winifredcreamer

On the way to Peru

Today was a landmark day, finding us back on an international flight to Peru. It’s been 20 months since we were last in Peru, and when we left, we planned to return in early November, 2020, just over a year ago. Since then, we’ve lived in different levels of quarantine for the pandemic, gotten vaccinated,Continue reading “On the way to Peru”

November gets cold

There were a few beautiful days at the beginning of November when every day’s walk was gorgeous. Springbrook, Herrick Lake, and Greene Valley forest preserves have been our regular stops. Whether it’s midday or sunset, we always find something beautiful or interesting or both. We saw a bald eagle at Greene Valley, then chatted withContinue reading “November gets cold”

October’s Bright Blue Weather

My title is from a poem I had to memorize in grade school, and it still comes into my mind almost every year when the light slants sharply in the late afternoon, and the trees change color. The month of October sped by. It’s always a month of transition, when we return to the USContinue reading “October’s Bright Blue Weather”

So Much Hawaii, So Little Time!

I have written more about Hawaii than any place we’ve visited in quite a while. Part of the reason is because we had visitors (after a year!) and went to see many different things. It also turns out that I like the Big Island very much. The weather was perfect, 75 degrees F with breezeContinue reading “So Much Hawaii, So Little Time!”

Historic Hawaii

Hawaii is known for beach vacations, surfing, leis, and mai-tais. There is a lot of interesting history here, too, and we had a chance to explore some of it during our visit. We started just down the hill from our house, at the birthplace of King Kamehameha (Kamehameha l or the Great). It’s the bannerContinue reading “Historic Hawaii”

Snorkeling with Manta Rays

I’ve talked about beaches and snorkeling, the volcano, the botanical garden, and other activities we enjoyed. We owe some of the fun to the suggestions and planning by our visitors. Lyra’s research found Kona Style, a company that offers a sunset boat ride followed by watching manta rays feed in the dark. The opening photoContinue reading “Snorkeling with Manta Rays”

A Saturday in Hilo

There is a Saturday market in Hilo that we decided to visit. It was a long drive, almost two hours, and we decided to include a stop at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden in the same area. The Farmer’s Market in runs seven days a week. The booths are more permanently installed than other farmersContinue reading “A Saturday in Hilo”

Windward (East) Kohala, Hawaii

Just east of us lies a turning point in the landscape. Beyond it, the weather is wetter, the hillsides greener, and the coast is shaped differently. We set out to explore as much of the shore as we could, and immediately ran into high, steep cliffs. There are some tiny patches of beach and rocksContinue reading “Windward (East) Kohala, Hawaii”

Hawaii’s West Kohala coast

Hawaii has lots of shore but not much beach. If you recall that the island is made of volcanoes, you can understand why sand is uncommon. It has to wash in from somewhere else, or form from the waves grinding up rock–a slow process. Usually a “beach” is rocky shore with a place to swimContinue reading “Hawaii’s West Kohala coast”

Around the Volcano: Kilauea

Volcanoes National Park is on the must-see list of every visitor to the Big Island, though since early 2021, there has been no red lava to be seen, not even a red glow after dark. Still, everyone wants to see a massive volcano. Our visit was a big expedition because we are staying at theContinue reading “Around the Volcano: Kilauea”