Travel
London – Day 1
The flight into London was actually not that bad. It was a direct flight and I think that helped make it not so bad. The food, of course, was abysmal. For dinner, there was a chicken and rice dish of questionable ‘heritage’ (was it Indian? was it Asian? was it Italian? couldn’t really tell) and the breakfast was just gross. It really was. It was just a tub of yogurt (which was really sour to my taste) and a tiny mini-loaf of banana-scented “bread”. The reason bread is in quotes is because I’m not sure how else to refer to it but it wasn’t a pastry and it was the size of a deck of cards. I’m so glad I packed my own...
Read MoreLittle Norway, Mount Horeb, WI
If you’re in Mount Horeb,WI, you have plenty of things to do. Cave of the Mounds is one attraction, and Little Norway is about a two-minute drive away. So it only makes sense to see both on the same day, or on the same trip. Don’t think that Little Norway is second fiddle to any other attraction in the area, it’s a treat in its own right. But as you might have guessed, I did visit Little Norway on the same day as Cave of the Mounds. By the time I got here, it was a little later in the afternoon and the beautiful area provided plenty of shade.There is a creek running through the property and a fairly extensive lawn (which hosts the Mid-Summer...
Read MoreCave of the Mounds, Mount Horeb, WI
I’ve heard about Cave of the Mounds many years ago but have never been there until this particular July weekend. The drive was quite lovely and once I got to the Cave of the Mounds park, I decided I should have lunch before I go on exploring.There were picnic tables everywhere and I picked one in the shade. The breeze was quite welcome, the birds provided entertainment and scenery was most relaxing so my lunch was very enjoyable. Especially since it’s one I made myself.After the lunch respite I decided to explore the grounds, while waiting for the tour of the cave. Nestled snugly in the Driftless region of Southern Wisconsin, the park allows visitors to...
Read MoreRenaissance Fair, Kenosha, WI
One of my goals has been to travel around locally, as in day trips during the weekend, so nothing too far away. Someplace I can pack a lunch, pack my camera, GPS, and start exploring the area around me. I joked with some friends from CA that we pack about twelve months worth of activities into about five. And it’s true; there are about three major events on any given weekend from May to end of October. One of these activities one could do is to go back in time. And this past weekend I stepped into another world yet again. It’s been about five years since my last visit to the Renaissance Fair in Kenosha, WI. Yet again, I’m so glad I live in...
Read MoreTwo Rivers, Manitowoc, Algoma – Wisconsin
For many years I have wanted to see more of Wisconsin. With an occasional trip to Door County or a rare trip to Wisconsin Dells, my exploration of this beautiful state has been rather limited. So this year I finally decided to do something about it. This was the inaugural trip of my “Discover Wisconsin” goal. On this particular Saturday in July, I packed up my camera, a lunch, a travel guide I picked up at a rest stop, a GPS and a full tank of gas, and set off on my first adventure. The first stop was West of the Lake Gardens. Don’t let their awful website stop you though. The place itself is great. There are fantastic spaces, all completely...
Read MoreFlorida Sunsets
As promised, this post will be about sunsets. They were the most amazing I’ve ever seen. I like the softness of this sunset. It was amazing. I use this word a lot. But it’s true. People pulled off to the side of the road, their mouths open, just to witness this magnificence. I was one of them. This one too had my mouth agape. Do you see the couple at the bottom of the picture on the right? That couple had the right idea. They had a couple of cold drinks, a blanket, and sandals. I had a lot of open-jawed moments around sunset time in Florida. This one is yet another. The clouds this day put on such a display. The picture doesn’t do it justice....
Read MoreAfter Day 5 in Florida
Uh….. I forgot what I did on which day after Day 5 since it’s been about six months since I came back from Florida. But here’s a rundown of some other cool things I saw and did. I spent a day at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. Actually, I spent about two days there. On one of the days I took a trolley tour through the refuge and the tour guide was a very nice elderly woman who told us about the habitat and wild life. We saw tree crabs, flying fish (no really, the fish would jump a few feet out of the water and then back in), and all kinds of birds. I really liked the tour but there wasn’t enough time for all the pictures I wanted to take, so I...
Read MoreFt. Myers – Day 5 – in Immokalee
So today I did get up a little earlier than usual and did get out the door earlier than the previous days. I wanted to make sure I made it to the Corkscrew Sanctuary and then had enough time to head back to Sanibel Island for a tram tour with Tarpon Bay Explorers. Since there is about an hour and a half or so ride between the sanctuary and Sanibel Island, I wanted to leave plenty of time for the 2.25 mile walk in the sanctuary and drive back. The sanctuary was so peaceful and gorgeous and perfect in the morning light. Not too hot even though it was a swamp, but in the shade it was perfect. Though, I must admit, there were mosquitoes. Not as many as I expected but...
Read MoreFt. Myers – Day 4 – Somewhat wasted
The day, not me. I got a really late start on the day, but I don’t really mind because the reason was a good book. And besides, this is a vacation; no schedules, no timelines, no due dates… But by the time I got out of the hotel, it was time for lunch. So being a little adventurous I decided to check out The Parrot Key restaurant. I was really hesitant for all the kitch and “tourist trap” written all over it. I mean, how good could the food be at a place that specializes in Pirate dinner cruises and deep sea fishing? But my fears were allayed when I saw several tables full of coast guard members. Coast guard = locals. If locals eat there, I...
Read MoreUpdates
Ok, so my vacation is coming to an end fairly soon and I haven’t really kept up with the blog. But I’m just too tired after all the sightseeing and eating and driving. I’ll have to update when I get a chance, maybe even this evening, but at some point in the near future. I’ve also been quite disappointed with my pictures. Half of them are either blurry or overexpose and the other half didn’t capture what I intended. I’ll keep trying though. Share this:
Read MoreFt. Myers – Day 3 – The beach on Sanibel Island
I seem to be getting rather late starts to the day on this vacation. It could be that I’m dreadfully tired all the time and need to catch up on my sleep. Today was no different. A late start again. Oh well.The weather was gorgeous and I decided to go to the beach. The thing is, I hate tanning. I know, I shouldn’t go to the beach then. But I love to be near water and hear the waves and be warm. Maybe I was a fish in a previous life. Unfortunately, the water was too cold for me to swim. But I slathered SPF 60 sunscreen on and sprawled on the beach towel and warmed my bones. It was also a great time to read the book I started on the plane. My friend...
Read MoreWhat should I do? Ft. Myers – Day 2 – Naples
It rained overnight and is overcast now. Bummer. I seem to bring precipitation where ever I go on my vacations (it rained in the desert in Israel, it’s raining here). So I’ll have to find something I can do that doesn’t require lots of sunshine. So after a lazy morning I decided to drive to Naples. I took a scenic drive, through Fort Myers Beach. Little touristy shops, restaurants, hotels, and motels dotted the way. In Naples, I stumbled upon a seafood shop which also happened to make something out of their fresh catch (Captain Kirk’s Stone Crabs Fresh Seafood Market). The very friendly lady at the counter was very helpful in explaining the...
Read MoreIn Ft. Myers FL – Day 1
After a long night of packing, checking the airline cancellation board, and about 3 hours of sleep, I finally made it to my vacation destination. I’ve never been to Florida and thought it’s about time I remedied that. So after some searching and deciding on what I want to see, I picked Fort Myers. I was very happy that my flight was not canceled or delayed much (the delay was only 45 minutes while the plane was being deiced). The flight itself was pretty easy and I managed to fall asleep. Though, after so little sleep at home, that wasn’t such a feat. Having my long sleeved t-shirt, sweater, and winter jacket on proved to be much more of a challenge...
Read MoreStill packing….
As you might have guessed based on my previous posts, I generally pack the night before my trip. This is what I’m actually doing right now. Given the weather we’re experiencing in SE WI (our first major winter snow storm), I don’t know if my flight will be canceled or delayed. Share this:
Read MoreLeaving Door County
I can’t believe I haven’t written about the last day of our mini-vacation. This morning, like the others before, we had a wonderful breakfast in our room. But today we were leaving, so we packed up our stuff and checked out by 10 AM. But it was too nice a day to leave yet, and I had a few stops to make. The first stop of the day was to the oilerie, where I bought some garlic olive oil. I really like this store because you can try the olive oils and the vinegars. I’ve been to this store last year, and even wrote a little review of it. The other “must” stop for the day was at the K. Allen Gallery. It’s a small gallery and has some...
Read MoreIt’s Independence Day
And right now, there’s a band playing not too far, so I can hear it sitting on my bed in my hotel room. The band is trying to play a Jimmi Hendrix song and earlier attempted a Rolling Stones song. The weather is absolutely stunning today. It’s warm, sunny, wispy clouds roll along the vast expanse of sky, a gentle breeze keeps things cool. We ate breakfast in the room again. Honestly, we’re eating better than at any restaurant. Great food, comfortable, nobody hurrying us up, etc. Of course, it helps that we are a close family. After breakfast we drove around some art galleries and antique shops. First, we went to K. Allen gallery to see if they got...
Read MoreGorgeous Day
Today, the weather didn’t disappoint. The sun was out, a gentle breeze reminded us that we’re in Wisconsin and that even in July we should wear jackets up here. Which, dad did. I had my fleece and grandma had her thick cardigan. But it’s gorgeous. We had breakfast in our room. See, we have 2 little fridges full of food and then some, so it’s a shame to waste it. Additionally, we came here with full intention of not eating out at least for breakfast. It turns out that each of us has packed a loaf of bread, cheese, and a sausage of some kind, in addition to hard boiled eggs, yogurt, and cottage cheese and cream. So we had breakfast...
Read MoreFish Creek, WI
We’re in Door County, WI, or “up north” as most Wisconsinites refer to anything “north” of where they are currently. We actually made pretty good time, 2.5 hours. No traffic or construction to deal with so the drive was rather nice.It was wonderful to see grandma so excited. She’s never been here before so to see her reaction to all the clean greenery was great.Our hotel is nice and we have lots of room, he beds are nice and big, the fridge keeps cold, and we have a table an chairs. We played cards for a few hours and laughed our butts off. It was nice. Reminds me when I was little and the three of us (dad, grandma, and I) went...
Read MoreI still haven’t packed…
Or marinated the chicken. I am a terrible procrastinator. But that’s my nature on such things, I suppose. Yes, we’re planning another trip, but this time it’s within driving distance. I am taking a half-day of vacation tomorrow, so we can head up north at a decent time. Since I don’t want us to go out to restaurants all the time, I’m marinating the chicken and bringing my electric grill. NOTE TO SELF: DON’T FORGET THE GRILL! But I’m charging the camera batteries as we speak. Priorities. I’ll post the recipe for the chicken a bit later, but for now, I gotta go clean and marinate it. Share this:
Read MoreThings I will not see at home
There were a few things that I came across on this trip that I know I won’t see at home. Here are a few of them. Blue sky, green grass – perfection. Except you see that little yellow thingie? That’s a mine field warning. After the war of 1967, the Jordanians never provided the map of the mine fields so the mines are all still there. This is valuable land that could be used, but it’s not. Not really. The only use it has now is for grazing and every once in a while, a cow does get blown up. But Israeli lives aren’t being lost in an attempt to clear the mines. That’s right. You are not imagining it. It’s a camel crossing...
