Hilton Head, South Carolina is a lovely Atlantic island on the southern tip of the state. It was a stunning location for the second big milestone that I celebrated with family in the States, my cousin’s wedding. The island is … Continued
My limited time back in the States was split between three regions. The first several days were in Utah to celebrate the baby blessing of my new nieces. It was wonderful to gather with family for this special event. My … Continued
My recent trip back to the States was full of fun and family. It included two milestone events. I landed in Utah and started out running. The morning after I arrived, I loaded up with my dad, brother, and three … Continued
Xiamen has been an important port city in China’s Fujian Province for several centuries. There were high and low periods. The latest, beginning in the mid-19th century, brought a colonial feel to the southern Chinese city now preserved as China’s … Continued
Southern China was once plagued by roving bands of bandits causing the locals to build near-impenetrable homes known as the Fujian Tulou. These large rammed earth structures were essentially villages, some with around 1,000 people living in them. These UNESCO … Continued
Besides Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, the other big attraction or destination in the area is Tianmen Mountain. If you’re familiar with Chinese, you might guess that the mountain has something to do with a door to heaven or the sky. … Continued
After hiking down Tianzi Mountain in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, we still had some evening hours left, so we went to Huanglong Cave (Yellow Dragon Cave). This cave system is part of the UNESCO World Heritage designation and is very … Continued
Our second day in Zhangjiajie took us back up the mountain to do some more hiking around the Yuanjiajie Scenic Zone and the Tianzi Mountain Scenic Zone. Both were recommendations from our hotel. Tianbo Mansion Tianbo Mansion is a set … Continued
Yuanjiajie, our next destination within the park, and final for the day, is probably the most popular and crowded section of the park. Hordes of bus tours crowded the trails squawking and barking and littering their way through. There were … Continued
Slender stone columns reach out of canyons lush with forest transporting visitors to an otherworldly natural wonderland. It inspires the mind to think of alien landscapes from science fiction or the ethereal and mystical images from traditional Chinese ink paintings. … Continued