Highlights of 2019 Spring Adventure
Six Countries (Mexico, China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Philippines), four flights, three cruise ships, two rental cars, one overnight train, lots of metros, buses, taxis, trains, ferries, and ubers in one hundred and five days.
Transportation....
Public Bus...Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
City Bike Rental, Shanghai, China
Rain resistant bike, Shanghai, China
Trike, Shanghai, China
Tram in Nagasaki , Japan
Maglev, Shanghai, China
Under River Tram, Shanghai, China
Ferry boat, Zhouzhuang, China
Ferry Boat, Kagoshima, Japan
Train, Vladivostok, Russia
Ferry, Hakone National Park, Japan
Best Bike Ride...
Tokyo, Japan (13.5 million)
Shanghai, China (23 million)
Best Beaches...
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Los Cabos San Lucas, Mexico
Most Unusual Food...
Starfish, Qingdao, China
Barbecued Beetles
Historic Sites....
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Zhouzhuang Watertown, China
Peace Park and Museum, Nagasaki, Japan
Restored Government Compound, Jeju City, South Korea
Most unwanted experience...
Tokyo, Japan
Nature at its Best....
Black Dragon Rock, Jeju City, South Korea
Favorite Creek....
Most Unusual Restaurant...
City Signs of the time....
Statues.....
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Jeju City, South Korea
Mount Sakurajima, Japan
Shigeu Mizuki bronze statues, Sakiminato, Japan
Best Shopping...
Tanggu, China
Otaru, Japan
Local Delicacies.....
Gathering tiny shell creatures, Qingdao, China
VW Van Sightings...
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Los Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Kunozan Toshogu Shrine, Shimizu, Japan
Vladivostok, Russia
Best Sunsets....
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Best Evening Cityscape...
Yokohama, Japan
Most Polluted Air...
Tangu, China
Rainiest Day....
Cruise Ships....
Best Marinas...
Kodiak, Alaska
Best sea tour...
Los Cabos San Lucas, Mexico
Most Scenic Creek...
Best Street Corner Stop...
Kao-hsiuing. Taiwan
Animals spotted...
Pelicans, Los Cabos San Lucas
Seals, Los Cabos San Lucas, Mexico
Amazing Bridges....
Zhouzhuang, China
Coldest Seaside Walk...
Qingdao, China
Highest Cityscape.....
Kobe Beef, Kobe, Japan
Best Chinatowns....
Yu Gardens, Shanghai, China
Sengan-en Garden, Kagoshima, Japan
Rock Garden, Kyoto, Japan
Kodiak, Alaska
Best Trees...
Lotus Lake, Kao-hsiuing, Taiwan
Six Countries (Mexico, China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Philippines), four flights, three cruise ships, two rental cars, one overnight train, lots of metros, buses, taxis, trains, ferries, and ubers in one hundred and five days.
Transportation....
Public Bus...Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
River Cruise, Shanghai, China
Historical Duck Fishing boats, Zhouzhuang, China
Canal Boat Ride, Zhouzhuang, China
Danubi Train, Busan, South Korea
Public Bus, Keelung, Taiwan
WWII Jeeps, Manila, Philippines
Horse and Cart, Manila, Philippines
Cable Car, Shimizu, Japan
Best Bike Ride...
Xian, China
Most Populated Cities....
Beijing, China (21 million)
Best walks....
Li River, China
The Bund, Shanghai, China
Pudong, China
Old Town, Shanghai, China
Forbidden City, Beijing, China
Best Beaches...
Carmel Beach, California, USA
Rosarito Beach, Mexico
Most Unusual Food...
Historic Sites....
Manila Metropolitan Cathedral, Manila, Philippines
San Augustin Church, Manila, Philippines
DMZ, South Korea
Shurijo Castle, Okinawa, Japan
The Great Wall, China
Forbidden City, Beijing, China
Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea
Tiger and Dragon Pagoda
Kao-hsiuing, Taiwan
Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan
Kodemmacho, Tokyo Station, Japan
Osaka Castle, Osaka, Japan
Kocchi Castle, Kochi, Japan
Shirakawago, Japan
Gortokaku
Fort, Hakodate, Japan
Hirosaki
Castle, Hirosaki, Japan
Most Unique Passenger...
US Route 1, California, USA
Most unwanted experience...
Squat potty
Largest Stones in Walls....
Osaka, Japan
Nature at its Best....
Teakettle Rock, Busan, South Korea
Smoking Volcano, Mount Sakurajima, Kagoshima, Japan
Most Scenic Lighthouses....
Yeongdo Light House, Busan, South Korea
Cape
Chikyu, Muroran, Japan
Big Sur, California, USA
Haulien, Taiwan
Most Scenic Spots...
Keelung, Taiwan
Li River, China
Mt Fuji, Shimizu, Japan
Shirakawago, Japan
Hakone National Park, Japan
Icy Strait Point, Alaska, USA
US Route 1, California, USA
17 Mile Drive, US Route 1, California, USA
Winery Valley, Ensenada, Mexico
City Signs of the time....
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Seoul, South Korea
Rosarito, Mexico
Statues.....
Okinawa, Japan
Beijing, China
Terracotta Warriors, Xian, China
Soul, South Korea
Icy Strait Point, Alaska, USA
Ketchikan, Alaska, USA
Winery Valley, Ensenada, Mexico
Kochi, Japan
Local Delicacies.....
VW Van Sightings...
Hualien, Taiwan
17 Mile Drive, Carmel, California, USA
Best Museums...
National Museum Beijing, China
Natural History Museum, Shanghai, China
Car and Army Museum, Vladivostok, Russia
Salmon Cannery Museum, Icy Strait Point, Alaska, USA
Remarkable Temples, Shrines, Churches....
Kao-hsiuing, Taiwan
Keelung, Taiwan
Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China
Yokohama, Japan
Golden Palace, Kyoto, Japan
Ryoan ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan
Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine, Shimizu, Japan
Shitennoji Temple, Osaka, Japan
Kodiak, Alaska
Most Graffiti...
Vladivostok, Russia
Best Sunrise.....
Keelung, Taiwan
Muroran, Japan
Hakodate, Japan
Icy Strait Point, Alaska, USA
Rosarito, Mexico
Kobe, Japan
Qingdao, China
Kao-hsiuing, Taiwan
Most Scenic Drives....
Kodiak, Alaska
Kanazawa, Japan
US Route 1, California, USA
Fascinating instruments....
Beijing, China
Beijing, China
Beijing, China
Beijing, China
Best overnight train roommates...
Beijing to Xian, China
Fukuoka, Japan
Kushiro, Japan
Cruise Ships....
Los Cabos San Luas, Mexico
Ketchikan, Alaska, USA
Best Street Markets...
Qingdao, China
Jeju City, South Korea
Incheon, South Korea
Hualien, Taiwan
Fish Market, Hakodate, Japan
Most Scenic Creek...
Ketchikan, Alaska, USA
Best Street Corner Stop...
Animals spotted...
Totoro, Tanggu, China
Hen on a leash, Manila, Philippines
Turtles, Kao-Hsiuing, Taiwan
Carp, Kochi, Japan
Squirrels, 17 Mile Drive, California, USA
Elephant Seals, San Simeon, California, USA
Seals, La Jolla, California, USA
Amazing Bridges....
Jeju City, South Korea
Sakaiminato, Japan
Busan, South Korea
Harimaya Bridge, Kochi, Japan
Shirakawago, Japan
Golden Bridge, Vladivostok, Russia
Hirosaki Garden Bridge, Hirosaki, Japan
US Route 1, California, USA
Coldest Seaside Walk...
Highest Cityscape.....
Pudong, Shanghai, China
Best Foodie Experience...
Favorite City....
New Friends...
Larry and Mike in Shanghai, China
Sam, Willie, Larry, Ahmed
Nagasaki, Japan
Jeju City, South Korea
Farida, Ahmed
Irene
Xian, China
Sam and Suzanne, Li River, China
Mark and Julie, Sakaiminato, Japan
Unique Cultural Experience....
Wedding, Jeju City, South Korea
Gyeongbokgung Palace Period Costumes, Seoul, South Korea
Gisha Dance, Kushiro, Japan
Japanese Tea House, Yokohama, Japan
Favorite Restaurant...
La Fonda, Mexico
Hot Pot, Shanghai, China
Kobe, Japan
Yokohama, Japan
Oldest Fountain.....
Kanazawa, Japan
Best Gardens....
Gucheng Park, Shanghai, China
Imperial Gardens, Tokyo, Japan
Osaka Castle Gardens, Osaka, Japan
Kenrakuen Garden, Kanazawa, Japan
Gorgeous Waterfalls....
Yushien Garden, Sakaiminato, Japan
Kenrakuen Garden, Kanazawa, Japan
Icy Strait Point, Alaska, USA
Most Unusual Structure...
Castillo Del Diablo, La Fonda, Mexico
French Concession, Shanghai, China
Kyoto, Japan
Bamboo Forest, Shimizu, Japan
Hakodate, Japan
Hirosaki, Japan
Best night life...
Shanghai, China
Best Campfire.....
Icy Strait Point, Alaska, USA
Best Spring Flowers
Shanghai, China
Okinawa, Japan
Osaka, Japan
Kochi, Japan
250 kinds of Peonies, Sakaiminato, Japan
Shirakawago, Japan
On this adventure, this sign says it all...
Ketchikan, Alaska, USA
Route 1, California, USA
The Winery Route, Ensenada, Mexico
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Larry and I are following the advice of Clint Eastwood: "Keep your eyes on the horizon and your nose in the wind!"
Traveling: it leaves you speechless, but then it turns you into a storyteller.
Hope you have enjoyed our adventure.
