Tagged With "Marianne North"
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Steamboat Rock, Washington — Wildflowers and Vistas galore!
The large basalt mass of Steamboat Rock is a distinct landmark in Central Washington state. Steamboat Rock State Park is a dozen miles southwest of the massive Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River. The Park is on a peninsula...
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Columbia River Gorge, Where Gumbo Was #82
Gumbo was visiting the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, which straddles northern Oregon and southern Washington states. Specifically, Gumbo was enjoying the amazing view of the Gorge through the lobby window of the Skamania Lodge in...
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Left Bank of the Tiber
I’d looked online for an apartment for my week in Rome, until I was sick of the thought of going. At some point I came across a recommendation for a women’s hostel in Trastevere (Tras TAY veree), on what I came to think of as...
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An Hour from Rome
I’d never been to Rome. I can’t tell you why, but for some reason I’d just never gotten around to it. I guess the best explanation would be to point out there are lots of places in the world. After a friend...
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Tahquitz Canyon, Palm Springs
It's a great time of year to be visiting the desert regions of the Southwestern USA. The weather is warm and pleasant, the wildflowers are starting to bloom, and the oppressive heat of summer is a distant...
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Washington Oaks Garden: a Peaceful Paradise in Florida
With all that Florida has to offer, you'd think it would be hard for anybody to pick a favorite place in the state. In my case though, it's not. By a mile,my favorite place is Washington Oaks Gardens State Park. Washington Oaks is one of the most...
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Palm Springs Air Museum, California (Where Gumbo was #104)
Gumbo was visiting the Palm Springs Air Museum in the California desert, and specifically had the privilege of sitting in the cockpit of a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber (like the one in the above photo). Congratulations to the many who...
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The Living Desert Wildlife and Botanical Park, Palm Desert
Palm Desert's LIVING DESERT offers a place to see several desert ecosystems, as well as an interesting assortment of animals from the Americas and Africa.
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Gallery: Signs of Charleston
Those who have been following TravelGumbo for awhile know that I enjoy looking at the signage of cities I visit. We've looked at signs of Quebec City , Prague , Toronto and Honolulu . Today we expand the list by adding the beautiful city of...
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Mary's Hash House, Las Vegas
Anyone who stumbled onto this blog searching for "hashish" might as well leave, because that's not what this post is about. It's about good food, not good weed. The Las Vegas food scene has changed a lot since I first visited the...
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Visiting Western Greenland. Part I – Three Towns
In July 2006 I gave in to curiosity and realized my ambition to visit West Greenland. I returned 6 times in the next 8 years! I knew that about 10% of the world’s freshwater was sitting on Greenland with the capacity to raise...
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Visiting Western Greenland. Part II – Western Greenland on Foot!
Part I covered three Greenlandic towns I have visited but my real passion is being out in West Greenland’s wilderness. So this part is about what it has to offer those willing to get out there on foot and under canvas! I...
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San Juan, Puerto Rico: Outside the Walls
Because Puerto Rico was the first freshwater island for 16th-century travelers from Spain, and because it guards the entrance to the Caribbean, its Spanish masters went out of their way to defend it, not only with the huge fortifications at the...
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Old City Hall, Toronto. Where Gumbo was #86
Gumbo was visiting the corner of Bay and Queen streets in Toronto, Canada -- specifically the Old City Hall. Congratulations to PortMoreby who correctly solved the problem and notified us by email! Jonathan L also...
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Old San Juan: Beautiful...and not all old
San Juan, Puerto Rico is a city of contrasts, of modern skyscrapers, crowded residential areas of different eras, resort hotels and casinos along Condado, and much more...but the image that usually comes to mind is really that of Old San Juan, the...
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Iceland's new attraction: tunnel into a glacier
As if Iceland didn't already have enough to attract tourists and keep them busy, a new tunnel, dug deep into the heart of a glacier, will open in June. The tunnel, the world's first on an ice-cap glacier, goes into the western side of...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Feb 3, 2015: Chanteuse of Montmarte
A visit to Paris is not complete without spending a few hours wandering around the historic district of Montmarte . Originally a haven for artists and bohemians alike, the area is now more geared for tourists. Located in the north of...
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The Safest Cities in the World
I'm not sure if people pay much attention to such listings anymore, but Yahoo just released a listing of the 20 safest cities to visit in 2015. (Tokyo. Photo: Loic Lagarde, Flickr) Topping the list is Tokyo, followed very closely...
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Road Trip, Day 1: City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and The Skunk
Gateway to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas March 9, 2015 In the late ‘80s, I lived in L.A. for a couple of years. My S.O. knew lots of cool L.A. stuff. One of those was something he’d read that...
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Road Trip, Day 2: Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden
March 10, 2015 I woke the first morning of my visit along the Northern California coast at a friend’s house in the village of Elk. I was alone, the kitchen toasty warm from the fire Jane had made for me before leaving...
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Viewing the Northern Lights: Tips and Techniques
When you see the Northern Lights for the first time, they seem unreal. Almost magical, maybe even scary to some. The Aurora Borealis is one of the most spectacular natural phenomena you can observe and well worth a journey to the northern parts of the...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, April 25, 2015: Форт-Росс (Fort Ross)
It had been raining off and on as I drove down California Highway 1 along the Mendocino and Sonoma County coast, when I arrived at the closed gate to Fort Ross State Historic park, a real blow. I hadn’t visited this beautiful and...
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World's best airport? You have to leave home to find it!
Skytrax has released its ratings of the world's top airports, and the line-up at the very top has no representatives from North or South America. Six of the top 10 were in Asia, and the rest in Europe. Topping the list again is Singapore's Changi...
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U.S. bad weather, strong dollar = big bonus for Mexico tourism
A north-of-the-border 1-2-3 combination of severe weather, cheaper gas and a strong dollar have meant a booming tourist season south of the border, as Mexico is seeing more U.S. tourists than usual, with more money than recently to spend. ...
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Where to go for sun if you can't go "there" now...
In the wake of the terrorist attack in Tunisia and new visa restrictions on individual travel to Egypt, the Telegraph (UK) has gathered up a list of "fun in the sun" places for those in need of sand and tan. The list, with pictures, is HERE...
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PortMoresby's Birthday Road Trip
March 25, '15: Day 1: City of 10,000 Buddhas and The Skunk April 1, '15: Day 2: Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden April 4, '15: Sea Gull Inn April 8, '15: More Day 2: Point...
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Boeing in SC: First 787-9 delivered, union election set
Two milestones for Boeing's plant in North Charleston, SC. This week the plant, which has been building the original 787-8, delivered its first stretch 787-9 version, and the International Association of Machinists, the union representing most Boeing...
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A Road Trip Gallery: Jane's Garden
March 9-10, 2015. I stayed at Jane’s comfortable cottage, a short walk from the western edge of North America, for the first 2 nights of my birthday road trip. Her modest home, of indeterminate vintage, has a deceptively...
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Road Trip, Day 5: My Birthday in Chinatown
March 13, 2015 I was born in San Francisco and it was the only place I wanted to be on this ending-in-zero birthday. More specifically, in Chinatown, like China, but better in some ways. I’ve loved it for as long...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 16, 2015: Coffee & Dessert in North Beach
March 13, 2015 Getting organized to spend the day in San Francisco, I skipped coffee in the morning in favor of a mug of tea I made for myself in the kitchen of the hostel at Fort Mason . I spent much of the day with my pal, Deb,...
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Enjoying the Wonderful Sites in Zacatecas, Mexico
Millions of tourists visit Mexico every year, mostly in the winter as people like to get away from the freezing temperatures and snow in the north. Almost all of these people visit the tourist cities of Cancun, Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas,...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, April 13, 2015: Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii
Located on the west side of Kauai, Waimea Canyon stretches 14 miles long, is one mile wide, and is more than 3,600 feet deep. These photos were taken from the Waimea Canyon Lookout (elevation 3,400 feet) which provides these...
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National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta (Where Gumbo Was #109)
Exterior Albert Vecerka-Esto & The Freelon Group-HOK We had some good guesses for this week's Where in the World is TravelGumbo, but believe it or not, no one offered the correct guess. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights opened on Monday, June 23rd 2014 in Pemberton Place, adjacent to the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola. This area is in Downtown Atlanta, just north of Centennial Olympic Park. The Center links the American Civil Rights...
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Florida warned: take action against future flooding
17th c. Castillo de San Marcos, guarding America's oldest city, may be endangered by rising waters. With all the jokes about earthquakes in California creating ocean-front lots in Nevada, it's easy to forget that things are changing in numbers...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 27, 2015: Grapevine, Texas, Urban Wine Trail
Grapevine, Texas, is just north of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and a world away from what you would imagine a community this close to a major metropolitan area would be like. What you’ll find is Main Street lined...
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British Air adds year-round Iceland flights
British Airways will be flying Heathrow-Rekyjavik three times a week, starting October 25, becoming the first mainline trans-Atlantic carrier to offer year-round service. BA and others have operated summer services, but the winter has been largely...
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Catalan nudists ask Euro court for right to bare
Fighting a local anti-nudity ordinance in a town north of Barcelona, the Catalan Naturist Club, having lost its appeals all the way to Spain's highest court, is now appealing to the European Human Rights Court at Strasbourg. The Spanish high...
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Volendam and Edam, the Netherlands: A Historic Riverfront Adventure
AmaWaterways river cruise ship AmaCerto leaves Amsterdam heading for Volendam and Edam. Gliding north along the Markermeer and Ijsselmeer rivers, the ship arrives just after lunch for a tour of the towns now united under one municipality. ...
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Gold Country, California: The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum
I thought this series about Gold Country was done. But I realize now that may not be true for some time. About 6 months ago, wanting to replace the wood stove in my house that was installed when the house was built in 1978, I called...
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Google Flights Updates Their Airfare Search
Google has released updates to their Google Flights Airfare Search. It seems to be geared for the flexible traveler. As far as I can tell, the major difference between Google Flights and other airfare searches now is what it allows you to search for...
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A Day in Caguas
Caguas is a late-comer by some standards; San Juan, 30 miles away, was already 250 years old when Caguas was settled by Spain—and yet it proudly calls itself “La Ciudad Criolla” and “El Corazon de Borinquen,” the Creole...
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Amtrak's Auto Train - Relax your way to Sunshine
There is a rhythm to train travel that is different. This is especially true when you are taking a train for a long distance. I recently took a round trip excursion on Amtrak’s Auto Train. And it immediately reminded me why I enjoy train travel...
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Skedans, Haida Gwaii, British Colombia (Where Gumbo was #106)
Gumbo was visiting the "misty isles", Haida Gwaii, in British Columbia. Specifically, the remnants of the Haida village of Skedans. Sadly, not much remains of the village, captured at its prime in the above image (1878), rich...
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Spain's "ghost airport" will come to life with Ryanair
Spain's embarrassingly-empty Castellon-Costa Azahar airport, unused since it was opened with great ceremony nearly five years ago, will finally get passengers. Ryanair will announce a schedule of flights from U.K. and northern Europe today, according...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, March 12, 2015: King Kamehameha Statue, Kapaau, Hawaii Island, Hawaii
King Kamehameha I (1758 - 1819) conquered the Hawaiian Islands and united them to formally establish the Kingdom of Hawai ʻ i in 1810, thus founding the Kamehameha Dynasty. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha...
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Sun will disappear Friday...but most won't notice
Is that a teaser headline? Yes, but it has a real basis. There will be a total eclipse of the sun this coming Friday, March 20, 2015, but it will only appear as a total eclipse in a select section of the northern hemisphere: Parts of Norway, the Faroe...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, October 27, 2014: Nene, Kauai
A nene is a goose native to Hawaii and is that island's state bird. The first time I saw nene was several years ago when my wife and I spent a week in Maui. We spotted them while on a drive to the summit of the dormant volcano,...
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And the airline with the best food is.....
For anyone who flies mostly in North America, airline food is all but a thing of the past. You might get some pretzels or snack mix, or if you're desperate and starved might shell out some cash for a stale sandwich or something equally...
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Cruising California's 17 Mile Drive
There are a lot of famous road trips in the USA, like California's Pacific Coast Highway and Montana's Going to the Sun Highway . One of the best known drives in America is scenic 17-Mile Drive (actually distance depends on how you...