Spring in Japan can mean only one thing, cherry blossoms! There are over 100 varieties of cherry trees in Japan. A large majority of them have been cultivated by humans over the centuries for decorative use in gardens and parks but a few varieties are wild and native to Japan’s forests and they can be…
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Colonial Cartagena is one of South America’s oldest colonial cities. It was founded in 1533 and was named after Cartagena, Spain. The city is located on the southern rim of the Caribbean Sea just a few degrees north of the Equator making the city warm year-round. The entrance into the walled city of Colonial Cartagena…
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The World War II Memorial is located in the heart of the National Mall in Washington D.C. The memorial is located at the end of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with the Washington Monument to the east. The World War II Memorial was opened to the public on April 29, 2004. The memorial honors the…
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The Pantheon is one of the best preserved monuments remaining from ancient Rome. It was completed between 126 and 128 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. The name “Pantheon” is derived from the Greek words “pan” meaning “all” and “theos” meaning “gods” so the meaning of the name Pantheon is “all gods”. Plaza and…
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Japanese Macaques are the northern most non-human primate. They live exclusively in the Japanese Islands and are found in three of the four main islands (Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu but not in Hokkaido). They are also known as “snow monkeys” because they live in areas where snow covers the ground for months each year. These…
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Tilikum Crossing Bridge crosses the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon and is the largest car-free bridge in the United States. While the Tilikum Crossing Bridge doesn’t carry any car traffic it is still busy with traffic from the Portland Streetcar, the MAX Orange Line, TriMet buses, cyclists and pedestrians. The name of the bridge seems…
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Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest pagoda in Hanoi, Vietnam. It was built in 545 A.D. on the banks of the Red River but it was moved to its current location on a peninsula in West Lake in the early 17th century. The outer wall of the pagoda is painted vibrant yellow and red with…
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The Yarra River begins in Mt. Baw Baw northeast of Melbourne and flows for a distance of 242 Km (150 miles) where it empties into Port Phillip Bay just after passing through the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne. The focus of this post is on the portion of the river that pass through the…
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Wat Pho is one of the largest temple complexes in Bangkok, Thailand and is famous of its giant reclining Buddha and for being a great place to get a traditional Thai massage. Wat Pho is located about a 10 minute walk from the Grand Palace. Architecturally, the buildings of Wat Pho are similar to the…
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The White Pass and Yukon Route Railway starts in Skagway, Alaska and travels to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory in Canada. Today the train stops at Carcross YT because the tracks to Whitehorse are inactive. The White Pass and Yukon Route Railway is a narrow gauge (36 inch wide) railway that was built between 1898 and 1900…
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The windmills of Kinderdijk are located about 30 minutes outside of Rotterdam, Netherlands. The Kinderdijk area lies below sea level and a system of windmills and pumps has been draining water from the Kinderdijk polder soil into the river for centuries. Most of the windmills were built between 1738 and 1740 with the exception of…
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The Spectra Light and Water Show is Singapore’s version of the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas although the Light and Water Show takes it to another level by adding colored lighting to the fountain, a projection show and lasers. The light and water show is a free performance that takes place every night in front…
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