It is with great sadness I have to announce the potential passing of my beloved computer Albert 7.2. There is a potential that he might be resurrected (new parts are on their way) but it’s taken some degree of surgical precision to even make the attempt! Posts might be a bit erratic while I try and get thing up and running. Here is look at the grey screen non-boot trouble!
If you know anything about my wife, you know she has a deep passion for tea. I don’t know exactly how it started or the explicit stages of its evolution (though I have witnessed a LOT of stages), but I know when I travel anywhere known for tea…I am going to have a special order placed often with precise details as to which places to visit and exactly which blend to purchase. I once walked 5 miles (probably more since I was lost) in Koyto, Japan trying to find the Ippodo shop to pickup a special Matcha. Needless to say, when we went to the Big Island of Hawaii in February of this year, we HAD to visit some of the tea plantations. I will say, in all my travels, Big Island Tea has some of the most beautiful (and extremely tasty) tea I have seen.
Happy Memorial Day!
If you have been watching the news, you have probably heard of the havoc Pele is making on the Big Island of Hawaii. There is of course nothing we can all do but sit back and watch her awesome power consume. Pamela and I were just on the Big Island back in April and I took this photo from my iPhone. This is shot from the Jagger Museum at Volcanoes National Park. The park is current closed to visitors while the change of eruption is so high. Our heart goes out to all the folks we met, those we did not and all of our friends on the Island! Stay safe!
This photo was a precursor really. I was trying to find this particular location on Cannon Beach that I ended up having to run to (anything for a shot right). This silhouette of the shoreline came out pretty nice as well from Ecola State Park.
On my last trip to Washington, I visit the small town of Astoria, Oregon. You might not know it at first, but it’s streets and buildings will forever be in your mind if you grew up in the 80’s. Astoria, OR is one of the main locations where the film Goonies was made. Overlooking the town is a sight called the Astoria Column. It’s a slightly odd sight on a fantastic location overlooking the gorgeous Pacific North West. It is also the source of a lot of local pride. The folks at the monument were also very knowledgable and super helpful in relaying the history of the town. If you find yourself in the area, absolutely make a trip!
Bali is a hot place, even in February when I visited. For me, its odd, but I actually spend almost this whole trip at the resort. I was just plain exhausted! Sometimes despite being half the world away from home, the right answer is just to stop and enjoy yourself however you wish!
I just finished up watching Hong Kong’s Symphony of Lights show (I’m afraid the name is the most exciting part of this show) and was headed back to the hotel for the evening. The waterfront is really pretty and the Hong Kong Space Museum was all lit up in oscillating colors.
The area outside Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is BUSY! My suggestion is to go at night, when you get to see what a real Parisian sewer rat looks like (literally Pamela saw one and said…TELL ME THAT WAS A CAT….THAT WAS A CAT RIGHT)! Nope, that was Not a cat. Or get up early, this isn’t REALLY early, but the crowds are not crazy yet. Honestly, I would suggest going at various times around Ile de la Cite and Ile Saint-Louis. The area is absolutely beautiful and the rats really only come out at night (well at least the kind that live in the sewers).
I have been REALLY lucky just to travel and see some of the amazing things I have so far in my life. I am sometimes flabbergasted at my luck when it comes to the kindness of others. I often find if you ask nicely, people are happy to help and interested in what you are trying to do. Take Austria…I was only there for one night, and I simply asked if the hotel might have a room I could stay in with a great view of the Opera House. They put me in a suite with a view that was…well it wasn’t at all shabby!
I kind of love photos where you have a hard time determining where you are or what time period you are seeing. It’s sort of like a puzzle to me I guess and things I don’t immediately understand often spark my interest. The other thing I loved about this is the reminder that there are tumbleweeds blowing across the highway in Washington and Oregon!
