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…

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…

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…

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…

  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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…