A Hospital for Turtles
We love turtles . . . If you all hadn’t noticed, we’re big turtle fans! Traditional symbols of wisdom, longevity, steadfastness and patience, the turtle is a careful observer, and a truly wise soul. While on land, sea turtles may appear slow or clumsy, but in the sea, their own element, they are graceful and serene. […]
Exploring the Hillsborough River by Canoe
There’s more to Tampa, Florida, than Busch Gardens, beaches and shopping. Researching things to do during our days off in the area, we discovered that the Hillsborough River is a popular destination for canoeing and kayaking. The River flows from the Green Swamp near the origin of the Withlacoochee River (near Lakeland Florida) over 50 […]
North Carolina Roots
On a pleasant May morning, descendants of Ernest Willis gathered not far from the small town of Cashiers, North Carolina to explore a tract of land donated by their ancestor for its perpetual protection. Ernest donated the land through his estate to the Nature Conservancy of which he was a lifetime member. As descendants of Ernest, Donny (second cousin […]
Luang Namtha: Gone Green
With its proximity to the Nam Ha National Protected Area, and abundant activities for trekking, kayaking, cycling and rafting, Luang Namtha is a prime ecotourism destination in northern Laos. Laos still doesn’t receive nearly as many tourists as neighboring Thailand. This, combined with an extremely laid-back culture, makes a visit seem very peaceful. Everything moves […]
Doing Lines and Flying High in Laos
Contrary to what we’d heard, crossing the border from (Chiang Khong) Thailand to (Huay Xai) Laos was a breeze. We arrived late in the afternoon and were the only ones at immigration. Thailand stamped us out with a smile, and we got in a longtail boat with two Thai ladies to cross the Mekong River. […]
Giant Pandas, Walking, and Eating Chengdu
Chengdu Chengdu is a comfortable, easy-to-navigate city and a good jumping off point for many of Sichuan’s sights. Within reach are beautiful national parks, mountains and valleys, and the Tibetan plateau to the far west of the region. Chengdu has a sparkling new (opened at the end of 2010) subway, and a laid-back population of […]
Seoraksan National Park
The mountains had been calling, and it was time for a hike. Designated a Biosphere Protection site by Unesco, the area of Seoraksan National Park is only about 20 minutes away from Sokcho by bus. It is filled with trails leading through forests, past waterfalls, jagged peaks, massive boulders, temples, a fortress, and all kinds […]
Año Nuevo Elephant Seals
What’s this? Another day off? No, we aren’t dreaming. Since we’ve spent a lot of time in the SF Bay area this year, and years past, we decided to take a drive to an area never explored. After a very twisty-turny road over mountain roads, the Pacific Coast Highway lead south. Año Nuevo State Reserve […]
Departing the Daintree
On the way out in the morning we did the last boarwalk: Dubuji, which looked different than the others had on previous days, due to the heavy rain the night before. There was lots more water in the creeks and everything seemed sort of steamy. This was a longer walk with lots of lowland rainforest, […]
Exotic Fruits
On Sunday, we drove up to Emmagen Creek and followed the path back from a huge strangler fig to the swimming hole. We had read at the Bat House that someone had seen some cassowaries here recently, but still no luck for us. North of the creek is 4-wheel-drive only, and the route continues north […]