The forecast for today was 80 degrees plus and clear skies - a perfect day to take our new Wilderness Systems Kayak for a cruise. We bought a Tarpon model 130T, it's a tandem for double the fun. Originally, my brother-in-law Hugh and his lovely wife Nicolette were to join us as they too have recently bought kayaks. The call came early this morning, it was Nicolette, Hugh was not feeling well and they would have to cancel. The kayak was loaded onto the car the night before so we headed out for Lake Clementine ourselves. Lake Clementine is only 15 [View Full Entry]

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Holly and I hosted Dr. Harald Marencic and his wife Angelika for three nights at our home in Cool. We met through The Hospitality Club at www.hospitalityclub.org prior to their Northern California Gold Country visit. Harald is a wildlife biologist and Deputy Secretary with the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat in Wilhelmshaven, Northern Germany. Angelika, a german school teacher with a very british accent, teaches English language and History. We learned about the coastal town of Wilhelmshaven in Northern Germany, the North Sea and the Wadden Islands. Our guests like hiking, biking, camping and [View Full Entry]

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Just minutes from our home in Cool, in the heart of the gold country, the Auburn State Recreation Area (Auburn SRA) covers over 35,000 acres along 40-miles of the North and Middle Forks of the American River. Once teeming with thousands of gold miners, the area is now a natural area offering a wide variety of recreation opportunities to over 500,000 visitors a year. Major recreational uses include hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, camping, mountain biking, gold panning, equestrian riding trails and off-highway motorcycle riding. Whitewater recreation is also very popular on both forks of [View Full Entry]

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While Holly spent the day attending Carly's bridal shower in Grass Valley, I roamed around Nevada City, originally a mining camp founded along Deer Creek in 1849. Nevada City was at one time the largest and wealthiest mining town in California. At that time the third largest city in California with a population of 10,000. Nevada City's good fortune allowed miners and settlers to enjoy plush gambling establishments, hotels, saloons, and stores. However, like many big cities that sprang up quickly during the rush for instant wealth, early Nevada City shared a darker side of claim jumping, [View Full Entry]

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After much rain, we finally got a week-end of some fine weather and decided to take a short drive along Highway 49 and the very scenic South Yuba River Canyon. This day we made two stops, first at the old Highway 49 bridge. The old Highway 49 bridge (1921) an outstanding example of the concrete Rainbow arch-style construction which was very common in the 1920's. After over 70 years of use, the bridge was closed to automobile traffic in 1993. The old bridge is now used for foot traffic and for viewing the spectacular river canyon, it is a good spot [View Full Entry]

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Thanks for following our 2005 travels through Europe. Hope you enjoyed our journals. As dusk falls over Amsterdam we take a last look out of our hotel room window and see this beautiful sight - Amsterdam at dusk. If all goes well, our plan is to visit The Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary in 2007, in the meanwhile, we'll report from Northern California's Gold Country - its highways and byways. We are acutely aware of the overwhelming beauty and natural wonder just outside our own front door. So long, till next time, we love you! [View Full Entry]

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This is truely an experience, one which I can see doing again. For an admission price of Ten Euros, about Fourteen US Dollars, it is fun and a great value for people who like and appreciate good beer. Admission includes three half-pint glasses of Heineken - one early in the tour at the "Brewhouse Bar" and the last two at the end, in the "See You Again Bar" - as well as a souvenir tin and glass at the very end of your tour. Exhibits include explanations of the brewing process and the history of Heineken. Highlights of the tour include [View Full Entry]

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We stayed in Amsterdam today, got around by walking and taking the tram to various parts of town for music, sightseeing and enjoying the Day of Liberation festivities. The National Celebration Day of Liberation and Freedom was held in Amsterdam with two great events. In the afternoon and evening the big "Bevrijdingsfestival" is organized in the Museumplein, a multicultural festival of music celebrating freedom. The National Celebration concludes in the evening with a festive open-air concert on Amsterdam's Amstel River in front of Theater Carre. In attendance was HM Queen Beatrix and me [View Full Entry]

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Edam is a small village in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands. The town of 7,000 inhabitants is mostly a bedroom community for Amsterdam, but was once a thriving seaport. Now known for its cheese. After spending a few hours in Edam, it was back to Amsterdam for the afternoon and The National Rememberance Ceremony. The National Rememberance Ceremony took place at the National Monument on Dam Square at 8p.m. The square was closed for daily traffic from 4p.m. on. A few minutes before 8p.m., HM Queen Beatrix laid a wreath at the foot of the National Monument. At [View Full Entry]

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The area of the present-day Keukenhof used to consist of woods and virgin dunes in the 15th century. People used to hunt there and collect herbs for the kitchen of the castle. Hence the name "Keukenhof" literally kitchen garden. Every spring Keukenhof is a feast for the eye. Millions of tulips and other bulb flowers are then in bloom, a gardener's dreamland. A fantastic experience and a wonderful spectacle to photograph! An overwhelming display of color in a beautiful setting covering an area of 80 acres that incorporates elements of traditional and modern landscape gardening and art. E [View Full Entry]

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