The multitude of pigeons in Old San Juan encourages the presence of their inevitable counterparts: legions of feral cats. Like pigeons, cats are a common sight along the Old Town’s narrow streets. They look healthy and seem to get regularly fed by fellow city residents. Many are friendly and curious, but most are watchfully uninterested–like cats … Continue reading
Though not the brightest nor the most astonishing memory, I keep thinking about one day of our American Southwest vacation: the day we visited two very different craters, walked among lava flows and cinder hills, and saw ruins of ancient Native American dwellings just as the dusk approached. Arizona’s Meteor Crater, Sunset Crater Volcano National … Continue reading
“…for glory of scenery and stupendous scenic effects [Zion] cannot be surpassed…It is a marvelous piece of Nature’s handiwork that is worth going a long distance to see.” (Thomas Moran, artist) We almost missed Zion. It was difficult to tear ourselves away from the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, and, for a moment, we even thought … Continue reading
When geologist and poet Clarence Dutton first came upon the hoodoos of Bryce Canon, he perceived them as “the work of giant hands, a race of genie once rearing temples of rock.” The view does inspire quiet, stunned astonishment. From northern Arizona with its bewitching slot canyons and other geologic wonders, we rushed to catch the sunset … Continue reading
I visit Philadelphia’s art museums several times a year, but only recently, to my embarrassment, got to explore the city’s Historic District. The cradle of the United States, this was where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were written and signed and where five of the country’s first presidents lived, at least temporarily, … Continue reading
I was smitten with San Juan. Traveling there for a conference recently, I was looking for a good place to stay when the conference hotel got full. A friend of a friend recommended we stay in the old town, away from large hotel chains. I am so glad I followed her advice: staying at the … Continue reading
Did you know that July is the lotus season in DC? Last week, I wrote about my late-June stroll through the serene and beautiful Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, “where water and wind dance,” and the lotus ponds were just beginning their bloom. This weekend, I went back for the park’s Lotus and Water Lily Festival. Ponds upon ponds of … Continue reading
In summer heat, a getaway to a subterranean kingdom of perpetual cool and fairy-tale names like “Titania’s Veil” and “Giant’s Hall” is a temptation hard to ignore. Luray Caverns in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley is only an hour and a half away from Washington. The cave is a popular attraction in the summer, but the first tour … Continue reading
Would you like to be carried away from the hot cement and marble of a DC summer, all within city limits? Wake up early enough for an 8 AM stroll among water lilies and lotus colonies at the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, one of DC’s most delectable hidden treasures. A patchwork of ponds give way to … Continue reading
If you find yourself in Old San Juan in time for the sunset, head to the San Juan Gate on the western side of town. For over two centuries, the gate has opened onto Paseo del Morro, a trail nestled between the San Juan Bay and the weather-beaten City Wall. Large rocks face the Bay, warm … Continue reading
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