Friday dawned, and our week on Kauai was coming to an end. Friday was one of those difficult vacation days. We had to be out of our condo by 11:00 am, but our flight was not leaving until 10:00 pm, a red eye back to Seattle. We would have our luggage with us and not really be able to change clothes easily to prepare for our flight. How could we make the best of this final day? Of course the…
Continue Reading “Saying Good-bye to the Garden Island, Kauai”
Thursday we were ready to travel north again to Hanalei. After being thwarted on Tuesday, we now knew when the highway would be open. We had everything timed out, and we were ready to go. Our first stop of the day was the Na ‘Aina Kai Botanical Gardens (Lands by the Sea). Like many gardens, this one began as a private garden. Joyce and Ed Doty moved to Kauai in the late 1970’s and began to create a garden. As…
Continue Reading “Enjoying a Garden, a Lighthouse, and Hanalei Beach”
Tuesday we were ready for a new adventure. This was the first time we were going in the opposite direction around the island. The plan was to head over to a popular surfing town and stop and see some sights along the way. Everything seemed great until we encountered a literal roadblock. Just a few mile before we were to reach Hanalei, our destination, the road was closed. Apparently part of the road had collapsed in previous months’ storms, and…
After hiking along the Kauai coastline on Sunday, we were ready on Monday to visit two of Kauai’s state parks, Waimea Canyon and Kokee State Park. I had done some research on the parks, but apparently failed to understand what I had read. When my daughter pulled out of the parking lot, I was sure she was going in the wrong direction. Of course I was wrong. It’s a good thing she was driving. I also thought the two parks…
Continue Reading “Kauai’s Foggy Mountain High to Waimea Canyon Low”
We arrived in Kauai on a Saturday afternoon. We spent the rest of the day getting settled and checking out the resort we were staying in. The resort was right on the beach, but it also had a nice pool area with a lazy river and a number of hot tubs. It was a great place to relax. Surrounding the pool were a lot of hibiscus bushes, and they were putting on quite a show. The colors were really beautiful.…
Continue Reading “Kauai Travels: A Waterfall and Cliffs to Explore”
In 2017 we spent my spring break in Switzerland. Switzerland had never been at the top of our bucket list of places to visit, however the airfare was compelling. We found a bargain price to Zurich and decided to go for it. What we didn’t realize at the time was Zurich is the most expensive city in Europe. Perhaps it was not as much of a bargain as we originally thought. While we did spend time exploring Zurich, we went…
Continue Reading “Revealing The Walls of Two Cities in Switzerland”
Travelers enjoy many experiences when they tour the world depending on their interests. Once one visits the major tourist sites, what else is there to do? Foodies will seek out well known restaurants or perhaps look for a cooking class. History buffs may head to the nearest museum, and nature lovers will find the local public garden. But have you ever considered touring the local college or university? These places of higher education often have much to offer that can…
Continue Reading “Get Smart: Tour a Scholarly New England University”
As we are nearing the end of the Lenten season, I thought it would be appropriate to share about one of the more interesting religious sites that we have visited. When we visit major cities, we often look for opportunities to take day trips out into the surrounding area. When we visited Barcelona, we took a trip out to a well known monastery, Montserrat. The Montserrat Mountains near Barcelona give their name to the monastery built into its side. The…
Continue Reading “A Monastery in the Sky, Montserrat, Spain”
For Americans traveling overseas for the first time, a great place to begin is a visit to Ireland, and a visit to Ireland is not complete without a visit to the Cliffs of Moher. Our visit there in 2015 is one of our great memories from our Ireland trip. Before we talk about the cliffs, let’s talk about Ireland itself. Ireland is a great country to go for one’s first overseas travel for a number of reasons. First they speak…
Continue Reading “Visiting Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher and More”
Architects bring their own ideas and significance to the work they do. Some have gone on to have a major influence in the cities they worked in. Such is true of Antoni Gaudí, a remarkable architect who had a significant influence in Barcelona. To visit Barcelona requires that one experience the works of Gaudí. They are among the city’s most popular attractions. Born in 1852, Gaudí began to study architecture in Barcelona at the age of 18. He was influenced…
Continue Reading “Gaudí: the Man Who Changed the Skyline of Barcelona”
