Michigan

Over the summer, we went to Saugatuck, Michigan for a weekend with some of our friends. Saugatuck is a quaint town filled with shops and restaurants. The town is located on Lake Kalamazoo and the Kalamazoo River, which works its' way to Lake Michigan. The Ottawa and Pottawatomi Native Americans were the first to live in the area.

My husband and I went on a dune ride! I went on a dune ride the first time I came to Saugatuck when I was 11 years old. It is still a blast! The dunes were created with erosion and the loss of the white birch trees.  This area was known for its' lumber and soon, there was very little forest remaining.  Native grasses have been planted and they have stopped further erosion.

One activity I never miss in Saugatuck is taking a ride on the chain ferry across the Kalamazoo River. It was built in 1838 and it is the only chain ferry left in the U.S. It is hand operated and it takes approximately 200 cranks to go across the river.




 

Las Vegas

My husband won a trip to Las Vegas from his company.  We spent a long weekend in the desert oasis! 

Hoover Dam was my favorite part of the trip!  Construction began in 1930 and was completed in five years, two years ahead of schedule.  It is named after Herbert Hoover, who was an instrumental person in getting the states of Arizona, Nevada and California to agree on water and electrical rights.  Herbert Hoover went on to become our nation's 31st President.

It stands 726 feet high and 1,244 feet long and controls the Colorado River.  The dam stretches across the Colorado River, connecting Arizona and Nevada.  It is one of the world's largest dams.  Because the dam stops water, it created Lake Mead, which is used for recreation as well as irrigation for farms.

We took a tour inside the dam and saw 17 massive generators.  They produce four billion kilowatts of electricity per year.  Here is a link with more interesting facts about the Hoover Dam: Hoover Dam facts

We enjoyed our drive to visit the Hoover Dam, looking at mountains and the desert.

The City of Las Vegas is quite unique with its' over the top hotels, swimming pools and neon lights.

Hoover Dam



Mike O' Callaghan -- Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge



Luxor Hotel

Famous sign

Hoover Dam from Arizona side





The Venetian Hotel

The generators inside the Hoover Dam



A view from the airplane: The Grand Canyon!



Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is part of a Caribbean island called Hispaniola.  Christopher Columbus stopped here on December 5, 1492.  Hispaniola is made up of two countries, Haiti and Dominican Republic.  Spanish is the local language and there are lots of sugar cane fields as well as beautiful, sandy beaches with warm aqua colored water.

We stayed in a resort area called Punta Cana.  It is on the tip of the island with one portion of Punta Cana on the Caribbean Sea and the other portion on the Atlantic Ocean.  We did a lovely day trip to the capital, Santo Domingo.  We spent the majority of the day exploring a historic area called Zona Colonial.

Zona Colonial is filled with narrow, cobblestone streets and beautiful Spanish Colonial architecture.  We visited churches and a house where Christopher Columbus's son, Diego Colon lived.  The Zona Colonial is located along the Ozama River, which then reaches to the Caribbean Sea.

As part of our all day tour, we had a lovely lunch at a local restaurant.  The food served in the Dominican Republic includes a lot of beans, rice, fresh fruit, chicken and fish.  It was delicious!  Our guide was extremely knowledgeable with the history of the country and current events.  We learned a lot!

Punta Cana airport

Punta Cana airport -notice the thatched roof!

Punta Cana beach

Gate to Zona Colonia

Typical street of Zona Colonia



A lighthouse in Santo Domingo

The Dominican Republic flag

Fort

Street in Zona Colonia

Presidential Palace in Santo Domingo

 

House of Diego Colon

Massachusetts: Boston, Lexington & Concord and Cape Cod

Plymouth Rock!

Make Way for Ducklings statues in the Public Garden.

Sight of the Boston Massacre.

John Adam's house in Quincy.

The Old North Bridge



One of the lanterns that warned Paul Revere & other night riders how the British were arriving.



Taking in a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, the oldest in the U.S.



A stairway in the Boston Public Library!

The Truro lighthouse, painted by Edward Hopper.

Over summer break, I went to Massachusetts with my husband.  I have visited this state several times, but it is always nice to return!  In Boston, we walked the Freedom Trail.  Visitors follow a red line throughout the city to see sights that were a part of the Revolutionary War.  It was so neat to see Paul Revere's house, the sight of the Boston Massacre and many other special, historical places.

We also visited the Boston Gardens.  This is the setting for one of my favorite books, Make way for ducklings.  There are statues of Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings in one corner of the park.  We enjoyed walking around Boston and admiring the beautiful architecture of one of America's oldest cities.

I did a day trip to Quincy and saw the houses of two presidents, John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams.  I share the same birthday with John Quincy Adams!  I did another day trip to Lexington and Concord, places where many Revolutionary War battles took place.  It was so neat to walk around these historic towns. 

Finally, we spent a long weekend driving around a portion of Cape Cod.  This is the part of Massachusetts that looks like an arm.  We visited several small towns including: Hyannis Port, Sandwich, Chatham, Wellfleet and Provincetown, which is all the way at the tip.  These towns are small and quaint along the ocean.  On our way back to Boston, we stopped in Plymouth and saw Plymouth Rock.  It was a great trip refreshing my memory of American history!

Architecture in Boston

Paul Revere's house

Provincetown seashore

Public Gardens with the swan boats

Paraguay

Paraguay is a land locked country in South America.  Part of our family will be living there for the next three - five years!  My brother-in-law and sister-in-law both work for the U.S. government.  They work at the U.S. embassy in the capital of Asuncion.  They have two little boys, both of whom are now fluent in Spanish!  My nephews go to a school near their house where only Spanish is spoken.  They like school and have made friends.

Since Paraguay is located in the Southern Hemisphere, their seasons are the opposite of ours.  When we visited in December over our winter break, my nephews were on their summer break!  It was hot, so we went swimming daily!  Our summer, is their winter, so it's cooler with rain.  But, it is never cold enough there to snow.

My husband and I enjoyed touring Asuncion with its' Spanish colonial architecture.  For a weekend, we all traveled to the see the 17th century Jesuit missions.  They built beautiful communities and taught the Guarani people (Natives of Paraguay) skills such as agriculture, architecture, carpentry, pottery, calligraphy and music.  The Jesuits also saved the Guarani's native language by creating an alphabet and dictionary.  The language still exists today.  The Jesuits were to convert the Guarani to Christianity, but that did not work.  Today, there are three large Jesuit ruins or "reductions" in the countryside.  It was about a five hour car drive from Asuncion.

The pictures include beautiful buildings in Asuncion and some of the Jesuit ruins.

The Presidential Palace

A Jesuit ruin

The tomb of the unknown soldier, modeled after Hotel des Invalides in Paris, France.

Our family at a Jesuit ruin

Matte containers!  Most people in Paraguay drink a tea called matte.

California

We have visited California numerous times and have seen the northern portions and the southern portions.

We have family that was based in the San Francisco area for many years.  San Francisco is the northern section of the state. We loved visiting them, seeing the city and visiting other nearby spots. Here are some pictures from some of our trips!

There are two famous bridges in the San Francisco area.  One is the Golden Gate Bridge.  It approximately three miles long.  Construction began on January 5, 1933 and was opened on May 28, 1937.  It is painted something called, "International Orange" and painting is a continuous job throughout the year.  It is one of the most famous bridges in the world.  You can drive across it, ride a bike or walk. Official Golden Gate Bridge website

The other bridge is called the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge.  This new bridge opened on September 2, 2013.  It replaced the old Oakland Bay Bridge, which opened to traffic on November 12, 1936.  Both of these bridges were thought to be impossible to build at the time.  Many people who live in the area also use a ferry system to travel across the water.  Bay Bridge Official website

The City of San Francisco has very steep hills!  For transportation for portions of the city, citizens and visitors take cable cars.  These famous cars were invented by Andrew Hallidie in 1873.  San Francisco Cable Car History

The Transamerica Tower stands proudly as part of the downtown skyline.  Construction began in 1969 and was completed in 1972.  It's pyramid shape reflects earthquake preventative design.  San Francisco is prone to earthquakes.  The most destructive earthquake in San Francisco happened on April 18, 1906.  Another earthquake happened during a World Series baseball game on October 17, 1989.  Since the 1906 earthquake, architects have designed buildings with the latest earthquake preventions.

California has many other wonderful places to visit!  One of my favorites is Muir Woods, which is located closer to a charming town called Sausalito.     Muir Woods is named after a famous naturalist, John Muir and is home to some of the world's largest trees, the giant redwoods.  Official Muir Woods website

Another stunning area in Northern California is the area of Monterey.  This portion of Califonia hugs a dramatic coastline along the Pacific Ocean.