ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
In the next few months, my wife and I will be conditioning ourselves for a trip to Peru and Bolivia later in the year. High-altitude hiking in the Andes will be punishing enough without even taking into consideration demand on legs, knees and lungs. Our first real hike of the year was yesterday, the popular Little Si Trail... Continue Reading →
I saw these beautiful leis at the Hanalei Farmers' Market. These were not the full leis that one normally sees in Hawaii, but elegant strings of plumeria, bougainvillea and crown flowers, the first two growing in abundance on Kauai and Oahu throughout my visit.
Kauai has lots of taro fields. Not that the Garden Isle has exclusive claim to them, but the North Shore is considered the best place on the Islands to grow taro. Over half of all poi in Hawaii is made from Kauai taro. Around Hanalei, you drive past the fields on all sides. The largest farm in... Continue Reading →
The hundreds of koi in the ponds surrounding Byodo-In temple have always been an incredible sight, but in my mind, the impression left by black swans floating above the fish is more extraordinary.
There's nothing more mesmerizing than watching the huge, crashing surf at Ehukai Beach on Oahu's North Shore, more commonly known as the Banzai Pipeline. Our traveling party sat on the warm sands, digesting our shrimp from Fumi's and chocolate-haupia pie from Ted's Bakery, when a dog came trotting along the swash, not in the least bothered by... Continue Reading →
I know I was bowled over when I first laid eyes on Waimea Canyon more years ago than I care to count. I was no less impressed when I saw it again yesterday. Nicknamed Grand Canyon of the Pacific for obvious reasons, it is a testament to the power of water erosion and faulting. The view above is from the... Continue Reading →
This one-mile-long canopy of eucalyptus trees lines Maluhia Road north of Koloa and Poipu, a beautiful grand entrance to Kauai's South Shore.
Is this a face that only a mother could love? Don't tell that directly to the weedy scorpionfish who has a bit of a venomous bite. Kidding aside, Rhinopias frondosa is spellbinding, even beautiful to look at. It doesn't swim so much as crawl on its lacy fins. I saw this specimen at the Georgia Aquarium.
It's rare to see frogs anymore, so I was surprised to stumble upon this Southern cricket frog on the grounds of the Chattanooga Choo Choo last October.
I love staring at jellyfish at aquariums. So do a lot of other people. They are among the most beautiful and hypnotic of creatures. The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA, has a terrific collection, among them these splendid sea nettles. The aquarium may not compete with some of the nation's more well-known and larger ones,... Continue Reading →
zoomeboshi 