Mariposa Grove, Yosemite, California, USA

June 20, 2026

Mariposa Grove is the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite and is home to more than 500 mature trees, many of which are over 2,000 years old. They are the largest species of tree by volume, meaning no other tree species in the world contains as much wood in a single trunk.

Their bark can be up to 2 feet thick which protects them from heat and fires. In 2022 a fire that started near the bottom of the grove burned about 5000 acres but because of decades of forest management and an intensive fire fighting effort none of the mature giant sequoias were lost. Many do however have blackened trunks. In fact, sequoias commonly carry fire scars for centuries while they continue to grow.

The Grizzly Giant is estimated to be around 3,000 years old and is among the world’s largest sequoias.

The California Tunnel Tree is a living tree with a man-made tunnel carved through its trunk in 1895.

Tioga Road, Yosemite, California, USA

June 20, 2026

Yosemite is notorious for the crowds it attracts in summer. Having faced ever-increasing crowds the day before, we decided to go for a drive along Tioga Road, a spectacular mountain road which is still in the Park but farther away from the maddening crowds.

Our first stop was Olmsted Point. The overlook is named for American landscape architects, Frederick Law Olmsted and his son Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., who were influential figures in American conservation and park planning. The exposed granite, polished rock surfaces, and broad views back toward Half Dome make it a very beautiful place to stop.

Next stop was Tenaya Lake, named after Chief Tenaya, a leader of the Ahwahneechee people who lived in the Yosemite valley. Carved by glacial activity during the Ice Age, its crystal clear waters and sandy shores make if a perfect spot for a picnic and swim.

Or final stop was Tuolumne Meadows, a vast subalpine meadow at about 8,600 feet (2,620 meters) above sea level.

Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California, USA

June 19, 2026

Yosemite National Park is one of those rare places (like The Grand Canyon and Milford Sound) that, despite the hype, actually exceed expectations. We weren’t surprised that it has been named the most beautiful place in California.

In 1864, the United States Congress passed legislation that was signed by President Abraham Lincoln creating the Yosemite Grant. It was the first time that land had been set aside specifically for preservation and public use by the U.S. Government and set a precedent for the 1872 creation of Yellowstone National Park, the nation’s first.

Interestingly, the indigenous Ahwahneechee people who lived at Yosemite actually called it Ahwahnee meaning “big mouth” probably describing the big open shape of the Yosemite valley. The name Yosemite is believed to come from a term used by the neighboring Milwok people to refer to the Ahwahneechee and has been translated to mean “those who kill”, likely referencing their fierce reputation.

We spent two idyllic days exploring the park with our nephew Christopher and his better half, Carla. The first iconic site we saw on entering the valley was El Capitan, perhaps the world’s most famous climbing wall. It rises straight up for about 3,000 feet (914 meters). In 2017, Alex Honnold became the first person to climb it without ropes, an achievement captured in the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo. It is one of the most terrifying things we have seen on film. Unfortunately, the photos don’t do justice to just how immense it is.

There are many beautiful walks in the valley, some ending in dramatic waterfalls.

We were reminded of Woody Woodpecker from the cartoon of our childhood watching these two woodpeckers go to work on a tree.

New Zealand vs. Iran, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, California, USA

June 15, 2026

The soccer World Cup is currently underway in North America and as luck would have it New Zealand was playing Iran in Los Angeles at SoFi stadium, home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. Opened in 2020, it is a state of the art stadium with a curving polymer roof and a unique double sided video board that weighs over 2 million pounds (1,000 metric tons). The stadium holds over 70,000 people and with its towering stands, it is not unlike the World Cup quidditch stadium in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Los Angeles has one of the largest Iranian communities outside Iran itself, and we think that most of them must have been at the ground, because it definitely felt like a home game for Iran. When they scored the sound was deafening. But that does not mean that those at the game were necessarily fans of the current regime. In fact, it appeared to be just the opposite, with many fans booing the national anthem which had been adopted by the Islamic state in 1990. Many also waved the the Lion and Sun flag that was Iran’s national flag before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The flag has become a symbol of Iranian identity, protest and support for democratic change. FIFA’s ban of the flag as a political symbol appeared to be widely ignored, based on the number of flags being waved both outside and inside the stadium. The game ended in a 2-2 draw which seemed to be a fair result.

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California, USA

June 7, 2026

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the current World Champions of baseball. Although, that might be overstating it a bit, because Major League Baseball actually only includes teams from the United States and Canada. Our son, Ben, arranged a family outing to see the Dodgers play their crosstown rivals, the Angels.

It was an opportunity to see Shohei Ohtani who is perhaps the greatest baseball player of all time. The Japanese player signed a contract after the 2023 season with the Dodgers worth around $700 million. Unfortunately, we didn’t see him hit one of his prodigious home runs, although he did have a couple of hits.

Practically every second fan was wearing one of his jerseys. Lauren and her sister Marcy decided to get in on the act.

Although the Dodgers got crushed by the Angels, nobody seemed to mind much. Eating, drinking and socializing seemed more important than the actual game.

Peanuts and Cracker Jacks are a baseball staple. Hence, the lyrics of the famous song. “Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the crowd, buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks, I don’t care if I never come back”. For the uninitiated, Cracker Jacks are a type of caramel popcorn. Back in our childhood they used to come in boxes and included a small plastic toy which was undoubtedly a choking hazard. Nowadays you get a paper-based surprise, puzzle, sticker or code that unlocks a digital game.

Hot dogs are also a fan favorite, especially at Dodgers stadium home of the famous Dodgers Dog.

Speaking of dogs, it was bring your dog to the game day. A large number of our furry friends had dressed for the occasion and appeared to be enjoying their day out.

Chanticleer, Wayne, Pennsylvania, USA

May 7, 2026

We had not heard of the gardens at Chanticleer until our friends Dale and Joe recently sang its praises. We are grateful that they did because they are the most beautiful gardens that we have ever visited. Located in Wayne, just outside Philadelphia, the gardens are on the estate of The Rosengarten family, whose pharmaceutical company later became part of Merck. The estate was transformed into a public garden after Adolph Rosengarten Jr. established the Chanticleer foundation and opened it to the public in 1993.

There is a large staff of gardeners many of whom are also designers and artists. Different sections of the property have distinct personalities, and many garden structures, including benches, gates, fountains and furniture are handmade by the staff. Chanticleer is derived from the old French name for rooster, so there were plenty of sculptures of roosters to be seen during our tour.

We were joined by our friend Charlet and Lauren’s sister, Marion, who lives nearby.

Lauren and Marion

We liked the mural painted on the inside of this little half buried building that showed two dog trying to reach some prey tucked safely underground in their burrows.

There are two beautiful homes on the property, a guest and a main house.

There were plenty of spots to sit and enjoy the garden on the handcrafted furniture.

Some of the wooden seats actually looked like leather.

Many of the gardens and pots had vegetables, particularly lettuce mixed in with the plants and flowers. Apparently, there is a high fence around the estate to keep out the deer. We are not sure how they kept the rabbits away.

There were also beautifully crafted bridges.

Including this one that was built to look like a fallen tree.

And if you got thirsty there were also handcrafted water fountains.

The Japanese garden had a koi pond.

And a beautiful restroom with artwork and freshly cut flowers.

There was a third home on the property that had been partially torn down to create a ruin garden.

Even the utility shed was beautiful.

There was a stunning pergola draped in white wisteria.

We came across this little guy enjoying the sunshine.

We might be breaking a record here for the most photos in one of our blog posts but there was just so much to see.

What looked to us like a manuka tree was decked in pretty pink blossoms.

There were fields of rye cut into flowing patterns.

The paths through the forests in the Japanese garden were covered in pine needles that were very pleasant to walk on.

In other parts the paths were made of cut stone.

There was not much sculpture in the garden but we liked this colorful sculpture made to look like bamboo.

We particularly liked this unusual chandelier primrose that dotted the small creeks.

And this large grouping of ferns.

There was a vegetable garden.

National Cathedral, Washington DC, USA

May 1, 2026

The 97th Annual Flower Mart is taking place this weekend at the National Cathedral. We went for a visit with our neighbor and good friend Charlet. Along with the plant and flower market, there were stalls selling crafts and gifts, food stands, and lots of activities for kids.

The Cathedral may look like a medieval European cathedral but it was, in fact, built during the twentieth century and wasn’t completed until 1990. The craftsmanship is such that it is difficult to distinguish it from an original medieval cathedral, although the Darth Vader gargoyle and the stained glass window that includes an actual piece of moon rock brought back on Apollo 11 may be a giveaway. That and the fact that apart from the odd Viking, no Europeans actually lived on the continent until after Medieval times.

We started out by walking the grounds and checking out the stalls.

Then we went for a look inside the Cathedral where various embassies had provided flower arrangements which looked particularly beautiful backed up by the stained glass windows. This is from The Ukraine.

And this is from Hong Kong.

The light from the nearby stained glass window gave an idea of what George Washington would have looked like if he’d gone clubbing.

Abraham Lincoln, on the other hand, was much more subdued.

Like much in the Cathedral, the tapestries looked original but were, in fact, beautiful replicas made using medieval techniques.

Located on the Cathedral grounds is one of Washington’s most beautiful gardens. The Bishop’s Garden was designed by George Burnap in the early twentieth century to reflect the medieval cathedral gardens of Europe. Like the Cathedral itself most of the stonework pieces in the garden are replicas of original medieval works. It is a peaceful place to sit and contemplate.