Category: Adventures

We just got back from visiting family in Japan. This trip was a bit different. Instead of getting a JR Pass and dragging all our luggage from city to city, hotel to hotel, we rented a centrally located AirBnB. We did a series of short day trips. We did spend a few days overnight at remote towns and were able to just bring a backpack.

We spent a lot of time with family. We also got to see a lot of new historical shrines, temples, and castles. You could spend a month in just Kyoto and not see it all. There is so much history available to see and it is all very well preserved.

The food as usual was very good everywhere we went. We were lucky to have a bakery nearby so we could start each day with toast and coffee. Tomoko’s mother cooked dinner most nights, which was a special treat.

Here is a link to the Shutterfly album.

Here is a link to the video of all pictures at bitchute.

Above average flower bloom in the desert this year as we had some good soaking rains last winter.  In fact, it is the second year we have seen green grass on the hills after a rain.  3 years ago it was very dry and there were few plants on these trails.

We snuck out of the 100+ degree heat to go up to chilly Canada.   Flew to Vancouver and drove up to Whistler the first night.  I have always wanted to go to Whistler after watching hundreds of mountain bike videos filmed there.  We did not have time to bike this trip but need to go back and spend a week at the lower village.

We took the ferry to Victoria island from Horseshoe bay to Nanaimo and drove 2 hours down to the city center.  We had a few nights at the Pendray Inn.  It is an old mansion on the water that is famous for their traditional afternoon tea service. We took a 4 hour whale watching tour and were successful in seeing Orcas, Humpbacks, Sea Lions, a deer and thousands of birds.

We then took the ferry back to the mainland and drove around Stanley park before flying out.   All in all, Vancouver is like a clean expensive Seattle before drug culture took over.

Slideshow and video of whales are here over on bitchute.

Shutterfly album is here.

So we just got back from Japan to see the relatives.  We flew into Tokyo, took the bullet train down to Kobe and spent a few days in Ashiya with the family.  We then did some historical touring in the old cities of Nara and Kyoto.  After that we went to Mount Fuji and back to Tokyo before flying out.   Every day was action packed and we averaged about 15000 steps.

Observations:

• Toilets are amazing.  There are a dozen buttons that do everything and more.
• Google Maps does pretty good with directions.  It is still lacking with restaurants and stores.
• Google translate is very helpful.  Most, but not all signs have English.
• Most transactions are in cash, not credit.  Prepaid Suica cards are very handy.
• Public transportation is safe, clean, effective, and on-time.
• Everything is clean.  No litter or graffiti or yelling or rap music.
• Bicycles are rarely locked.
• Cherry Trees are everywhere and we were lucky to catch them in full bloom.
• Big cities are very crowded and trains are packed full during rush hour.
• People are very well dressed and elegant.  Men in suits, women in long dresses.
• No body odor, morbid obesity, tattoos, piercings, or slutty clothing.
• People still wore masks even though it is no longer mandatory.
• Food is very different and in smaller portions.   No burgers, fries, pizza.  We liked it.
• Very few animals and wildlife seen.  I expected more small critters and birds in the gardens.
• Cars are all in good shape and very small.  Parking is difficult.  Gas is about 6$/gallon.
• Lots of history.  Many buildings are from the 7th century.
• Mix of very modern civilization with ancient shrines and gardens.
• Small houses and yards.  No lawns.  People do make the most of the land they have.

The most shocking moment for me was coming home and sitting in the filthy SeaTac airport with all the freaks of nature.

We took a ton of pictures and put them as a video on Bitchute.  File is 2.5GB, 40min.  Pictures are here on Shutterfly.

Perfect time of year to bike down to Lake Mead. Desert is starting to flower.  Lots of grass this year.  Some places are tall enough to mow.  I have never seen the desert this green.  Hope the rain continues.

We all met up at Keepers of the Wild outside of Kingman AZ.   It was very windy and cold in the 50s.  They are a sanctuary for many show animals in Vegas.  They also have 7 Tiger King animals. We took the guided tour and I managed to get 2 pictures of animals sticking their tongues out at us.  They have 50 acres and make a home for Bears, Emus, Monkeys, Wolf, Coyotes, Dogs, Birds, Deer who cant take care of themselves in the wild.

Heavy snow in town for about an hour.

We have been hiking out in bootleg canyon these last few weeks.  Lots of mountain bike trails to explore.  I have heard there were some petroglyphs back in there but never found them until i took an unmarked trail (East of Par None) on the mountain bike.  Not sure if these are real as they are very white and almost perfect.  The drawings themselves have the same proportions as other petroglyphs in the southwest.  If they are forgeries, they are good ones.

One block away from the neighbor that goes way overboard on Christmas lights, there is a house that is setting the standard for Halloween displays.  These all have lights, sound, and motion.  The pupils will blink and focus.  I have never seen anything this elaborate.

Meanwhile, I am just trying not to eat all the candy for the trick or treaters tonight.

Seafood out here in the desert is way below average so when going to either coast, we make sure to order fish whenever possible. Everyone has shrimp and grits on the menu.

Unfortunately, we never made it to a Waffle House but we will try again someday.  This is a southern staple that everyone must experience once.

In Charleston, we found the Fleet Landing out on the pier.  Fabulous location and good food.  Worth the long wait but that gave us time to explore the city.

In Murrells Inlet, we found a fabulous strip of restaurants all connected with a pier.  We stopped at the Dead Dog Saloon which was a good choice.

In Mt Pleasant, on the Isle of Palms we found really good seafood at the Lawrence Seafood Company

The whole photo collection on shutterfly is here.