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 lookContinue reading “National Cathedral, Washington DC, USA”
Tag Archives: travel
Jamestown, Virginia, USA
April 8, 2006 Jamestown is the site of America’s first permanent English settlement. In 1606, three ships set sail from England with a charter from the London Company to establish a colony in the New World. These ships have been faithfully rebuilt and looked surprisingly small to cross an ocean. Apparently, the settlers purposely usedContinue reading “Jamestown, Virginia, USA”
Mission San Gabriel Arcangel, San Gabriel, California, USA
February 7, 2026 The Mission San Gabriel Arcangel was founded in 1771 and is the fourth of the historic missions. It is sometimes referred to as the “Godmother of the Los Angeles”. The Franciscan friars planted vineyards at all of the California missions out of a need for sacramental wine used during Mass. This vineContinue reading “Mission San Gabriel Arcangel, San Gabriel, California, USA”
USS Midway, San Diego, California, USA
January 20, 2026 Commissioned just eight days after the end of World War II, USS Midway was the largest aircraft carrier in the world until 1955 as well as the first ship that was too big to go through the Panama Canal. She operated for 47 years and saw action in the Vietnam war andContinue reading “USS Midway, San Diego, California, USA”
San Juan Capistrano / Laguna Beach, California, USA
January 8, 2026 San Juan Capistrano is a town in Orange County, about an hour’s drive south of Long Beach. We started our visit there by having lunch in the Los Rios Historic District, which is California’s oldest continuously inhabited residential neighborhood. The main attraction in the town is its Mission. There are 21 historicContinue reading “San Juan Capistrano / Laguna Beach, California, USA”
San Luis Obispo, California, USA
September 26, 2015 San Luis Obispo (often known simply as SLO) is a city of about 50,000 and is the home of California Polytechnic State University. It is named after San Luis, Obispo de Talosa (Saint Louis, bishop of Toulouse). Louis (1274-1297) was the second son of King Charles II of Naples, but having beenContinue reading “San Luis Obispo, California, USA”
Central Coast, California, USA
September 25, 2025 After the Spanish style buildings of Santa Barbara, Cambria was decidedly western. In fact, it reminded us quite a lot of Winter Park, the small ski town where we met in Colorado. Our original intent had been to follow the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) all the way up to Carmel, but itContinue reading “Central Coast, California, USA”
Santa Barbara, California, USA
September 24, 2025 Santa Barbara was our first stop on our trip north along the California coast. It is a very pretty city. We started our exploration by walking along the palm lined beach. And then out onto Stearns Wharf. It was originally built in 1872 but facing a number of disasters, including an earthquakeContinue reading “Santa Barbara, California, USA”
Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand
April 1, 2025 Another day walking around Parnell, passing the usual mix or houses, apartments and light commercial buildings. Washington DC readers will find the colors of this house rather familiar. All hail the Commanders! Owners of one of these houses might want to ask their neighbor for the name of their painter. This houseContinue reading “Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand”
Hillsborough / Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand
March 8, 2025 The Pah Homestead is a historic home located in the Auckland suburb of Hillsborough. It is, currently, owned by the Auckland Council and is operated as an art gallery. It was built in the 1870s for businessman James Williamson. Among other things, Williamson was a Member of Parliament and co-founder of theContinue reading “Hillsborough / Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand”
Mal and Lauren 