http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/golfkat/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from golfkat en-us Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:56:07 +0000 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:56:07 +0000 Santa Fe is one of our favorite towns for many reasons. We like the food the southwest atmosphere the proximity to Albuquerque and the old town charm. We are also stopping here on the way back on Sunday night as well. It is hard to believe that Santa Fe is America's fifth most popular city for travelers. Santa Fe was actually settled thirteen years before Plymouth Colony was founded by the http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Santa-Fe/blog-460193.html When I got to New Mexico that was mine. Georgia O'Keefe In this way Georgia O'Keeffe described her instant love for northern New Mexico a love that lasted the rest of her life. The time was 1917 the event was a trip O'Keeffe and her sister Claudia took to New Mexico and Colorado from their home in Canyon Texas. Yet it was 12 years before O'Keeffe returned to New Mexico and even longer befor http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Abiquiu/blog-459839.html Death Valley is the hottest and driest of our National Parks in the U.S. It is the second lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. As the lowest point in North America Badwater a really accurate name sits at 282 feet BELOW sea level. Of course many plants and animals have adapted to life in this harsh desert. People seem to have problems as every year we see or hear stories about people w http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Death-Valley-National-Park/blog-459836.html Fooled you it is Wailuku a small town in north central Maui known for being an industrial town. But it is being rediscovered by travel blogs and magazines as a mecca for good authentic local food. We are in Wailuku to see if it is really true. Our friend Denise has given us a strong recommendation so off we go. This is what Maui Time Weekly says Sam Sato's is one of the last great saimi http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Maui/Kahului/blog-454873.html Wednesday morning we drove back to Portland from lovely Bar Harbor. We hated to BH since the people were so nice the weather cooperated for a change and the Maine lobster was outstanding if not better. So in a driving rain storm for most of the three hour ride back we hit the highways and byways of central Maine. We must have hit every road delay with one way traffic. But as we pulled in http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Massachusetts/Cambridge/blog-444170.html I first heard about this strange sounding place when Bush 41 was President. He had his summer vacation home in Kennebunkport Maine. The Bush Compound originally called Walker's Point has been the family retreat for more than a century. I cringe at the thought of W taking over the place. The was purchased in the late 1800s by a St. Louis banker named George H. Walker. A mansion was built on http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Maine/Kennebunkport/blog-444166.html We are on our way to the only national park in the state of Maine and in fact all of New England Acadia National Park. One distinguishing factor is the park's rich human history that includes Native Americans pilgrims European settlers artists conservationists and others. Each made a mark on this national park. The other is the unusual combination of ocean and mountain scenery. And M http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Maine/Bar-Harbor/blog-444160.html Freeport Maine is known mostly for being the home of the famous L.L. Bean Company. Its flagship store is here open 24 hours a day and said not to even have locks on the doors. In fact I confirmned it no locks on the main doors. The tradition began when predawn hunters could stop by to pick up supplies and equipment on their way out. Personally I am bringing very little so I can shop unt http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Maine/Midcoast/blog-444157.html I was just thinking about the term lobster shack. What does it really mean Is it a remnant from glorious days past or just a term for a building of sorts that happens to front the bay or ocean where lobster are caught Here we go to find out first hand. This is the Maine Office of Tourism Maine lobster is any other kind half as good is the starring item on menus at sophisticated restauran http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Maine/Portland/blog-444152.html We are off to the often overlooked state of Maine and perhaps greater New England.. We are flying into Boston and driving up through New Hampshire perhaps to Vermont and on to Maine. I was in Maine before as a company I worked for had an office in Augusta when we administered the state Medicaid drug program. I also stopped here on my first big trip in 1971 to Europe in Bangor to refuel. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Maine/Portland/blog-444148.html Patagonia is the southernmost portion of South America located in both Chile and Argentina. It comes from the word patagon' used by Ferdinand Magellan to describe the natives that were thought to be giants. In reality the Patagons turned out to be Tehuelches with an average height of 5 feet 11 inches. Patagonia is the land of extremes. Tierra del Fuego is known as the Uttermost End of th http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-440244.html Chile is famous for the Torres del Paine considered by many as the best nature travel destination in all of South America. That is quite a statement considering the Amazon Iguazu Falls the Andes and the glaciers of Patagonia. We bid farewell to Argentina as it has been the highlight of the trip so far. The 11.5 hour bus ride from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas was not too bad after all. We had http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-440260.html Ushuaia pronounced u'swaia Argentina is the world's southernmost city. It is located on the Beagle Channel between Mount Martial and Mounts Olivia and Cinco Hermanos. In winter it is the access point to ski resorts. In summer it is hiking the glaciers and viewing the penguins and whales in the channel. An intriguing activity is riding the End of the World train to Tierra del Fuego Lan http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Tierra-del-Fuego/Ushuaia/blog-440259.html We are off to Buenos Aires Argentina this morning on the 9am flight from Mendoza. This small town has been a nice and restful stop for us except for our driving escapades. But look at it this way. We got our moneys worth on the 200km a day rental car mileage allowance. Dinner last night was a rather quiet deal. We first had a bottle of the champagne that Mike bought in the hotel lobby. No http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/Buenos-Aires/blog-440252.html We diverted the well laid plans and are now in Mendoza in the heart of wine country in Argentina On the flight from Calama to Santiago I said to Mike it is closer to Buenos Aires than it was to Calama. He agreed so we decided if we could get a cheap flight we would go. Well obviously we did. We got the Santiago to Mendoza on to Buenos Aires and back to Santiago for less than 400 U http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Mendoza/Mendoza/blog-440248.html Chile's tremendous length covers a hugely diverse array of landscapes from the desolate moonscape of Chile's Atacama Desert to the fertile vineyards of the Central Valley to the lush rainforests of the Lake District down to the magnificent glaciers and peaks of Patagonia not to mention more than 4830km 3000 miles of coastline and Easter Island. It's truly mindboggling to think of how m http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Atacama/blog-440237.html Valparaiso is the most often visited region of Chile thanks to its proximity to Santiago. It is less than 2 hours from Santiago and is blessed with beautiful beaches. It is known as a center of gastronomical artistic and cultural activity making it a wonderful metropolis. About 400000 people inhabit this beautiful area. We are taking the bus. Hard to believe. Agriculture fruit fishing http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Valparaiso-Region/Vina-del-Mar/blog-440221.html Just about every decent sized city in Central and South America has a Mercado Central. It might be called different names some might be pretty shabby and some might even be worse. But one common thread is that local food local people and loco tourists will be there. We are no different. We are headed there today after a 2 hour tour bus ride. In Santiago the Mercado is a landmark. It has http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Santiago/blog-440214.html Santiago Chile is touted to be one of the most spectacular cities of the world on a clear day after fresh winter showers. The Andes are located to the east and a small coastal range frames the capital to the west. But a clear day is rare here. Pollution and noise are the byword of the inner city. Cambios or money changers line the streets of Providencia. It was Pedro del Valdivia who fou http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Santiago/blog-440206.html I am on my way on the great silver bird to Chile with my good friend Mike. We leave at 8am today on our way to Santiago then after a few days either fly down to Patagonia and then drive back up to Santiago and beyond. Or head to the beach or to the desert to the north or to the wine country or all of the above. Chile is called a land of extremes rather than a land of contrasts. It meande http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Providencia/blog-440199.html