Beauty Heals And Gives Us Wings
My final installment of the Throwback Thursday Travel series takes me back to China. This time, I’m reflecting on Shanghai, the last city I visited in China. I’ll always remember SH as a dynamic city with a vibrant nightlife and fantastic shopping. Here are some of my photos from my trip. Enjoy!
Back in 2013, I took my first trip to Texas. I visited my former in-laws nearby Houston, and then we went to Crowley, LA for the Rice Festival. I wish I had taken more photos, but I never knew that I’d be adding these photos to a blog post one day. I also didn’t know that I would be divorced and traveling to Texas would no longer be a normal occurrence. However, the time was fun, and I look back fondly on this trip. I’m happy to share the photos that I have. Enjoy!
Nearly ten (!) years ago, I went to Indianapolis, Indiana to train for my previous job as a international tax auditor (that’s another story for another day . . . ). I was there for several weeks and I enjoyed exploring the city on foot during my down time. I have always wanted to return to the city, especially since I enjoy live sporting events and would love to attend a Pacers game. Maybe I’ll return when COVID-19 is no longer a threat. Until then, here are some of my photos from that trip. Enjoy!
Happy Thursday, friends! I first posted about my trip to China several years ago, and then I shared a Throwback Thursday Travel post highlighting my time in Beijing. But my trip to China didn’t end with Beijing: I also traveled to Hangzhou and Shanghai. Today, I’m sharing some pictures from Hangzhou, my favorite city in China. I loved West Lake, and I learned that many Chinese citizens love Hangzhou for weekend getaways. It’s such a picturesque city: I can’t wait to return!
At The Ramada in Hangzhou: such a beautiful lobby!
Touring the Dream Town Incubator
At beautiful West Lake
Shopping at Hefang Old Street
Riding around in Hangzhou
Visit to a tea plantation
Sin City. What happens there, stays there. The Entertainment Capital of the World.
Of course, I’m talking about none other than Las Vegas, Nevada. I went there in November 2019, and I loved it! Much like last week’s Throwback Thursday Travel post, I think I’ll have to break this one down into two (or maybe even three!) posts to capture all of the things that I saw and did. However, for today, enjoy these pics from what is sure to be the first of many trips to Las Vegas.
We’ve arrived!
For this trip, I rode with my friend from San Diego to Las Vegas. On the way there, we saw Seven Magic Mountains, a vibrant art installation that offers a striking contrast of color against the desert backdrop.
I couldn’t get a good picture of Seven Magic Mountains, but I still loved it
I stayed at the luxurious Bellagio Hotel. However, staying at just one luxury hotel would be a disservice to yourself: there are so many exquisite hotels in Las Vegas, so why limit yourself to one? The next time I go, I’ll definitely try either the Venetian, the Waldorf Astoria (formerly the Mandarin Oriental) or Caesar’s Palace. Here are some pictures as we drove to the hotel, as well as photos of the pool and courtyard area.
Valeting at the Bellagio and views from my hotel window
The entrance to the courtyard surrounding the pool area
The Bellagio’s pool area
My motto is ABS: Always Be Shopping!
Souvenirs for family members that enjoy novelty shirts
That’s all for today’s Throwback Thursday Travel post! Have you ever been to Las Vegas? How did you like it?
Laissez les bons temps rouler! (Let the good times roll!)
I went to New Orleans in 2011, a few weeks after I got married. So, this trip was almost like a honeymoon, though we had an official honeymoon trip several months later.
I fell in love with the Big Easy, and I hope to return within the next year or so. However, I’ll be sure to visit during the cooler months: the summertime is unbearable hot! In any case, here are some of the pictures I snapped during my trip. Enjoy!
I loved seeing the street names in the sidewalk
A souvenir shop on Canal
Fun in the French Quarter
I wish I had a chance to go into Harrah’s, but we were having way too much fun taking in all of the sights
As I look through my photos, I realize this post really needs a Part 2. So look out for some additional New Orleans pictures soon.
Have you ever been to New Orleans? I’d love to hear all about it. Have a great Thursday!
Nairobi remains one of my favorite places on Earth. I wrote a while ago about my Kenyan adventures. Here are some few more pictures from that trip that I hadn’t shared before. I’m breaking this into two parts, because one day of my trip involved a trip outside of Nairobi (to my friend’s family farm) and there are pics from the Nairobi National Museum that weren’t shared in this post. Today’s post features pics from the farm. Enjoy!
This particular cow was my friend’s favorite on her family’s farm
Just a turkey, minding his (or her) business
Adorable piglets and their momma!
Because the climate in Nairobi and the surrounding areas is favorable for gardening during most of the year, my friend’s family farm basically produced food year round.
Lush views surrounding the farmland
I shared some photos of my trip to China almost two years ago (to the date!) on this blog. I remember this trip fondly and I can’t wait to return when international travel is an option again. Until then, here are some photos that I haven’t shared before. These are all from Beijing: I’ll add pictures from Hangzhou and Shanghai in a separate post. Enjoy!
Meal I enjoyed at a local mall: one of the best veggie curries I’ve ever had!
A quick snap at The Forbidden City
The Great Wall
Local shopping district: I visited Plastered8 t-shirt shop and found some cool stuff
Yum!
Spots of beauty everywhere
Cute bib from Haidilao restaurant (their hotpot was superb!)
A philosophy for life
I know for a fact that most of us that have permanent cases of wanderlust are seriously missing our ability to travel freely. While we are all (hopefully!) doing our part to flatten the curve, it doesn’t mean that we’re not looking forward to planning our next trip once things are a little more amenable to travel. Until we can look forward, we can always look back, hence
Throwback Travel Thursdays!
I’ll try to post throwback pictures from previous travel in these posts, just to keep things light and fun, and to remind us: we’ll be able to resume our lives soon. Just hang on, friends!
I’ll be sharing some photos from the cruise I took in 2018. I’ll also add links to my cruises posts here. Enjoy!
Fall Vacation Part 1 – Cruise Overview; Cruise 2018: Ports of Call; Cruise 2018: Dining on the Sea
Beautiful Cozumel
My first time in Roatan, Honduras
I miss cruise dining!
Bronze Butterfly 