We first visited the city of Oaxaca in December, during the dry season so some of our mentions in this article may be seasonally related. For example, some of the fruits we saw in the markets are only ripe during that time of year, and some of the festivals we experienced certainly only occur during December. Oaxaca (elevation 5,084 feet, population 265,000) is located in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. The Oaxaca airport offers … [Read more...]
Palm Springs, CA
The city of Palm Springs quickly conjures up images of swaying palms, amorphous pools, golf courses, the strip, and heat. This is all true; there are many native and non native palm trees, a large plethora of golf courses, good shopping downtown and Palm Springs in the wintertime is often among the warmest areas to visit in the state of California. You can be hiking in the desert canyons nearby and the temperatures can be pushing 80 degrees while … [Read more...]
Palm Springs, CA – Tram Hike
We have visited Palm Springs a number of times in January for the warm wintertime weather. The weather was what we had expected during the day each trip with temperatures in the high 70's and low 80's. In fact the town of Coachella (south of Palm Springs) recorded the nation's high temperature during one of our trips. We were staying with a group of 15 people in a time share condo. The condo was built against the base of a hill, and at night the … [Read more...]
Oaxaca, Mexico – Markets
Oaxaca is known for both its artisan crafts and local foods. Brilliantly colored wood carvings are much sought after by visitors. These carvings often differ dramatically in both quality and price. A general rule is to spend time shopping around - do not purchase the first item you see just because you like it. With so many similar items available, competition is high for your peso. Perhaps you will return to that original item but chances are … [Read more...]
Oaxaca, Mexico – Shopping
Oaxaca offers an incredible variety of shopping experiences. The premium shops are located north of the zocalo, while to the south of the zocalo are less expensive markets and lower-end shops. The highest quality shops can be found on Valdivieso which turns into Alcala, and the parallel street next to it, 5 de Mayo. These stores sell exquisite jewelry, beautiful wooden carvings, hand blown glass, rugs, paintings, ceramics, and other crafts. Some … [Read more...]
Gold Country, CA – Columbia
Columbia is a small mining town in the heart of California's gold country. This town is located on Highway 49 at the intersection of Parrotts Ferry Road and also Big Hill Road. Columbia is between an arm of New Melones Dam and the town of Sonora. This town is well worth a visit. In one month in 1850 after gold was discovered nearby, Columbia grew by 5000 people. In 20 years between 1850 and 1870 over 87 million in gold was extracted from the … [Read more...]
Spokane, WA – The Trip
This is a general outline of a recent trip to Spokane, including parts of Idaho and Montana. The total trip took 10 days and was in early August. The best time for warmer weather and more comfortable conditions is between mid July and mid August. Because gold mining was one of the main reasons for the trip several days below show "gold mining" as the main activity. We rented a car from Thrifty at the Spokane Airport and made a circle covering … [Read more...]
Spokane, WA – Coeur d’ Alene
Coeur d' Alene is the name of a city (population 30,600) and also a lake. Lake Coeur d' Alene has been called "one of the 5 most beautiful in the world" by National Geographic. And one can experience this relaxing on her shores some warm summer day. When the sun is out the water is extremely blue. Pine trees grow around the water's edge and forests cover the surrounding hills. The resort town of the same name is located along its shores. A … [Read more...]
Spokane, WA – Kalispell
Kalispell is located in the Flathead Valley between the West Glacier entrance and Big Flathead Lake. The city has a population of 23,000 and is located on Montana's most dangerous road, the 93 Highway. In fact no sooner had I left Kalispell, I ran into slow traffic. I was caught in a traffic jam for only a minute or two before a firetruck came racing up from behind. After another 10 minutes, I passed the accident just as they were loading the … [Read more...]
San Francisco, CA – Driving
San Francisco is NOT a car friendly city for many reasons; it is a very difficult city to drive in. In general, drivers in San Francisco tend to be aggressive and quick to honk. There are numerous hills and many are extremely steep. Space is at a premium in San Francisco - especially on the streets. Some streets do not allow parallel curb parking. They are so steep that you must park your car perpendicular to the curb. There are quite a few … [Read more...]