Carved in stone outside Datong to the west sit hundreds of Buddhas at Yungang Grottoes. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the fourth of China’s Buddhist grottoes and the last one for me to visit. Bucket list item complete! Granted … Continued
A short drive away from Beijing, you can reach the city of Datong, Shanxi. Our drive took us through the mountains northwest of the city past amazing scenes of Great Wall climbing them into coal country. A small city by … Continued
Japan is still an empire with an emperor as head of state. This emperor still lives in a magnificent imperial palace in the heart of Tokyo. This palace is stock full of history and is surrounded by beautiful gardens. A … Continued
As I mentioned in my Senso-ji post, I wrote a few of my own haiku while in Japan. It seemed fitting. I shared one before about the beautiful orb weavers I saw throughout my time in Japan. That one was … Continued
First impressions of a new place can impact an entire adventure. My first impressions of Japan only helped my week-long adventure be more spectacular. Japan is a clean, friendly, and orderly place, which is a vast contrast to my current … Continued
With their backs up to the mountains and a stream in their front, the Ming Tombs just outside of Beijing offer the quintessential Chinese protection based on geomancy or feng shui. Thirteen of the Ming Dynasty’s emperors were interred in … Continued
Before my summer Bay Area experience I didn’t know about San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park. Instead, when national parks in that part of California were mentioned I thought of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate National Recreation … Continued
A visit to the Wasatch Front of Utah should always include an excursion to Temple Square. For me it wasn’t just to see the magnificent temple or other buildings or walk through the lovely gardens but to experience the new … Continued
Our road trip to Utah took the long route from Dallas, so we could stop in Phoenix to spend time with family and friends. I really enjoyed my time in the Valley of the Sun and throughout Arizona when I … Continued
We took a slightly longer route from Dallas to Phoenix, so we could stop at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Being the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, I really wanted to visit at least one national park during my … Continued