Archive for August, 2009
Edgy Travel
By Tony on August 31, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Once while traveling with my grandparents as a child, we stopped off at a mountain viewpoint overlooking Lake Elsinore in Southern California. My grandma Mary thought one boulder looked particularly enticing and asked me to climb over the safety barrier and crawl out on to a crumbling rock ledge to get a “good picture.” It became a family joke that only grandma Mary would be crazy enough to send her grandchild out on to an overhanging chunk of rock to get a better photo op. Little did my family know it was just the beginning.
So when I came across MatadorTrips.com’s Photo Essay: 13 Places to Get Close to the Edge, I started digging through the old photos to find some of our favorite “edges.” Two of them are in locations mentioned in the article! But clearly a visit to Norway is in our future.
The State Park Terminator
By Thomas on August 28, 2009 | 4 Comments »
The Governator has spoken. Starting Labor Day weekend, Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to terminate access to more than 100 California state parks to save some $14 million for the now not so Golden State. No official closure list has been released, but rumors abound.
One of the parks in San Diego county that might get axed is Palomar Mountain State Park. So in a last-ditch effort to » Continue reading this post »
Body Worlds
By Tony on August 24, 2009 | No Comments »
Mind-bending, controversial, thought-provoking, insane … Body Worlds evokes a stream of descriptions, all of which fail to convey how truly unique this exhibition is.
Part art exhibit, part anatomy lesson, Gunther von Hagens uses real human bodies, donated specifically for his exhibition, to intrigue and instruct museum visitors. The displays are as mesmerizing as they are challenging. Preserved using his self-developed plastination process, the entire collection is shockingly » Continue reading this post »
Balboa Park
By Thomas on August 20, 2009 | No Comments »
Our visit to the U.S. truly feels like a vacation. Finally we are stationary. No packing and unpacking, no jumping on buses, no figuring out where to stay for the night. For the time being, we are staying in San Diego, southern California’s second largest city and the place we used to call home before moving to Berlin.
This is the perfect time to introduce some of San Diego’s worthy attractions. And why not start with Balboa Park, the recreational inner-city park we used to walk to from our old Fifth Avenue apartment. » Continue reading this post »
Another Day at the Beach
By Tony on August 16, 2009 | No Comments »
Yes, another day on a beautiful beach! During the last year, you have to admit we have been seriously spoiled when it comes to spectacular sea and sand. Diu, Goa, the Konkan Coast, Sri Lanka, and the Andamans – all world class beach destinations.
From the cliffs of Varkala, India to Hidden Beach near Mirissa, Sri Lanka to the pristine gems of Havlock, Neil, and Ross/Smith in the Andaman Sea, we’ve seen the best of the best.
And yet, somehow, the vastness of the open Pacific still seems to define beach for me. Maybe it’s because I’m Californian, but I love to see the waves rolling in onto the sand.
