Know what’s better than renting a villa in Sedona…..having friends that rent a villa in Sedona!!! Mary and Jerry Edwards, good friends for many years,…
Beautiful Arid-zona….. Ah, yes! Just a mild 107F by 3pm but like everyone says, “It’s a dry heat”. Think about that. Dry heat cooking is…
To our most loyal follower….Barb. Sorry for the long hiatus, enjoy! Made it to our home in Arizona (well, for the next month anyway!). The…
Settled on a home in north Scottsdale for the month of September. This home is 3300 sq. ft., has a large pool and covered patio,…
Not sure if you remember but one of our multiple flight changes from United was the cancellation of our flight from Auckland. Not a reschedule,…
Well, not quite as exotic as Thailand or New Zealand, our next adventure will be a month in the beautiful state of Arizona. Arizona is…
Since we did a wrap up of New Zealand, its only fair that we do one for Thailand. We had three wonderful weeks in Thailand…
After a couple of months in beautiful New Zealand, there are a few things we learned and would like to share with everyone. In short,…
Left Napier early morning for our 5+hr drive back to Auckland. The route takes us on many of the same roads we have traveled during…
No trip would be complete without first trying some of the local wines. Hawke’s Bay is a fairly well known as it is the second…
Just under 2hrs drive from Napier is Great Lake Taupo. We’re heading there today to see the ancient Maori carvings and maybe enjoy a little…
Originating in Paris just before WW1, Art Deco style was an attempt to visually enhance the appearance of objects through the use of symmetrical, geometric…
On 03 February 1931, Napier was hit by a devastating earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale and lasting for 2 ½ minutes. Most of…
So we drove for another hour or so from Lake Rotorua to get to Waitomo and the famous glow worm caves. This is a major…
After driving here for more than a month, I’ve come to realize that there are a few things drivers should know before committing to being…
Ended our time in Ahipara and bid goodbye to Helen and a wonderful home. We really enjoyed our time here and the views were magnificent,…
The Cape Reinga lighthouse is our destination today, and while on the way, we hope to find 90 Mile Beach. The lighthouse is what we…
Arrived in Auckland after our 10hr flight from Bangkok. Uneventful but I will say, Thai Airways is a very nice airline. The staff is attentive,…
The family leaves tomorrow so we said our goodbyes and had a nice dinner at the hotel. Collette and I always enjoy when family or…
Ao Phang Nga (pronounced, “Aye Oh Fang Nah”) National Park is an area that consists mostly of the limestone islands called “tower karsts” located in…
We arrived early afternoon and were met by our driver for the 1hr ride to Karon Beach where our hotel, the Hilton Arcadia is located….
We drove for a short time and arrived at the border crossing between Thailand and Myanmar (Burma). Not much of an event here, we just…
Up early and had a good buffet breakfast. Sart and Mr. Noon arrived right on time so back into the van for our drive to…
The “White Temple” as it is known to most, began as a modest but unconventional replacement for the aging original temple located on this same…
Silk is simply fascinating. If you’ve never seen how silk is made, you won’t believe what I am about to tell you. Lets start with…
As part of our touring plan for Thailand, we booked a guide to take us north to the mountain tribes and border towns. There are…
At exactly 6:30pm, Dewey, our food tour guide, showed up in the hotel lobby to take us on an eating adventure. People had cautioned us…
Joe dropped us off at the airport and we said our goodbyes and thanks for a great tour. Certainly would recommend him to anyone visiting…
Another early start as we headed off to do a full day of touring. The drive to the Summer Palace took about 1hr in already…
I had a little surprise for Justin, I had bought tickets to a Muay Thai match for tonight. We went to the stadium to enjoy…
Today we met Joe early in the morning so we could drive to one of the most unusual and amazing markets in Thailand, the Train…
Joe had arranged for lunch to be aboard one of the various ships that cruise up and down the Chao Phraya river. Ours will be…
Wat Pho is the temple that houses the Reclining Buddha and is located just down the street (easy walking distance) from the Grand Palace. Built…
Our first full day of touring with Bangkok Joe will be to the Grand Palace complex. Because we are just across the river, we only…
Our niece, Jessie, is probably the best foodie we know. She loves to try different foods and isn’t the first bit afraid of if it…
The alley where Baan Wanglang Hotel is located is really a massive street market that has everything a person could want from food to clothing…
Joe met us at the door as planned and loaded us up in his 10 passenger van. Joe will be our guide for the next…
Up early to make our 6:30am flight on Jetstar airlines to Auckland. Nice airline, similar to Southwest or Frontier offering discounted flights and pay-for-everything service….
Apparently, while driving to Akaroa I was a little on the fast side. Today, 16 Apr 2017 I received an “infringement” notice from the rental…
Ingrid, the lady who we rented a home from in Nelson, said we should try to visit Akaroa once we reach Christchurch. It’s only about…
On February 22, 2011 at 12:15pm, an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, struck Christchurch. The center was 10km (6 miles) outside of town…
Had another good breakfast with Allan and Keri and said goodbye to our digs in Oamaru. The drive to Christchurch should take us about 2hrs…
Finally caught a fish in New Zealand and wouldn’t you know it, it started raining! Took the long way home….. Fun graffiti on the restroom…
Had a good breakfast with Allan and Keri and had an interesting conversation about “Obamacare”, my favorite subject. Usual fare, toast, bacon, yogurt, and Allan’s…
One of Collette’s finds in Oamaru area were the Moeraki Boulders. These unusual rocks are round, like giant marbles, with some type of crystal/mineral deposit…