The Island of Maui

I have visited the Hawaiian Islands multiple times (7) and have enjoyed every visit.  The overall climate is perfect: tropical, but not with oppressive heat and humidity.  The scenery is beautiful; the amenities are well-organized; there are a wide variety of activities to enjoy.  Sort of a huge version of Disney World.  Of the islands, Maui is my favorite.  It is the second largest island in area; is centrally located and includes diverse climate and vegetation variations.

On our recent trip we hiked a beach trail near Kapalua, went whale watching out of Maalaea harbor, drove the winding north coast road to Hana, drove above the tree line to Haleakala crater at 10,000' altitude, had a great restaurant luncheon near the small town of Paia, enjoyed the neighborhood and beaches near our condo at Kamaole, and swam & snorkeled further south at Makena beach.  Many other activities are also available.  I had my first encounter with a stand-up paddleboard (SUP); still have much to learn.

Hiking near the north end of Kapalua beach trail.  The island of Molokai is in the background.  We also saw whales spouting off the coast near here.

The trail is a sea of mud bounded by tall bamboo plants.  Do you see the two small figures far ahead?

Meghan and I, in an imitation of a "Tough Mudder" event, slogged four miles of Pipiwai Trail (south of Hana) to the 400' high Waimoku waterfall.  In this rain forest area it had rained daily for the past month, and the trail (up the mountainside) was a sea of mud in places.  Bamboo forest surrounds much of the trail.

The drive to Hana is an event in itself.  There are 50+ one lane bridges to cross on this winding road through lush rain forest.  Expect to average about 20mph.

Looking west at sunset from Makena beach, the islet of Molokini and island of Kahoolawe are included in the view.  The island of Lanai is visible when looking further north.

We brought our masks & snorkels, but forgot to rent swim fins (hard to pack in a suitcase) before going to Makena beach.  The snorkeling appeared good, but without fins I couldn't maneuver properly in the wind, waves, and current off this rocky point.  We missed being able to adequately explore the area and take some better pictures.

Sunset at Kamaole beach near our condominium.  On previous visits to Maui, we stayed at Lahaina and Kaanapali.  Dawn says she preferred Kaanapali, but I think it was just that we stayed in a nicer condo in a better groomed area.  Wailea would be comparable.

The crater on Haleakala is huge and desert-like, miles across.  The photo is looking east; Hana and Waimoku falls are beyond the far edge of the crater.  Temperature at the crater was in the 50's.

From the top of Haleakala you can look southeast to see the snow-capped peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa (not shown, but just to the right) on the big island of Hawaii.

We were able to watch windsurfers in the big waves off the beach while having lunch at this scenic restaurant.

 

Washington, D. C.

Washington, DC, is a place I enjoy visiting; always teeming with activity and always growing.  The parks and museums are interesting; many places to visit.  As the focus of our nation's wealth and power, lobbyists, unions, trade organizations, NGOs, international organizations, and every other conceivable group have representatives here to play their part.  The city is highly stratified economically and racially.  Growing wealth pushes poorer citizens out from the center of the city as tenements are re-developed into high end condos.

My son & his wife live in a predominantly Hispanic section of the city near subsidized housing; priced out of more affluent neighborhoods.  For some reason, the residents of subsidized housing seem unwilling or unable to pick up their discarded trash along the sidewalks.  Sirens are surprisingly frequent as police and fire personnel are called out to minister to semi-conscious drunks and other minor disturbances.  Modern buildings experience few real fires; thus, the medical & rescue service helps justify more city personnel in these departments. 

 

It was a Thanksgiving visit with cold, blustery weather.  And I caught a virus; spent much of the visit resting.  But our hotel was beautifully decorated, and Rock Creek Park is directly adjacent; thus, we had pleasant surroundings and were able to take a long walk in the park every day.  While DC is a place we enjoy visiting, we are also glad to leave and return to Colorado. 

Santa Barbara, CA

Arriving in San Luis Obispo just after sunset after a day on Highway 1, we were famished. Our hotel had free drinks and snacks, and we quickly gorged ourselves enough to ruin any chance for a normal dinner. San Luis Obispo is a college town, a perfect, modest-sized town of about 50,000, with a vibrant central shopping area.  It also has a well-maintained old Catholic Mission.  With its amenities and location, as you might expect, housing is expensive.  Very little new housing is being built.

Heading south, we took a detour to Lake Cachuma on our way to Santa Barbara. The "lake" was practically empty! When I was a student, our rowing club would practice with an eight-man shell on this lake's broad surface; not anymore. Santa Barbara; what a fantastic place!  The climate is sublime; as students, we never needed to turn on heat or A/C; temperatures were so mild. Its physical beauty is still obvious; flowers, palm trees, wide beaches; an ocean (with offshore islands) on one side and mountains on the other.  Tourism is big business.  But we sensed its congestion; everyone wants to be there. Housing prices are astronomical. 

 

A modest home near our B&B was valued at 2.25 million and would be considered a "tear down"; surrounded by neighboring homes costing 2-3 times as much. In the Hope Ranch neighborhood the home prices are tens of millions. When I was at U.C. Santa Barbara the enrollment was 12,000; now it is over 20,000. We simply could not afford to move back to Santa Barbara and expect a home anywhere near as comfortable as we have in Colorado.

We spent an afternoon walking barefoot on the beach, walked downtown through the large tourist area of shops and restaurants, and discovered an extensive farmers' market set up on State Street. The marina was full of yachts, and a cruise ship arrived on our second day there. Near the university, we rediscovered the apartment house where Dawn & I first met; walked to the library; checked out a food market we used to frequent. When I was a student, the girls were all blondes; now they are all brunettes; Hispanic, Asian, Black. Where did the blondes go? So many more buildings, more students, more bicycle paths and skate boards.  And surfboards; at how many campuses can you surf between classes?

It had been thirty years since I last visited this area.  When you think back to "home" it is more than a place; it is also a time.  So many changes have taken place.  I am glad that we made so many good memories when we lived in Santa Barbara, Monterey, Marin, and Sonoma.  They are still beautiful as places to visit, but the atmosphere has changed.  Instead of optimism, there is a sense of trying to hold on to what you have amid changes in the culture and increasing congestion.

 

Along the California Coast

This will be a bit of a sentimental journey. California holds many memories for Dawn & myself. We flew into Sacramento (free United flight), and headed our rental Corolla north to Grass Valley. The Gold Rush towns of the 1848+ era are still there with their Victorian homes, but now they attract tourists, marijuana growers, and those looking for a little slower pace of life.  We were there to check Dawn's parents' home which is being rented and, hopefully, do some hiking. Unfortunately, the Fall rains had already begun. Lots of craft & antique stores to peruse while staying out of the weather; I found a rare book set to buy.

Then off to the wine-growing region of Napa valley. It was expensive, touristy, and somewhat disappointing. We met up with our daughter, who was in Napa on business and who would join us for the weekend. Leaving, we drove through a light, night rain over the hills, to stay in the Sonoma valley. We viewed the cottage where we lived 1972-74 and had breakfast with one of Dawn's cousins. So much growth has taken place in this region! It used to be farms, pastures, and vineyards; now there are golf courses, shopping malls, and many new housing tracts.

Along the north coast, Highway 1 and Point Reyes, the scenery is still exceptional; cloud-shrouded hills, clumps of huge Eucalyptus trees and pines, endless ocean waves, and sheltered coves. The sun would peep through occasionally. We came across a coyote which, while appearing healthy, seemed peculiarly tame and approached within twenty feet of us. Stinson Beach, although a broad sandy expanse, was cool, cloudy, and somewhat somber. Memories: the last time we were there, Dawn and I were dating. Then on to explore Muir beach & woods.

Muir Woods are inspiring. The tall redwoods make you feel like an ant in comparison. Towering redwoods create their own rain by filtering the moisture from passing clouds; collecting it into droplets until enough is present to fall to the ground. On this day real rain fell occasionally. We hiked about six miles at Muir and China Camp and encountered deer and a flock of wild turkeys. The whole of Marin County is a rugged peninsula with a central spine of high hills (mountains?). Looking out from the Marin highlands, the view of San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the city are spectacularly scenic.

After an overnight in Alameda to get Meghan on her flight, we spent the next day following the central California coast. Seventeen-mile Drive in Monterey has beautiful homes on a scenic peninsula with an integrated golf course.  Carmel is full of cute shops and homes and the old Carmel Mission and museum.

Highway 1, leaving Carmel, becomes one of the most scenic drives I have experienced. The road winds its way across the steep hillsides and cliffs where the ocean crashes against rocks below while the hilltops were wreathed in clouds a thousand feet above.

  The weather was perfect, and it seemed the favorite vehicle to enjoy this drive was a Mustang GT convertible; we saw many of them.  Dawn wanted to stop at most every turnout to take pictures.  The trip has stirred her emotions; why did we ever leave California? Of course, we are touring the most beautiful areas of California at a perfect time of year.  Recent fall rains have turned the hills green; the temperatures are perfect; and the summer crowds are gone.

Colorado

When we return home to Colorado, we continue to appreciate the scenery.  We live at 7500+' altitude (2300 meters) in a forested area with snow-capped (most of the year) mountains within view.  With some frequency we see deer, fox, coyote, racoon, porcupine, great-horned owl, and other wildlife come through our yard.  Elk and a bear have been visitors also.  Summer is glorious; we open our windows in June and close them in September.  No air conditioning needed.  The mountain lakes only open up for boating trips when the ice finally melts. Winter, of course, brings snow, but most days stay bright and sunny.  We have our choice of several major snow skiing resorts.  Our worst problem is the rapid population growth along the Front Range of Colorado.

 

View on a walk in our neighborhood.  Pike's Peak in the background.

Boating on Lake Granby.  A bimini top is almost a necessity, due to the intense sun at high altitudes. This is a runabout that I personally designed and built.

Deer outside our bedroom window.  This was one of three bucks grazing.  Our subdivision consists of 200 homes on 1000 mainly wooded acres with a large common-ground meadow.

Now for the bad news.  Spring brings an invasion/migration of Miller Moths.  These creatures come in hordes and will find a way into your home.  If you live in an area with trees (duh), you will be swatting or sucking up (vacuum cleaner) these moths every day.  Spring also brings "pine dust", the pollen from our Ponderosa Pine trees.  For 2-3 weeks everything turns a yellow/green color.  We don't have air conditioning, and open windows are an invitation for daily dusting to get rid of this layer of pollen. 

Traveling in Northern Europe- Lithuania and Berlin

We loved having a GPS unit in our rented car.  We saved by not using any data on Dawn's smartphone, which cost us 200+ dollars on our previous trip.  One thing we discovered about our local rented GPS: although it was switched so that all text, and verbal guidance were in English, the internal maps it used were still in the local language.  For example, typing in "Rundale Palace" got no response; we needed to type in "Rundale Pils" because "pils" is the local word meaning "palace".  Thus, we would look at a local map to find the correct name for our destination.  Because most of our accommodations were in or near the "old town" section of a city, where streets were narrow, twisting, and constantly changing names, GPS was a God-send to sorting it out.  When we arrived in Vilnius, even the GPS wasn't enough.

Leaving Rundale Palace and Latvia, we proceeded to Klaipeda, Lithuania.  Our hotel there was a restored building in old town.  Looking out the windows of our hotel room, we would see tourists with cameras pointed toward us, taking pictures of the building.  Klaipeda is the major seaport for Lithuania.  A large LNG transport from the US was in port, offloading its cargo to help reduce local dependency on Russian energy sources.  Our hotel was within walking distance from the harbor.  We had dinner at a restaurant onboard a square-rigged sailing ship; very pretty surroundings but mediocre food served with a pretentious attitude (i.e., over-priced menus delivered enclosed in a wax-sealed envelope).

While at Klaipeda, we drove and took a ferry to Curonian Spit national park. The area is a very long slender sandy finger of land/sand dunes covered with grasses & forest to a great extent which stabilize the sand from the effects of wind and sea. Creating a park ensures that the plant life will not be disturbed and cause a loss of soil.  The "Spit" creates protection for the port of Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave between Lithuania and Poland.  We had Russian-licensed cars sharing the ferry with us.  Kaliningrad previously was called Konigsberg, a major Prussian port. Prussia was swallowed up by Lithuania and Germany.  Russia took over this area at the end of WWII and holds it today as a strategic military site, compromising the defense of Europe in case of war.

Our day in the forest and dunes of this park was spoiled by light rain.  The rain limited visibility for photography.  I took one long hike to an outlook atop the dunes while carrying an umbrella, then gave up for the day.  We returned to our hotel to do some laundry (our room had a kitchen). Hotel laundry is ridiculously expensive.  In Tallin, I took our laundry to a local facility and paid 1/4 of what it would have cost at the hotel.

In Lithuania the roads got wider and faster. In Estonia, the speed limit was 90 kph with speed changes every few miles and stop lights or roundabouts in every little town. Heading toward Vilnius, the autobahn limit was 130 kph for much of the distance.  We stopped in Kaunas which was the largest city in the area and sometime capital during the past 600+ years.  It has a small but nice old town area.  As we left our car it was threatening rain. After walking a few blocks light rain began; when it became a downpour, we retreated to a nice cafe for lunch.  Then, of course, the rain quickly ended.  Our next stop was Trakai Castle, very scenic & touristy, located on an island.

Ultimately, guided by our GPS, our car crept through the old town streets of Vilnius.  Here, we had to abandon the car, walk to the hotel, and get a doorman to come with us in the car to show us where to park. The front door to the hotel was on a main pedestrian street; the parking was in a central courtyard with a narrow entrance off an alley which had to be approached from a different street.  To get from the front of the hotel to the courtyard took about 10 minutes.  But we had a beautiful hotel with reserved parking in the center of old town.  Just outside our door were many restaurants, shops, street musicians, and major sights of the city.

Why do we prefer the old town section of cities? As our guide in Riga said, "Every stone is a page in the history of this city." The cobblestone streets and building foundations may go back 800 or more years. Wars have swept through repeatedly, but buildings get rebuilt.  Those buildings record the ebb and flow of civilizations.  Imagine when Denmark, Sweden, and Poland controlled large swaths of Europe.  Is the history of mankind one of constant war?  Is that our essential nature?  How does all this relate to our current world?  The Baltic countries appear, in our limited exposure, to have a satisfying lifestyle with reason for optimism. Is it due to their size, homogeneity, culture, recent cathartic experiences they have endured?  What can we learn from them?

We spent the day exploring the sights of old town Vilnius. Empty shells of buildings are being renovated and turned to new uses. Vilnius has many outstanding churches.  We witnessed a congregation overflowing out the doors at a Sunday service.  (In contrast, Estonia is very non-religious.)  In outlying areas, dramatic large building projects are being undertaken. The Occupation Museum in Vilnius previously was KGB headquarters. The museum includes the prisoner cells, shower & exercise areas, and even the execution chamber where prisoners were shot in the back of the head and bodies were disposed of.

Almost every family in the Baltic area has stories of relatives who were taken away and never heard from again.  If you were a prosperous farmer, authorities would show up in the middle of the night, give you an hour to pack, and put your entire family with children on a rail cattle car to be shipped to Siberia. This was done to thousands of families.  The land was then used to form communist "cooperative" farms. The museums recorded all of this with photos, documents and other mementos.

One day we drove to Kernave, a small town with adjoining archeological site.  This was the first "capital" of Lithuania; the location of the main village of the main tribe which formed the nucleus of the nation a thousand years ago.  It had been a fortified city on hills overlooking a river landing.  German Crusaders burned the pagan village in 1390, and it never recovered.

Our flight from Vilnius to Berlin was eye opening.  The airBaltic employees were rude, treating customers as an annoyance.  Loading the turboprop plane, it was every man for himself.  A bus brought everyone to the runway, then it was a rush toward the plane.  When we boarded, I had to insist that two women, who had grabbed our reserved seats, move to their assigned seats further to the rear.  Deplaning was the same, a rush toward the front of the plane by those seated in the rear.  I had to shoulder my way into the isle to get off the airplane. Is rudeness a Lithuanian thing?

Berlin is so big! Our hotel was located central to this city of 3.4 million persons. We were able to easily walk to the Bundestag, Reichstag, and Brandenburg Gate.  We found a section of the Berlin Wall still standing and found Checkpoint Charlie, a memorial to the famous gateway between the US and Soviet sectors.  Dawn and our children had been there previously in 1989 when the gate was first opened.  As big as the city is, it felt very comfortable to walk everywhere.  Bicycling is very popular; wide walkways are available; and many parks and trees intersperse between the huge new buildings.  It is a tourist mecca; we encountered many student groups with guides moving from site to site.  A person could spend much more than the three nights we were there, if you explored the museums.  There is no "old town" in Berlin.  At the end of WWII, even the ruins had been thoroughly ruined by allied bombing.

Last day:  Up at 5am, walk to the Haupt Bahnhof, city bus to the airport, then onward arriving home 20 hours later.  Dead tired and no clean clothes left in our suitcases; a great trip but glad to be home.  

  

  

Traveling in Northern Europe- Estonia and Latvia

Arriving in Tallin, Estonia, by fast ferry, the landing was somewhat remote from the main docks forcing us to either hail a taxi or drag our suitcases through the rough cobblestone streets of the old town. Central Tallin is a true medieval walled city.  Rounding every corner presents a new photo opportunity, not as impressive as Dubrovnik, but very nice.  And prices are more reasonable than Scandinavia (but higher than outside the city due to the tourist effect).  Many high-quality handmade items were for sale in the open-air booths.  The Russian influence is seen in many parts of the city.  Our hotel was very near to Freedom Square and the Occupation Museum.

Every major Baltic city has a museum devoted to the atrocities and oppression suffered under Soviet Russian rule.  Here history and the present day blend together; gaining freedom less than 25 years ago makes for fresh memories.  After the end of WWII, Russians killed many thousands of Baltic residents and shipped hundreds of thousands of others to Siberian camps.  These people were replaced by Russian-speaking peoples from the Soviet Union in an intentional effort to destroy the unity of these small countries and their ethnic pride.  All education was taught in Russian.  Today many Russian-speaking immigrants remain.  They are not accepted as citizens unless they pass a test on the Estonian language and government; an option many have chosen not to take.  In some schools (mainly in eastern portions of these countries) education is still taught in Russian.

Vladimir Putin and his government threaten to invade these countries to "protect the oppressed Russian minorities" much as Russia has taken over part of Ukraine. Estonia has done all it can to align itself with the West, joining NATO and the EU; they even considered making English the official language.  In our trip through the Baltic countries we met US soldiers on two occasions; they were there on NATO exercises, demonstrating to Russia our commitment to this area. NATO is now planning to station 4000 troops in this area.

Estonia is more than 50% forested with many lakes and streams; also one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world.  We rented a car with GPS for the next two weeks and headed east.  We had hoped to hike in a national forest along the north coast, but rains spoiled that plan; instead we visited a forest products museum. We stayed at a B&B near Narva, one of the few where the owners spoke English.

Narva exceeded our expectations.  Narva castle has been restored to a great extent and overlooks the remains of the Russian Ivanogrod fortress east across the river forming the border here, the site of major battles for centuries. On both sides of the river can be seen the featureless, huge concrete apartment buildings which are the mark of communist life. Socialism writ large is incredibly mind-numbing and insensitive to the common people it claims to represent.

We headed south, passing Lake Peipus which forms the border and is so large that the far shore is not visible, until we arrived at the city of Tartu.  Tartu University is most prestigious college in Estonia and is surrounded by many parks, museums, gardens, art galleries, etc. as well as a huge pedestrian district and the distinctive energy of a college town.  Reminded me of Boulder, Colorado, but better. It has a real river running past the campus and the remains of a huge cathedral on campus (completed 500 years ago).  The local beer was excellent; I had a half liter every night with dinner.

One day we drove to Viljandi, an interesting town 40 miles away.  It has a laid-back feel due to the artistic types it attracts.  Dawn loved the decor of the restaurant where we ate lunch.  Neat residential architecture, cute shops, a park, beautiful church, remains of an ancient castle and all overlooking a lake surrounded by forest. Over 400 years ago Swedish and Polish armies met here for a decisive battle for control of the region.

Rains returned on the day we drove from Tartu to Riga, Latvia, so we drove straight through with no stops.  Pretty much a wasted day except that our hotel in Riga was excellent.  I had included reserved parking and pre-paid dinners in our reservation; we were well-taken care of.  The old town district of Riga was directly behind our hotel.  We had a guide for a walk through the district then toured it more on our own.  Beautifully reconstructed from the damage of WWII.  The central park included a lagoon with slender touring boats.

One day was spent at the town of Sigulda and the nearby national park.  What a beautiful town!  It looked like the set for a Disney movie.  Wide streets with wide bike paths and walking paths, well-groomed parks in every neighborhood, beautiful homes with flowers and vegetable gardens, surrounding forests and ruins of a castle, families out walking or biking together, overlooking a beautiful river valley where the trout and salmon spawn.  A cable car spanning the valley and a bobsled run to the bottom of the valley; canoeing on the river, another castle ruins on the opposite side of the valley.  I could happily live here.  Very little obesity in the Baltic countries, probably due to all the walking and outdoor activities.

From Riga we drove to Klaipeda, Lithuania.  Along the way we stopped at Rundale Palace in Latvia.  It very much resembles Versailles near Paris.  A bit of history: German Crusaders came to the Baltic region hundreds of years ago to convert the natives to Christianity by force and also to set themselves up as overlords with the local people as their serfs.  They built magnificent manor homes on huge estates which are sprinkled throughout the Baltic region.  Obviously, pomposity was the rage back then; everything is larger, more ornate and grander than anyone would ever need.  Another stop we made was at a farmer's field to admire the pretty wild poppies.