Prisoner of Hopes

Category: travels

  • The Long Ride: Rural Road Trips Texas

    The lure of the open road is strong. I love road trips and I love to drive. Today I am behind the wheel of our thirty foot rv which is towing our Chevy pickup. My husband completed the first shift coming out of New Mexico. He navigated White Sands missile range, Alamogordo, and Roswell. I…

  • Imperial Palace: Travel Goals Japan

    Today we visit the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo. While it is the primary residence of Japan’s Emperor, the inner palace area is closed to visitors. Instead, we head to the East gardens. Both the palace and the gardens are built on the grounds of the former Edo Castle, the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate. There are…

  • War Eagles: Rural Road Trips

    The War Eagle Museum is a privately owned museum filled with historic aircraft and cars. It is located at the Dona Ana County airport at the border of New Mexico and Texas. We are only here because it popped up on the GPS as we were driving to El Paso. I have zero expectations and…

  • Beautiful Surprise: Travel Goals Japan

    Just walking through Tokyo, we take a short cut suggested by Google Maps. We are on our way to Tokyo Tower to get an aerial view of the city. Google says we can walk through an ancient wooden door. My husband is leery because it is obviously not a street and Google has taken us…

  • El Paso City: Rural Road Trips Texas

    From thirty thousand feet above the desert floor I see it there below A city with a legend, the West Texas city of El Paso Where long ago I heard a song about a Texas cowboy and a girl And a little place called Rosa’s where he used to go and watch this beauty whirl  I don’t recall…

  • Team lab: Travel Goals Japan

    With our son along for the experience, we journey across Tokyo to find Team Lab. As we wander between office buildings and upscale retail, I am convinced we are lost. Finally, we find the entrance tucked in a remote corner of a very large, sterile mixed use building. We are directed to put our coats…

  • White Sands: Rural Road Trips New Mexico

    Today we decide to channel our inner elementary school selves. We leave with all the excitement of “are we having a snow day”. But not before we stop and borrow two round “UFO” sleds from our campground. It is hot and fully in New Mexico’s high desert. But Apparently sand dune sledding is a thing,…

  • Electric Town: Travel Goals Japan

    You want it? They’ve got it. At least that seems to be the case in Akihabara. We are spending the afternoon in Tokyo’s Electric Town. As we walk across the river from the train station, we see police vans blocking off the streets. This allows the thousands of consumers to wander freely through the city…

  • Tokyo Tower: Travel Goals Japan

    It screams tourist trap. There can be no purpose visiting Tokyo tower except to have a tourist experience. And yet I am drawn like a fly to a flame. Not quite Eiffel Tower vibes, but the smaller Tokyo Tower is impressive when juxtaposed against the monastery that sits beside it. I guess the Tokugawa shoguns…

  • Tiny Town that is Somehow Larger than life-Tombstone: Rural Road Trips

    The show down at the OK Corral….every kid (at least kids my age) has heard of it. It was immortalized in print and film. My favorite version is Tombstone with Kurt Russell, Sam Elliott, and Val Kilmer. So on this road trip through Arizona, I am determined to see the place for myself. There may…