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Category: Adventures

MAUNA LANI ANCIENT FISH PONDS, FASCINATING BIRDS, A GIANT MORAY EEL…AND HAPPY FAMILY MEMORIES AT THE BEACH

The ocean has fascinated me since I was a small boy. Mauna Lani’s Makaiwa Bay and the adjacent ancient fish ponds are perfect for experiencig the fish and birds of the region. A view of the Mauna Lani Auberge Hotel from the Beach Club. I watched a net…

WONDERFUL BAY AREA STROLLS…REDWOOD PARK, FOSSIL RIDGE, AND LANDS END.

Spring in the Bay Area is often beautiful with really pleasant weather and foothills filled with wild flowers. We rented an AIRBNB near Alamo with our good college friend, Lea, and explored the wonderful areas nearby. We stocked up for our picnic at the amazing Diablo Foods in nearby Lafayette…

WATCHING THE WONDERFUL “SHOGUN” HISTORICAL TV SERIES AND OUR LOVE OF JAPANESE CULTURE & ANTIQUES

One our very favorite TV shows in 2024 is “Shogun” on Hulu. It received a whopping 99 points by Rotten Tomatoes. It is based on James Clavell‘s historical novel, “Shogun”, which fictionalized key events and figures of 1600 Japan taking the Azuchi–Momoyama period…

BALI’S ANCIENT VILLAGE OF TENGANAN. EXOTIC WEAVINGS AND A ROOSTER NAMED…LADY GAGA.

Many years ago Marla and I visited an amazing village while touring in East Bali. The village is called Tenganan. The villagers are known as the “Bali Aga people” and are the original aboriginal inhabitants of Bali. They were living in Bali long before the ancestors…

SICILY…AN ISLAND OF BRUTAL BEAUTY, CONFLICT, AND…FASCINATION.

Sicily is a island full of unique contrasts, conflicts, and interesting history. It was ruled by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantine Greeks, Arab Muslims, French Normans, Aragons, Spain, and then the Italians. And…recently actors and film crew from the TV show, “White Lotus Season 2.&#8221…

SPAIN’S FASCINATING ANDALUSIA REGION. We’ll visit unique “white villages”, unusual Sentenil de las Bodegas, and beautiful Marbella.

I have fallen in love with Spain’s Andalusia region. The history and diversity of the area is breathtaking! I’ll take you on a visual tour of the “white villages”, amazing Sentil de las Bodegas, fabulous Ronda, and finish with beautiful Marbella. On a future…

WONDERFUL ANTHONY BOURDAIN QUOTES ON TRAVEL, FOOD,…AND LIFE.

“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” The writings of Anthony Bourdain have stayed with me over the years. I’ve included some of my favorites with images from my archives. I know the feeling of his quote above very well and have…

PART 2…REMEMBRANCES OF MY LIFE SO FAR AS I CELEBRATE MY 80TH BIRTHDAY.

I’ve always loved live music! This is Marla at a Rolling Stones concert. I’ve been fortunate to see U2 and The Ramones in a small club, James Brown, David Bowie, The Jackson 5 (Michael Jackson lifted Marla onto the stage from our first row table to…

MY FAVORITE PHOTOS OF 2023

2023 was an amazing year of wonderful experiences near and far. I love looking at the past year and deciding on my favorite 2023 photos. Here is my 2023 “Favorites Album.” It’s really difficult to pick my very favorite but this July photo of Marla, me…

SO MANY THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR THIS THANKSGIVING

The Thanksgiving Holiday for me is a magnified reflection on all the many blessings in my life. I have been very lucky to have reached an age where almost every day is a day of Thanksgiving and of supreme gratefulness. I am very happy and thankful to have Marla as…