French Quarter – Louisiana

The French Quarter is the historic center of New Orleans. It is famous for lively nightlife, colorful building, jazz clubs, great restaurants and rowdy bars. The distinctive architecture is the first thing that is obvious when walking into the French Quarter. Many of the buildings are brightly colored and the balconies have ornate ironwork with…

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Guard Changing at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial – Taiwan

The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is guarded by two soldiers that stand motionless on each side of the Chiang Kai-shek Statue. The guard changing at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial takes place every hour starting at 9:00 A.M. until 5:00 PM. The basics of the ceremony is no different than other changing of the guard ceremonies. The…

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Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall – Taiwan

The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall was built in 1980 to honor the former President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and is located next to Liberty Square in Taipei, Taiwan. The octagon shaped roof represents the Chinese cultural symbolism of the number eight which is traditionally associated with fortune and wealth. The building is 76…

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Golden Triangle – Thailand, Myanmar and Laos

The Golden Triangle is the area where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet at the convergence of the Ruak and Mekong Rivers. Chiang Rai, Thailand is the nearest major city to the three-way border although there are numerous small town along the river in all three countries. The area is rugged landscape with…

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Caddo Lake State Park – Texas

Caddo Lake State Park is located in the piney woods of eastern Texas and is the largest of only a handful of natural lakes in Texas. Caddo Lake covers an area of almost 27,000 acres of bayous, wetlands and backwater which have an average depth of 8 to 10 feet. The distinguishing factor that makes…

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Monasteries at Meteora – Greece

The Monasteries at Meteora are located in the Thessaly Region of Greece near the town of Kalabaka. Most of the monasteries were built during the Middle Ages and are perched on the peaks of towering sandstone pillars. The Greek word for meteora means “suspended in the air” and the term appropriately describes these Greek Orthodox…

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Frenchman’s Rock – Australia

Frenchman’s Rock is located near Penneshaw Beach on Kangaroo Island in Australia. The rock marks the location where Nicolas Baudin found freshwater when navigating the North Coast of Kangaroo Island in 1803. Baudin released pigs into the wild to provide food for future explorers and a crew member carved details of the expedition into the…

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Old Town Munich – Germany

Old Town Munich brings the culture of the past into the present. Munich is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. The city sits on the banks of the River Isar, north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich’s old town is located in the heart of Munich and is only 1.25…

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Wat Maha That – Thailand

Wat Maha That is famous for the tree that has grown around a sculpture of Buddha’s head and is one of the most important temples in Ayutthaya. Wat Maha That is believed to be one of Ayutthaya’s oldest temples and is thought to have been built by King Boromaraja I around 1370 to 1388 A….

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Everglades National Park – Florida

Everglades National Park was established in 1947 and is the largest subtropical wetland in the United States. It is located 30 miles west of Miami, Florida and covers an area of 1.5 million acres. Most of the park is protected for wildlife preservation and is accessible to the public but an area near Miami is…

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Alhambra Gardens and Generalife Palace – Spain

This post is a continuation of my previous post on the Alhambra Palace. The Alhambra Palace and the gardens are so spectacular that I wanted to dedicate one post to the palace and a second post to the Alhambra Gardens and the Generalife Palace. The gardens cover a vast amount of space but they are…

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Alhambra Palace – Spain

The Alhambra Palace is a massive complex with multiple sites within the Nasrid Palace. The complex was once a fortress and is made up of several separate buildings with different access point and garden areas. The Alhambra is located west of the city of Granada in Spain. It sits on top of the al-Sabika hill…

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