Prisoner of Hopes

Tag: Nature

  • Mountain Hike: Travel Goals Alaska

    Mountain Hike: Travel Goals Alaska

    After spending the morning in Skagway, I want to spend some time in the woods. The lower lake trail is touted as a two mile loop trail around a mountain lake. To get to the loop, there is a steep trail up the mountain beginning across the railroad tracks from the Skagway Hotel. Our new…

  • National Garden: Travel Goals Japan

    National Garden: Travel Goals Japan

    It is our last day in Tokyo as we visit the National Garden of Japan in Shinjuku. The garden sits within 15 minutes of our house. We didn’t visit before because of the cherry blossom festival. There were huge crowds and timed entry for weeks. Today, things are back to normal and we can walk…

  • Takao: Travel Goals Japan

    Takao: Travel Goals Japan

    Today we planned to travel to Nagano to see the snow monkeys. But when we woke up, we just were not feeling like a long train ride in order to catch a bus in order to hike. Perhaps earlier in the trip it would have been worth it, but with only two days remaining in…

  • Zoo In the Rain: Travel Goals Japan

    Zoo In the Rain: Travel Goals Japan

    I love zoos. At least I love them when they are modern, champion conservation, and have plenty of room for the animals. National zoos are usually stellar, so we didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to visit the National Zoo of Japan. We head to Ueno park, even though it is raining. We are…

  • Japanese Garden: Travel Goals Japan

    Japanese Garden: Travel Goals Japan

    We came to Kanazawa to see the castle. But the cherry blossoms are at their peak and a world famous garden sits just across the street. Kenroku-en garden is considered one of the best traditional Japanese gardens in Japan. I feel lucky to see it as the pale pink blossoms blanket the garden. It is…

  • Mendenhall Madness: Travel Goals Alaska

    Mendenhall Madness: Travel Goals Alaska

    Our first stop in Alaska is Juneau. The ship docked around 3pm and will leave port around 9 pm. We decide to skip the crowded city streets (and they are ridiculously crowded) and head to the Tongass National Forest to see the Mendenhall Glacier. Sounds easy enough but I don’t want a tour group experience.…

  • Sakura Season: Travel Goals Japan

    Sakura Season: Travel Goals Japan

    All of Japan is awash in blossoms. We thought when we arrived in early March that we would miss the “sakura” season. I was pleasantly surprised to see blossoms immediately. Our first days in Tokyo included multiple cherry blossom encounters in a cemetery, a park, and even on a pedestrian overpass along the highway. As…

  • Aquarium: Travel Goals Canada

    Aquarium: Travel Goals Canada

    Stanley Park is quite large. We are dedicating the whole day to the experience. There is plenty to keep us busy. In fact, we are weighing our options. The current diversion is the Vancouver Aquarium. We walk from the bus stop at the edge of the park around Brockton Park and its Totem Park to…

  • Tourist Mecca or Sacred Mountain?: Travel Goals Japan

    Tourist Mecca or Sacred Mountain?: Travel Goals Japan

    Today’s destination is Fushimi Inari Taisha, a temple that has over 3 miles of trail up Mount Inari. The mountain temple path is lined with over 10,000 Tori Gates. My son has picked the location because of internet reviews and photos of the Tori gates. It does look impressive and a little intimidating. However, if…

  • The Long Ride: Rural Road Trips Texas

    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…