Category: Experience

 

Find content I have written about by a specific experience topic.

This is Africa: A Hot Air Balloon Safari in the Masai Mara

Our first African safari – a dream come true. My husband and I had been planning this trip for over a year and had included all of our wish list items. The only optional excursion offered on our tour was a hot air balloon safari in the Masai Mara. We decided to opt in for this activity, though I was very apprehensive going into it. I have a huge fear of heights and I was not sure if I would be able to handle the ride without getting a bad case of vertigo. I was really torn, because this would be a once in a lifetime activity and there was no turning back once it started.

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PhotoPOSTcard: Floating Above Kenya’s Maasai Mara

We started our first full day in Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve with an early morning hot air balloon ride over the grasslands, floating softly over the landscape as the sun rose behind us. We looked down on these wilderbeests as they strutted along, their bodies half covered by the tall grasses that covered the landscape from horizon to horizon.

Such and amazing and memorable experience in an amazing  location.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

 

 

PhotoPOSTcard: Portland’s Classical Lan Su Chinese Garden

Despite being surrounded by busy city streets, the walled Lan Su Chinese Garden is a peaceful oasis in the Old Town Chinatown section of Portland, Oregon. The garden is designed along the lines of a classical Chinese garden found in Suzhou, Portland’s sister city in China. About 90% of the plants in the garden are native to China, though they all came from gardens and nurseries in Oregon. The garden is only the size of a city block, but with its many paths, garden rooms and garden structures, it feels much bigger. Escape here for a few hours of calm and quiet with a cup of tea and almond cookies after a busy day of sightseeing.

Please note that my stay in Portland was hosted by Travel Portland. All content and opinions are my own.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

A Spring Day in My Favorite Portland Gardens

Whenever I page through gardening magazines, the gardens that always catch my eye are invariable located in the Pacific Northwest of the US. With a mild climate and good soil, it is not surprising that Washington, Oregon and northern California boast wonderful gardens. I was fortunate to be able to recently explore four of the best Portland gardens in the spring.

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Legacy, History and Community Connect on The Tualatin Valley Quilt Barn Trail

Barns and quilts. Both of these represent unique aspects of America’s traditional farming heritage. Today, old barns and old quilts are lovingly preserved as a link to a slowly disappearing lifestyle. What better way to foster awareness of America’s legacy and history than a Quilt Barn (or Barn Quilt) Trail through the rural landscape.

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Discovering a Patchwork of Experiences on the Tualatin Valley Quilt Barn Trail

I followed the Quilt Barn Trail in Tualatin Valley, Oregon, and discovered great places to eat global, drink local, play with Mother Nature and love my stay in a fun and quirky lodge. You do not have to be a quilter to experience and enjoy this destination that is barely 30 minutes west of Portland, OR.

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Bathing Like a Sultan – Overcoming Naked Inhibitions in a Turkish Bath in Istanbul

Enjoying a hamam, or Turkish bath in Istanbul is a unique experience in Turkey. I wanted to try it on my first visit to Istanbul, but to do so, I would have to set aside my inhibitions about being seen naked by strangers. Could I do that?

I know I have a typical American hang up about public nudity. Hollywood may show a lot of bare skin, but that’s not me on that screen. Plus, at my age, I feel like I am losing both the battle of the bulge and the battle with gravity. I am not sure that I really should subject the world to seeing my body without clothes on.

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PhotoPOSTcard: A Balanced Breakfast

Simit is a common street food in Istanbul.  Dough is formed into a ring, dipped in grape molasses and sesame seeds and then baked. Vendors sell it from street carts, or, as in this case, by carrying a tower of freshly baked simit around the neighborhood to sell to local residents. This gives a whole new meaning to a balanced breakfast.

Thanks for visiting

Rose