Nara Park, only 45 minutes by train from Osaka, is home to hundreds of Sika Deer that roam the city freely.
Arashiyama – The Ryokan Experience and Nature
After a few days in Osaka and Kyoto, we moved outside of the big city to Arashiyama; located on the outskirts of Kyoto. This is more of my kind of town since I'm not a big-city kind of guy. However, the big cities in Japan are remarkably clean, safe, and quiet compared to the rest …
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Osaka and Kyoto – cities and temples
It turns out we picked a few temples for the itinerary. I didn't know what to see in Japan. So when we decided to travel to Japan, my wife did most of the planning. Looking at the map, there are too many temples to see them all, but I suppose we made it to the …
Hong Kong – outside the big city at Big Buddha and Tai O
With one free day in Hong Kong, there is only so much you can do. There are several options for popular tourist attractions. Despite Hong Kong being a rather small area, there is still a lot of ground to cover. Since we were stuck in a city during our previous day in Macau, we opted …
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The Macau-Hong Kong Ferry- A snarky review
There are few options when traveling between Macau and Hong Kong. The fastest and most economical method is the ferry (or water jet). It costs the equivalent of $25 USD. There is also an option to take a helicopter, but I assumed that the cost of that ride would cost slightly more than the ferry. …
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An abbreviated tour of Macau (without gambling)
A few days after arriving in Guangzhou for the start of our trip, we were headed to Macau, a Special Administrative Regions (SAR) of China. Macau is known for it's casinos and gambling industry. We weren't there to gamble, just to check it out for the day (half of a day really) before taking a …
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9999 steps to the top of China’s tallest waterfall
If you were to guess where the biggest waterfall in China is located, what would you say? China is home to some of the biggest mountains and longest rivers in the world, it would have to be near one of them right? That's what I would have thought. About halfway up the mountain An hour …
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Preparation for 3 weeks in China and Japan
Here is a very basic itinerary for 3 weeks in China and Japan: Guangzhou, Macau, Hong Kong, Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara. Included in this post is an essentials packing list. In addition, there are some suggestions for what to pack and how to keep it lightweight. Traveling light can make life easier and more enjoyable.
A weekend backpacking in Dolly Sods, WV
And it was dry! I open with that statement because Dolly Sods is notorious for wet and soggy conditions. It is a minor accomplishment to be there when it is not raining. There wasn't much rain in the weeks leading up to our weekend, so that allowed for many of the "slushy" trails to dry …
Is it really time to go? – One last drive through the Southwest
After a month and a half of free-spirited travel across the US, through California and the Southwest, I found myself at a crossroads. I could start driving home and hit a few places on "my list" on the road east, or I could take a week to try and squeeze a few more places into …
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One week to see the Southwest – Nevada + Four corners
Heads up on this post: it's a long one. Hopefully you can make it through, and if you could help me out with whether you thought it was too long or whatever, I appreciate all feedback. August 2 After putting the finishing touches on my car organization, I picked up Lily at the airport at …
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The return inland – San Francisco to Vegas
After almost 3 weeks along the California coast, it was finally time to drive to Vegas. It was a Tuesday and I had to be there Friday morning. No problem! What is on the way to Vegas? Well, Yosemite National Park is on the way (if you take a slightly longer route). Even though I …
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