Tulip Time at the Netherland’s Keukenhof Gardens

Tuesday it was time to leave Belgium and head to Amsterdam for the main purpose of our journey, seeing the famous Dutch tulips in the Keukenhof Gardens. However, first we had to get there. We traveled by train. We planned a route that was to have two transfers of trains. Of course things happen. As our first train headed towards Antwerp, it was delayed a few stops before Antwerp. We didn’t know why as we couldn’t understand the explanation. Then…

Climate Pledge Arena: Seattle’s Newest Wonder

On a recent newscast in the Seattle area, the newscaster referred to the newly opened Climate Pledge Arena as Seattle’s newest wonder. While I don’t normally think of sports arenas as wonders, I thought it was an interesting comment on this renewed arena. Seattle has had a football field, a baseball field, and now is excited to have a hockey and basketball arena. The opening of Climate Pledge Arena has been a big deal for the city of Seattle. For…

Finding Autumn Colors in Seattle

Seattle is not considered a destination place for autumn colors. Leaf peeping is well known in the New England states, and some places in the Rockies have their fans. Sadly, the Pacific Northwest is rarely on lists of fall destinations for colors. However, if you know where to go, Seattle can offer some wonderful autumn color gems. One of the important things to note about the Seattle area is the influence of the Japanese gardens. It is within these gardens…

Gardens to Visit In and Near Seattle

The state of Washington’s nickname is the Evergreen State. Many people think it rains here all the time. That’s not really true. We don’t have a lot of heavy rains, but many gray days with a light rain. Summers, however, can be quite beautiful and warm. In fact this is a perfect climate to grow many wonderful plants, and gardening is a popular activity in the Puget Sound region. Garden enthusiasts can find a number of gardens in the Seattle…

Exploring Angel Island

While visiting my daughter in San Jose, she decided we needed to explore Angel Island in San Francisco Bay. She and a friend had ridden bikes around the island and enjoyed it. She thought it would be fun for my wife and me to explore it as well. To get to the island was a journey in itself. We had to drive about a half hour north to catch the BART light rail system. After a half hour ride, we…