Rochester surprised us, as new locations often do. We weren’t sure what we would be doing in isolation here, and yet we end our visit with a list of places still to visit. There are lots of excellent parks with walking trails. Wildlife management areas (WMA), reservoirs, state parks, and forests led us out ofContinue reading “July in Rochester, MN”
Tag Archives: Attractions
What do you call a whole lot of carp?
After this, you’ll call it a nightmare of carp. We visited another strange wonder, the Spillway in Linesville, PA. There is a parking area, a concession stand that sells cups of grain to feed the fish, and a long railing marked with red tape “X” marks every six feet (that most people ignore). Though justContinue reading “What do you call a whole lot of carp?”
Curiosities of the OH/PA border.
What makes Ohio different from other places we’ve visited? There are a few things that have impressed and surprised us. One is grass–there are huge lawns around many houses, and tracts of open land covered by grass without a house nearby. These are often lovely, but who mows all that acreage? True, there are lotsContinue reading “Curiosities of the OH/PA border.”
Northern Ohio begins to reveal its secrets
Symbols on a local tourist map turned out to be covered bridges, and on a perfect sunny afternoon we set out to see three that are all very near Conneaut. Whizzing by on the highway, Ohio is flat and featureless. The creeks that wind their way into Lake Erie are invisible. In contrast, covered bridgesContinue reading “Northern Ohio begins to reveal its secrets”
Australia: Looking Back
At the end of six months in Australia there is a lot to look back on. Our experiences here have been excellent. We’ve met lovely people, had all kinds of adventures, and saw beautiful land and sea. I have such mixed feelings. There’s a pain in my heart for all that we are leaving behind,Continue reading “Australia: Looking Back”
The Other Giant’s Causeway: Fingal Head, NSW
A year ago we visited Giant’s Causeway, a fantastic natural formation of basalt pillars in Northern Ireland. The rock’s regular shape is very intriguing, unique in all the world–except it isn’t unique. There is another formation of columnar basalt just like Giant’s Causeway at Fingal Head, near Tweed Heads, NSW. Once we heard about theContinue reading “The Other Giant’s Causeway: Fingal Head, NSW”
Amanda and Jim’s Cairns Adventure
Amanda and Jim are just ending their two week visit with us. We’ve packed a lot of new experiences into this short time. It gives you a snapshot of what there is to do in and around Cairns. Day 1: Leaving Los Angeles at 11 pm Friday, they arrived in Cairns at noon on Sunday,Continue reading “Amanda and Jim’s Cairns Adventure”
Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef
Floating in the water over coral stacks around 20 feet tall watching a cloud of tiny blue and orange fish darting around my hands, I forget what it took to get here. All I can think of is how mesmerizing this view is, I want to remember it clearly. The sun has been in andContinue reading “Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef”
Rainy Day at the Cairns Botanical Garden
Despite on and off drizzle, the Botanical Gardne was at its best. The rain washed all the leaves clean and gave a bit of shine to all the plants. Outdoor plantings are complemented by the indoor collection of bromeliads, orchids, and butterflies. We also saw the weirdest mushroom I’ve ever seen. It grows a littleContinue reading “Rainy Day at the Cairns Botanical Garden”
Opal Hunting in Coober Pedy
I wanted to hunt for opals. I like rocks and minerals, have years of experience poking around in the dirt as an archaeologist. If anyone can find them, it should be me. True, thousands of other people have hunted for opals over the years and most of them have not become rich. I don’t needContinue reading “Opal Hunting in Coober Pedy”
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