to go until about the 21st which would be an expensive time to fly. After some…

Amazon Spheres, Seattle’s Unique Architectural Wonder

A picture with Seattle’s Space Needle easily identifies it as being a photo of Seattle. Another unique architectural feature in Seattle was completed in March of 2016, the Amazon Spheres. While it was not completed on the inside for almost two more years, the Spheres have become another recognizable symbol of Seattle and is worth visiting. A trip to the top of the Space Needle will set one back as much as $37.50 per person. However, a visit to the…