Happy July 4th U.S.A...but no parade in Vienna. We decided to sleep in and do some odds and ends today. Mary needed to purchase a new suitcase; who knew that cobblestones and suitcase rollers don't mix. Mom and I went grocery shopping. Thank goodness the packages had pictures on them. For all I knew I could have been purchasing a can of sardines! We were able though to squeeze in a few hours of sightseeing and stop for a Torte in Café Sacher. The Capuchin Church is very unassuming from the outside, but its importance lies underneath...the Imperial Crypt for members of the Hapsburg dynasty(149; including 12 emperors and 19 empresses). Oddly, it's only the bodies and not the organs that are buried here (guts are in St Stephens Church, and hearts are in Augustinian Church). ... read more

Today was SUMMER palace day...Schonbrunn and Belvedere. Just like Versailles, the Schonbrunn began as a hunting lodge in the 17th century. In the 18th century, Empress Maria Theresa mainly influenced the building activities of what we see today. The Belvedere was the summer palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy. Today the Belvedere houses the Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present day...including Klimt's 'The Kiss'. Our day ended with a walk through Stadpark, and dinner/concert at the Kursalon... read more

The past four days, we have been exploring Yosemite National Park. The pictures below do not capture the true beauty as seen by the human eye, but hopefully they will give you some idea of the wondrous grandeur of this place. "As long as I live, I'll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I'll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I'll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can." - John Muir... read more

Decided we needed a little R&R... We spent the day at the beach, watching surfers, poking around the tide pools, gawking at the elephant seals, and shopping in the quaint little town of Cambria.... read more

Today’s adventure takes us far away from the city and the tourists and lands us in the wild, rugged, unpopulated wilderness coastline of Central California...The Big Sur! First stop is Point Lobos State Reserve which encompasses coves, headlands, meadows, tide pools, and the nation’s first undersea ecological reserve, with kelp forests. The incredible view was being captured by a group of painters. Here we met Stan, a knowledgeable, witty, local who told us all about the animals and vegetation in the area. After driving thru the Carmel Highland, where impressive houses perch on granite cliffs above the sea, we reached the Big Sur coastline. This is an exhilarating driving experience, a twisting cliff hugging drive along the Central California coast. Every hairpin turn discloses another beautiful vista high above the ocean and bridges cross narrow, deep ... read more