Seattle is our favorite American city, and among our favorite in the world. Seattle has it all, great shopping, outstanding food, very walkable, interesting music venues, and some liquid sunshine in between bright, sunny days. It is a town where you can wear most anything in your wardrobe, at one time or another. But bring good walking shoes and a cheap umbrella. We always stay in Belltown, since it is close to our favorite restaurants and downtown shopping. Our current favorite is Hotel Andra at 4th and Virginia. Others on our list include: Inn at the Market, Pensione Nichols, and In [View Full Entry]

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Everyone has told me I am too young to have a Morgan Freemam style "bucket list". So, this is a transitional water pail list to bridge me over to that particular time in one's life. 1. Take Amtrak across the United States. 2. Visit all of the National Parks in the West. 3. Make a hole in one (on a golf course). 4. See a tennis match at Wimbledon. 5. Meet the Seven Dwarfettes of Menopause. 6. Cook a great meal. 7. Compete in the Amazing Race. 8. Build a school or clinic in SE Asia. 9. Receive the best gift [View Full Entry]

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Little did we know what we had in store when we agreed to meet our dear friends, Ken and Debbie in Penticton, BC in the Okanagan Valley. We were meeting them to attend the Elvis Festival, play some golf, and perhaps taste some wine in the increasingly famous Okanagan wine region of British Columbia. So, after a fabulous dinner at a rather schmaltzy Italian joint, we walked on over to the auditorium in this little town for the first night of the Elvis Fest. The first night was focused on professional Elvis impersonators, led by the famous Elvis Vegas from Australia. [View Full Entry]

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You would not think of Las Vegas as a great venue for a family reunion. But my older relatives all love Las Vegas, especially the downtown area on Fremont Street. Since they are Vegas regulars, they get very inexpensive or complimentary rooms at the three Sam Boyd casinos: Main Street, California, and Fremont. We usually get together for a three day vacation and reunion. We fly, usually on a package deal, but my other relatives either drive or take a bus package from Los Angeles. But perhaps the big draw for old downtown Vegas are the restaurants, since they cater to [View Full Entry]

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Little did we know, that so many years ago, the Mayor of Tokyo did our nation a big favor. In 1912, the Mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki, gave our country and President William Taft about 3000 cherry trees. They were planted amongst the memorials, like the Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Roosevelt. It is a once in a lifetime viewing event, on the level of the Rose Parade, the Mardi Gras, or Bastille Day. The peak time happens to be this week, with many events, including Saturday's big parade. Your friend and mine, Alex Trebek will be the Grand Marshall. After the [View Full Entry]

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Since we have a dog, we are always looking for a dog friendly hotel. The most famous of all dog friendly hotels is Doris Day's Cypress Inn in Carmel, CA. It is located just a block off of well known Ocean Avenue. At the check in desk, a large bowl of dog treats sits on the counter. A few more steps leads us to the bar, where dogs are welcome. We have been here on several occasions. The walls are covered with Hollywood black and white photos and movie posters. Doris and Rock Hudson are quite prominently displayed. While the rooms [View Full Entry]

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I just remembered that I went to the Final Four in 1972, at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. I realize that the Final Four and March Madness has taken on new meaning since that time, when most of you were probably not born yet. But it was famed UCLA Coach John Wooden's 8th of his unmatchable ten National Championships in basketball. For the record, UCLA beat Florida State by a score of 81-76 on March 25, 1972, at the Sports Arena. Bill Walton, the Bruin center, was the tournament's Most Valuable Player. In those days, only 25 schools were in the [View Full Entry]

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While it is sad to bring this trip to an end, we are pleased to get home, and back to our little pal, Buddy. Sheri has really missed him. I will have to admit the little mutt has grown on me, especially since I retired, and play with him almost every day back home. The trip to Japan has been a real revelation. Perhaps I was avoiding it due to my embarrassment in not being able to speak the language. But, with a little more practice, I think we can come back in a few years and do much better than [View Full Entry]

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Now that we know the lay of the land slightly better, we are ready for a full scale assault on this City. But, I can't help feeling that, much like NYC, LA, or London, we will only scratch the surface. On another subject, for a country that takes baths to new heights, or shall we say, strives to keep the tradition, the tubs in the hotels are not very big. Perhaps the Japanese here are smaller, and much narrower than we in the States. But the water pressure is better than ours back home. And the towels are pretty good, though [View Full Entry]

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It seemed like it took us forever to plan this trip to Japan. We have been fortunate to see many other countries first. I can certainly see why they are a world economic power. Their people work so hard. The Japanese people raise their children much differently than American families. The kids are pretty much spoiled and coddled to an extreme. But somehow they turn out great. My Uncle across the street married a nice lady from Japan. She raised her three daughters in a typical Japanese style, with very little discipline. She turned out three great daughters, one a success [View Full Entry]

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