Editor’s note: it is kind of fun to read someone else’s take on the exact same trip I took, which is exactly what you’ll get here from Jackie, my mom. While you can read my guides to Tokyo here, and the Kansai region here, I hope you’ll all enjoy her experience as well, especially what…
In a country full of beautiful places, this might be at the top of the list. It is early afternoon at Osaka Castle Park, one alternating between somewhat sunny and totally overcast, humid with rain expected in the evening. The park is green, the cherry blossoms are out in full force, and the castle dominates…
I’m sure Kobe, Japan’s seventh largest city with a population around 1.5 million, has a lot of things going for it. I’m sure it has pretty parks, great museums, beautiful temples, and some solid history. I’m sure that if I spent a week or two here, I’d find some of those things and be able…
In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu became Shogun, political leader of Japan, by conquering the other factions that made up the home islands. After doing so, he moved the Imperial capital to his home city of Edo, now called Tokyo. This launched the period of Japanese history known as the Edo Period. (Japanese eras are named for…
Sometimes, things just work out. Timing is fortuitous and what might have been a fun activity becomes something incredibly meaningful. This is one of those stories. As regular readers of this website know, I’ve been endeavoring to explore each of Los Angeles’ official historic ethnic neighborhoods. It is one of my favorite parts of my…
Not to be confused with Cartagena, Spain (though it is named after the Spanish city) Cartagena, Colombia is a vibrant large city on the Caribbean coast of South America. For many Americans, it is a cruise stop, either before or after a Panama Canal sailing. But in recent years, with the stability of Colombia as…
During the height of Covid, I spent long hours searching for things reasonably local to Los Angeles to do and to write about, focusing on outdoor activities. One such thing was my visit to a date farm in Palm Springs, which you can read about here. Little did I know that A would become the…
Back in Los Angeles, I sip my coffee while going through my notes and photos from my trip to Cartagena. It’s good coffee, an Italian blend I really enjoy. But it isn’t the same. During my two weeks in Colombia’s premier Caribbean destination, I was treated to some of the best coffees - both simple…
Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee Peter Yarrow and Leonard Lipton There is a popular belief among locals and tourists that the famous children’s song “Puff, the Magic Dragon” is based on this place, and that Honah Lee is actually Hanalei.…
The tunnel is dim, barely lit by the lanterns provided to a few members of the tour group. Miles of tunnels are cut through the interior of Mount Saint Peter, a former limestone quarry turned tourist attraction. Both here in the Netherlands and just across the border into Belgium, the area once held more than…