01 Jan 2016 – A Year in Travel
2016! Wow! It provided some new, unique and very special moments and memories. When traveling on business I often take side trips to explore new destinations, in search of something different and exciting. More importantly, as a family we work and live to travel together – there’s nothing better in life for us than traveling, having adventures and new experiences together. Let’s review 2016 – A Year in Travel.
January
Teotihuacan, Mexico City
My first trip of the year was to Mexico City, Guadalajara and Leon. I only had one day in Mexico City but managed to visit the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the Pyramids at Teotihuacan. From Guadalajara, I took a trip to the city of Tequila and toured the Jose Cuervo La Rojeña Distillery. And in Leon, I went to the extraordinary Unesco World Heritage city of Guanajuato which is about 60 minutes away.
February
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
I took my first ever trip to Anchorage, Alaska and was not disappointed. I went on a Sunrise Photo Safari with Alaska Photo Treks. Not only did I get to learn more about my camera I got to see some of the best scenic locations around Anchorage: the Cook Inlet coast; Chugach State Park; the scenic Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center; the spectacular Portage Valley; Lake Hood; Potter Marsh; McHugh Creek; and Glen Alps.
March
Alcatraz, San Francisco
In March I got to visit San Francisco for a couple of nights and started off with dinner at the Fog Harbor Fish House, on Pier 39, which is an institution with awesome views of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge. I took the Hornblower cruise over to Alcatraz, another first for me even though I’ve been to San Francisco dozens of times and I visited the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park.
April
Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China
In April I went to Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing. In Guangzhou saw the best of the city including the Chen Clan Temple, Guangdong Folk Art Museum, Mausoleum of the Nanyue King on Xianggang Hill, Flower Pagoda at Six Banyan Temple, Shamian Island and Canton Tower. I started out in Shanghai with a Chinese cooking class in a family home. Sightseeing wise I visited the Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai Museum and the Yuyuan Garden. Back in Beijing I took a rickshaw tour of the Hutongs and visited the Drum & Bell Towers followed by a DIY tour on the underground to the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Summer Palace.
May
Nevada Beach, Lake Tahoe
Every May we kick off the summer with the first tent camping trip of the year. It’s car-camping and we almost always camp along the sandy shore of Lake Tahoe at Nevada Beach. We’ve had glorious sunshine, torrential rain and snow storms – which all adds to the adventure.
June
New Orleans, Louisiana
I had business in New Orleans but still managed to get out and about! Bourbon Street was still as vibrant as I remembered from my last visit in 2002. Out at Darrow, Houmas House, the Crown Jewel of Louisiana’s River Road is where you can experience the life of a wealthy Sugar Baron. Cajun Pride Swamp Tours in Laplace offer a unique and educational journey back to the early days of Louisiana bayou.
July
L to R: James Taylor, Me!
The weather at Lake Tahoe is perfect in July – not too hot, very little humidity, no rain and no bugs. There’s an array of events from the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship and Ski Run Farmer’s Market & Street Fair to the Lights on the Lake Fireworks Display and the Lake Tahoe Harveys Outdoor Concert Series.
August
Bay of Fires, Tasmania, Australia
Road Trip! Starting at Lake Tahoe we headed to Morro Bay, then Solvang, Malibu and Hollywood where we experienced the Walk of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Universal Studios and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. In Anaheim we had fun at Knott’s Berry Farm, Disneyland and Venice Beach. Then I went directly to Australia for my Tasmanian adventure – I started in Launceston and ended in Hobart ticking off places like the Cataract Gorge Reserve, Bay of Fires Conservation Area, Bisheno, Freycinet National Park, Port Arthur Historic Site and Mount Wellington. In Australia proper I got to explore the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, the City Reach Boardwalk in Brisbane and took a ferry trip over to Manly from Sydney.
September
Lake Tahoe, Canadian Geese
September is a blessing at Lake Tahoe. The kids go back to school and all of a sudden it becomes quieter and peaceful. The weather remains glorious and it’s time for the locals to enjoy their habitat. The Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority hold their annual Labor Day Weekend Fireworks Extravaganza and the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce their Sample the Sierra farm-to-fork festival celebrating the bounty & heritage of the Sierra Nevada region with food and wine parings.
October
Reno – The Biggest Little City in the World
Every October the Nevada Commission on Tourism or Travel Nevada as they now like to be known hold their annual Governor’s Global Tourism Summit. The event alternates between Las Vegas and Reno, and in 2016 it was held at the Grand Sierra Resort (GSR) in Reno. The Grand Sierra Resort has had a few names. When it was the MGM Grand it was one of the largest hotels in the world.
November
Monkey Head, Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica
In November we took our first ever family trip to Costa Rica, and to add to the fun we brought along my wife’s 80 year old mother. We explored Northeastern Costa Rica and flew in and out of Liberia. Our Costa Rica journey took us to La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano, to the Cloud Forest in Monteverde and then onto the beach at Playa Hermosa in Guanacaste Province.
December
Dwit Gol Mok (DGM)
For the second time in 2016 I found myself back in Los Angeles, this time staying in Koreatown which was a culinary and party adventure! We dined at BCD Tofu House, Jjukku Jjukku BBQ, Dwit Gol Mok (DGM), and EggSlut in Grand Central market. Most notable was our evening in the Break Room 86 speakeasy club!