Second Stars Blog on RealTravel

Seattle journal: Lavender, Pines, and Pizza

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:31:27 GMT

Following the advice of our eccentric tour guides in Freemont my husband and I set off early for the Bainbridge Island Ferry. Final destination: the Hoh rainforest on the Olympic Peninsula. We loved standing in the wind at the front of the ferry as it motored across the water. Walking around on deck we spotted a seal playing in the waves and from the back of the ferry we could see Mount Rainier hiding in hazy cloud cover behind the stark skyline of Seattle.

After we disembarked from the ferry we began our journey towards the rainforest. Hoh rainforest sits amidst the Olympic National ...

Seattle journal: Freemont Finds: A Troll, Some Sweets, and a Fun Filled Factory

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 08:54:14 GMT

Freemont seems to embody the spirit of Seattle. It is an arty little place known for its public art, quirky shops, great food and evening fun. We loved wandering through the upscale thrift shops, rushing through record stores and perusing menus posted outside of busy eateries. No visit to Freemont would be complete without a visit to this neighborhood’s public artworks like “The Troll” (who hides under a bridge grasping a real VW Bug) and an oversized sculpture of Lenin (who awkwardly stands guard in the town center).

My favorite part of our visit to Freemont was the discovery of a ...

Seattle journal: Wildflowers, Watermelon Snow, and Volcanologists

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:07:38 GMT

I stepped out of our rental car into the fresh air of Mount Rainier National Park and my first thought was: “This smells like the scent the air-freshener makers are trying for with those paper pine tree car air-fresheners!” The smell was so strong that memories of white Christmases and hot apple cider flashed through my mind. We hiked mountain trails above the tree-line and saw the magnificent views of Mount Rainier, the surrounding mountains and the river-lined valleys. Along the way we tramped over melting snow and through nearby fields of tiny wildflowers that were beginning to emerge in ...

United States journal: Seattle, Washington

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:38:06 GMT

Finding hidden shops, majestic mountains, great cake and big trees.

Palm Springs journal: Thirsty Cacti

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 14:38:55 GMT

Many say that the deserts of the American Southwest are some of the most beautiful places on earth. I would argue that the summer desert is a terrifying and intimidating place- made all the more eerie by the small squares of irrigated grass and dehydrated cacti found slapped in the middle of the arid valleys. That said, there is no other place like the desert and so my visit to the fault-lined resort of Palm Springs is worth writing about!

One of the first things that I learned after flying over the irrigated golf courses of Palm Springs was that the town of Palm Springs doesn’t actually ...

United States journal: Palm Springs, California

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 14:35:19 GMT

Late spring in the desert.

Albuquerque journal: Albuquerque High

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 07:40:25 GMT

If you’re a six year old, what’s the coolest thing about Albuquerque, New Mexico? Is it the renowned American Rattlesnakes Museum http://www.rattlesnakes .com or the deliciously greasy Lindy Diner along Route 66? Nope! It’s East High, the school featured in Disney’s made-for-TV movie, High School Musical. A certain six year old hoped that my colleague and I would make finding the real school our personal mission while we attended a conference for work. We thought, “how hard can it be?” we’ll do our work and then snap a shot of the place where real Disney magic happened on our lunch break.

United States journal: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:58:21 GMT

Another busy conference with fun squeezed in on the sides.

Memphis journal: Celebrity Ducks?

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:45:45 GMT

Tourists to Memphis, Tennessee immediately flock to jazz cafés on Beale Street, pay homage to Elvis at Graceland, and check out Sun Studios. I’ve strolled down Beale Street and witnessed visitors placing floral birthday cakes on Elvis’ front lawn but my favorite Memphis memory was a ½ hour visit to see the Peabody Ducks.

The Peabody is a beautiful historic hotel that has a fountain in the lobby inhabited by real mallards. The ducks first came to the hotel as a practical joke in1932. They were so well received that they moved in for good. Each day they are led to the fountain in the ...

United States journal: Memphis memories

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:15:15 GMT

The Peabody Ducks, National Civil Rights Museum, Sun Studios, Beale Street, and Graceland. An unforgettable place to visit!

Casper journal: Minor League Baseball on the Oregon Trail

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 14:46:31 GMT

Casper, Wyoming is surrounded by vast space. Going east to west in the United States I think that is the first thing you notice. The whole concept of geographic and human space changes. I drove for two hours from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Casper in a rental car- on the drive I didn’t see one other town or cluster of homes between cities. Instead I saw vast prairie with drift blockers placed like giant post and rail fences. They stood like sentinels to stop windswept snow from obliterating the road. The intersection of prairie and sky was uninterrupted by trees, homes, or other roads. The isolation ...

Casper journal: The staff is fantastic and friendly. The hotel is in a wonderful location.

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 14:36:29 GMT

When I arrived at the Holiday Inn we were greeted with a Manager's reception. We ate well and enjoyed talking with the other guests. The Hotel staff gave out free passes to the baseball game that evening and recommended a walk along the North Platte Parkway. The North Platte Parkway is a walking path that follows the river and is accessed directly behind the hotel. Not far from the hotel along the Parkway you can see evidence of the westward pioneers who walked the Oregon, California, and Morman trails in search of prosperity more than 150 years ago.

I was impressed by the friendly ...

United States journal: Wandering in Wyoming

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 14:31:02 GMT

1 1/2 days in Wyoming. Most of that time was fully booked with business. Still there was plenty of time to find a few unique sites and to hear the stories of some memorable people.

Anchorage journal: Sharing Salted Nut Rolls

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 11:34:45 GMT

On the plane from Anchorage, Alaska back to the Twin Cities I began a friendly conversation with the bearded man next to me. My plane mate was a fantastic conversationalist and the flight was dramatically shortened by his zesty stories.

One of the first things I found out about my neighbor was that he was going home to North Dakota to put the finishing touches on his hand built log cabin. He just happened to have photographs on his digital camera and I was able to see his beautiful craftsmanship.

Partway through the trip he offered to share a Salted Nut Roll with me. I had never ...

Greensboro journal: Unexpected experiences

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:23:08 GMT

When I walked into my hotel room I noticed that the full length mirrored closet doors had fallen in, the bathroom doorknob had been destroyed and the normally locked door to the next room was not only unlocked but it looked as though someone had tried to escape using their spare crow bar.

I was concerned that there had been some sort of horrible event in the room just moments before I arrived. I called the front desk to see about getting a room transfer or getting the room fixed. The weary desk clerk forlornly explained that the hotel was reeling from the recent visit of thousands of ...

Great Sand Dunes National Park journal: Perfecting the Log Roll

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 14:38:46 GMT

Great Sand Dunes National Park is home to the tallest sand dunes in North America and also hosts insect species found no where else on earth. This beautiful and unique ecosystem was nothing like the 10 foot Atlantic seashore dunes I’ve grown up around. In the park there are literally mountains of sand. The tallest dune is approximately 750 feet of incredibly soft, fine sand. Our first view was breathtaking-- the huge sand dunes rose out of the flat plains and looked yellow, tan and red- surrounded by stoic snow peaked mountains on three sides.

As we made our way to the dunes, we walked ...

Colorado journal: A Cautionary Tale of Tourism and Transportation

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 14:18:31 GMT

Colorado mountain passes have a completely different weather pattern than the surrounding plains. Rain on the plains often equals snowy blizzards in the mountain passes. Often Colorado residents will drive hours around a mountain range to avoid bad weather in the passes because of the variable weather. After one adventurous empirical test I discovered just how essential it is to listen to the forecast and to trust it…

I guess it might have occurred to us to think about the altitude and the curvy mountain passes when we saw the dark rain clouds- but as tourists in a rental car- it just ...

United States journal: Colorado: Snowshoes and Sand Dunes

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 13:29:54 GMT

This is a collection of stories from a few different trips to Colorado. Each time I've visited I've seen a new corner of this beautiful state.

Gijon journal: Modern Day Shepards

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 11:13:33 GMT

I've always thought of sheparding as a profession popular in the good ole days. Shepards of my imagination were people who wore head scarves to block the sun, carried a rounded staff, and witnessed heavenly angels coming out of the sky on a special evening in December.

That was my impression of shepards until i was flying down an Autopista in my rental Yaris somewhere a few hours from Gijon and a flock of hundreds of sheep crossed the overpass above my speeding Yaris. The sheep seemed hurried, and wanted to get over the overpass quickly. They were pushing and running as fast as sheep ...

Barcelona journal: Eating out

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 10:38:39 GMT

The first restaurant we went into had pig legs hanging from the ceiling. Suspended by a hoof on a hook, the legs hung down over the bar and tables. No one was splattered by juicy pork drippings because each thigh had a snowcone like object piercing its end to catch rogue juice. Flies enjoyed the outer layer of leg and servers carved pieces for patrons with a special contraption designed to hold the hoof steady as the meat was sliced off.

Our eating experiences in Spain and a visit to an exhibit on the Spanish Inquisition led my husband to muse, "You can't be a protestant vegan in ...

Spain journal: Spanish Autopistas, Tapas, and Pilgrims

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 08:22:56 GMT

Two weeks exploring northern Spain! Visits to Gaudi architecture, Picasso's lesser known work, forgotten castros, family homesteads and the sea.

Anchorage journal: “Friendly staff, great food, hot coffee and a roaring fire. The Residence Inn is a great base camp for your adventures in Anchorage.”

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 06:23:11 GMT

The Residence Inn Marriott in Anchorage, AK was a fantastic place to stay. Each room had a gas fireplace, kitchenette and a welcome basket complete with microwave popcorn. The staff provided a filling breakfast each morning and offered an evening dinner Monday through Friday as a complementary guest service. The hotel was family friendly and even welcomed pets. Consider the Residence Inn and its fabulous staff when you book your stay in Anchorage, AK

Check out the hotel at: http://marriott.com /property/propertypage /ANCRI

Anchorage journal: Business Trip Moose Sighting!

Sat, 18 Nov 2006 19:17:42 GMT

When your plane lands and you arrive at the Anchorage airport terminal you are greeted by a giant stuffed bear and a stuffed fox. The bear is a record holder- for his 30 inch skull- and he certainly looks imposing standing on his hind legs, towering over every daring traveler who passes him dragging their wheeled luggage and clutching their cell phone.

The more I traveled throughout Anchorage the more I realized that stuffed animals were everywhere. Taxidermists must actually make some money in this town. Around Philadelphia, I always thought that Taxidermists were kept in business ...

Anchorage journal: Fishing for King Crab

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 07:44:34 GMT

The rumors are true, Commercial fishing in Alaska is a COLD, exhilarating and deadly profession.

Sitting inside a warm cab and driving back towards my hotel I struck up a conversation with my cab driver. My Alaskan cabbie was a former physic's teacher, graduate school drop out turned Commercial Fisherman.

He described his years out on the water fishing each season for a different catch. Each story was more intriguing and admittedly more terrifying than the last.

The story I'll remember most, was his description of his frequent trips out on the ship to fish for King Crab. He ...

Austin journal: Searching for Batman

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 13:43:00 GMT

A coworker and I were sent on a whirlwind trip from Philadelphia to Austin Texas and back in just about 24 hours. We had work to accomplish and people to meet but we found a few extra minutes to ride the bus to downtown Austin, headed toward some yummy seafood and some of the live music Austin is known for. On the way we just happened to discover that Austin, Texas has the "largest urban bat population in the world". http://www.batcon.org /home/index.asp?idPage =122. The 1.5 million bats that live under Congress Bridge in Austin emerge each evening at dusk. They move together downriver in ...

United States journal: In Austin

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 13:02:18 GMT

In less than 24 hours we had a true Austin expereince: Bats, seafood, and rock n' roll.