Life is a patchwork of experiences
On my fourth visit, I was ready to experience Japan off the beaten path on a cruise with Heritage Expeditions.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
My tour around Japan with Heritage Expeditions, ended, literally, with a big bang!
Continue reading “Japan Off The Beaten Path With Heritage Expeditions”
In this Heritage Expeditions Review I share all my expereinces cruising around Japan on the beautiful Heritage Adventurer expedition ship.
I love cruising, especially small ship cruising. I also love Japan – it’s one of my favorite travel destinations. So, a cruise on the Heritage Adventurer expedition ship that took me to some of Japan’s less visited sights was a dream come true.
Continue reading “A Heritage Expeditions Review – Cruising in Style on the Heritage Adventurer”
On two of my visits to Kyoto, I took a traditional fabric dyeing class at the Kyoto Shibori Museum which preserves and promotes the old traditions for producing decorative Japanese textiles.
The Kyoto Shibori Museum preserves and promotes a disappearing tradition for producing decorative Japanese textiles. On my two visits to the museum, I learned that the Japanese art of shibori fabric dyeing is to tie dying like Leonardo da Vince’s Mona Lisa is to a paint by number canvas – it’s a whole different world of artistry.
I tried a couple of the museum’s shibori dyeing classes where I learned all about this ancient Japanese technique and also went home with a beautiful handmade souvenir. Continue reading “Experience the Kyoto Shibori Museum – Keeping an Ancient Artistic Tradition Alive”
Getting to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park from Tokyo was an easy day trip that I did on my own during my winter visit to Japan.
Ever since I watched the PBS Nature episode about Japanese snow monkeys, I hoped that one day I might be able to see them in person. When I had the chance to visit Japan in winter with my husband, we took the opportunity to do a day trip to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park from Tokyo.
The experience with the snow monkeys was as engaging and entertaining as anything I could have wished for. In many ways, it was like looking in a mirror.
Continue reading “Exploring Japan’s Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park From Tokyo – A Look in the Mirror”
Mount Mitake National Park is not far from the hustle and bustle of central Tokyo, but with its peaceful setting, it feels a world away. I enjoyed a Tokyo day trip for a Mount Mitake hike and discovered that in Japan nature and religion come together on top of a mountain.
Mount Mitake in Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park was a green and peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of nearby Tokyo. Only 90 minutes away, it was easily accessible and provided a non touristy cultural experience as I hiked with the locals past shrines, waterfalls, and a natural moss covered rock garden.
Continue reading “A Day Trip From Tokyo For a Mount Mitake Hike – Where Nature and Religion Meet”
I’ve been to Miyajima, Japan twice in the last few years and am sharing my experiences on how I spent one day in Miyajima.
Miyajima, Japan is most famous for the photos of its floating torii gate. But this lovely little island offers up lots of gorgeous scenery, both man made and natural. I visited Miyajima twice on recent trips to Japan and this is how I spent my day on Miyajima exploring its photogenic treasures.
Continue reading “A Visit to Japan’s Most Sacred Island – One Day In Miyajima”
A visit to the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park should be on all Japan travel itineraries. I’ve been fortunate in that I had the opportunity to visit twice, most recently during my small ship cruise with Heritage Expeditions.
The original version of this story was recognized with an Honorable Mention in the 2018 North American Travel Journalists Association Competition in the Historical Travel-Online category.
As a teenager, I learned about the devastating effects of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. On my visits to the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park as an adult many years later, I encountered present day Japanese teenagers learning their history in this living classroom for peace.
Continue reading “My Visit To The Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park – A Continuing Classroom for Peace”
After four trips to Japan, these are some of my favorite unique Japanese experiences and photos from one of my favorite destinations.
Japan is one of my favorite travel destinations. I’ve visited four times in the last few years and could easily go back again and again. The unique mix of east and west in this culturally rich country continues to fascinate me.
As a huge Harry Potter fan, visiting Hogwarts in the Snow at the Warner Brothers Studios in London was magical. This is my Harry Potter Studio Tour review with lots and lots of photos and tips for experiencing this magical place.
Some days I wish I had a magic wand. Or that I also had received a letter on my eleventh birthday saying I was accepted into the Hogwarts School of Wizarding and Witchcraft. Of course the Sorting Hat would put me in the Gryffindor house and I also would have a beautiful white owl as my companion. For one day, I was able to be part of this magical world during my Wizarding World of Harry Potter London experience.
As I toured the land of fire and ice, I discovered a wide variety of of beautiful churches in Iceland. In this photo essay, I share images of the many different church designs I saw during my travels.
During my visits to Iceland, I became infatuated (obsessed?) with looking for and photographing the many unique churches that I came across as I traveled around the land of fire and ice.
Continue reading “Discovering the Many Beautiful Churches in Iceland – A Photo Journey”
