When you next head to Northern California and want a wine tasting day, the options are enormous: you can jump the Napa Wine Train for lunch and stops at local vineyards near the tracks; ride your bike on a car free trail up to the charming town of Yountville with stops for tasting en Continue Reading »
We passed lots of legal recreational marijuana dispensaries on the way up to Rocky Mountain National Park. The business names were fun: “Bud Depot”, “Ganja Gourmet”, “House of Kush”, and my personal favorites… “Higher Education”, and “Let Us Be Blunt”. However, our title is actually referring to the John Denver, “Get high on being a Continue Reading »
On to the next island, this one uniquely Hindu, on our “Java & Bali: Indonesia’s Mystical Islands”, tour by Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). An hour flight from Java, Bali welcomes tourists with a thoroughly modern airport in the capital city of Denpasar, yet sits very close to villages, rice paddies, and dense forests rich in cultural traditions, Continue Reading »
The final leg of my very hot and humid two-month Asian travel was a well planned and luxurious cultural tour, “Java & Bali: Indonesia’s Mystical Islands”, with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). A separate blog on Bali will follow. As usual with OAT, the tour was extremely comfortable with amazing meals and accommodations and a thoughtful and Continue Reading »
A lifetime opportunity appeared in the form of a scuba dive safari to a World Heritage dive site on a liveaboard ship in the Sulu Sea. Although it was challenging traveling from Bangkok to the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, it was worth it. First by air, from Bangkok to Manila, the Capital of the Philippines, Continue Reading »
After a grueling 400-mile mountainous, hot, and humid bike ride in Sulawesi, Indonesia, I chose to stay in Bangkok for 8 days of relaxation and recuperation. With very effective air-conditioning in the 35th floor AirBNB studio, I finally cooled down enough to get a full night of sleep. Sauntering out and about in the city returned Continue Reading »
After our first two-wheeled adventure in South Africa last Fall, I’ve been banging on about the sheer awesomeness of going on an epic long-distance cycle tour. Sal needed a break from too many airports and global traveling especially after for months of Middle East and African travel last year alone. She’s been to Indonesia Continue Reading »
Due to historic flooding last October 2015 in the Valley, yellow ‘California Gold’ wildflowers have covered the desert floor. “Superbloom”, at the peak of the season two weeks ago meant the park was “pretty full” according to the rangers. My chosen campgrounds were already ridiculously full but this particular National Park differs from the usual Continue Reading »
Posted from Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong.
After many years of drought, with a smattering of snow even at high elevations, we happily celebrate the deep snows brought to California by the El Nino weather patterns. We keep our recent snowshoeing passion going with mid-week trips to the Sierra Nevada Range, only 3.5 hours away. Donner Summit’s snowy conditions required tire chains Continue Reading »