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At least we will be going down on the way back!!!!

At least we will be going down on the way back!!!!

The major sights of the world are nice to tic off. Things like the skyline of Manhattan, the view over Florence; the Parthenon; the Taj Mahal; St Peters at the Vatican; Tower Bridge in London; the view out over DC as you land at Reagan National; the palaces of Schoenbrunn, Heidelberg, Chapaultepec; family theme parks like Epcot or Disneyland; adult theme parks like Las Vegas; world class galleries and museums like the Tate, the Rijksmuseum, the Alte and Neue Pinakotheks, the British Museum, the Smithsonian museums; the view from the south rim of the Grand Canyon or the entrance to Yosemite Valley; the blast of steam from the geyser of Old Faithful; the sight of the Eiger or the Matterhorn.

I have been lucky enough to see these things and many others, and even though a tip/picture or two from these 'main' attractions will creep in from time to time, the main focus will be devoted to 'lesser' wonders - not necessarily any less spectacular, just lower on the scale of 'must see'. Whether it is a relatively unknown Greek island - say Kithinos; a Slovenian Peak not appearing on their flag (which for those unaware, is Mt Triglav -though, I have pictures of that too!!); a German wine town not on the Rhine or Mosel; a trail along a railway in Austria or any number of other views of natural beauty that is the western US. these are the things that I hope to concentrate on in my pages.

If you should see the occasional Corgi make their appearance, be assured that they are having as much fun as I.

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Mountain Corgi welcomes you to Elk Cove, Mt Hood

Mountain Corgi welcomes you to Elk Cove, Mt Hood

For some unique travel experiences, you can virtually raft through the Grand Canyon or the Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park. You can virtually pass through the Panama Canal or wander along the first mountain railway ever built. You can experience alpine battlefields of World War I fought atop Krn Peak in Slovenia or 'kayak' among the tidewater glaciers of Glacier Bay National Park. How about exploring a sea barrier island in Georgia (Cumberland Island) or poking through 19th Century American experiments in communalistic living predating the 20th Century International Communistic experience (Bishop Hill, Amana, Bethel, Aurora, Nauvoo, Harmony, Economy, Ephrata). There is always the odd mountain to climb - Slovenia, the Unicorn in Mount Rainier National Park, Mount Hood, Mount St Helens, South Sister near Bend, Oregon, Great Basin National Park, Elko, Leavenworth, New Hampshire, Lone Pine, Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park, Bridgeport, Big Pine, Independence, Lee Vining, Mammoth Lakes or Bishop - to mention a few. Plenty of other options await as well.

Maybe you just want to watch the Corgis sing? Have as much fun exploring as I did in creating!

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Recent offerings include a trip to Scotland, South Africa (with a little overlap into Lesotho) and a quick eye clinic trip to India, but also include several offerings from wanderings amongst battlefields from the American Civil War. Check out the travelogues below.

One can never get enough mushrooms, either ... the edible types, that is ;-]

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High in the Slovene Alps on the Mala Mojvstroka

High in the Slovene Alps on the Mala Mojvstroka

Pages include a pilgrimage to Turkey in the footsteps of Paul and to Istanbul, Beograd with more Slovene wanders and climbs.

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Tomb of Warren Gamaliel Harding in Marion, Ohio

Tomb of Warren Gamaliel Harding in Marion, Ohio

For tripping with a theme - Mormon historical sites - both Latter Day Saint (Utah) and other Mormon branches: Kirtland, Independence, Nauvoo, Lamoni, Orderville, Manti, Pipe Springs, Colorado City.

For United States presidents, try: Jefferson and Monroe, Hayes, Garfield, McKinley, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, and Truman.

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American Marine joins with ARVN veterans in memory

American Marine joins with ARVN veterans in memory

I take part in health clinics in various countries and one of those was in Vietnam. Vietnam has a special meaning for Americans of my generation. I missed out on being eligible for a draft that might have sent me off to see the World before I may have been ready. That said, I appreciated the country that I encountered and the people that I met. The people there and the many Vietnamese that have come to America in lieu of the People's Paradise have made me aware of the continuing complications we encounter in the World.

Read more at the Vietnam page travellogues.

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Chapel of the new, rises from the old - Orval

Chapel of the new, rises from the old - Orval

Another trip took me through northeastern France, eastern Belgium and the Lycian coast of Turkey. Turkey was filled with natural and ancient wonders and I was warmed by the many gracious people whom I met in my travels that made those experiences that much more memorable. There are a lot of tourists you can run into in parts of Turkey, but the country is large. You can see spectacular ruins, eat and stay at very nice seaside villages and still be "lost" in a good sense. I have posted many sights now in France and a few in Belgium and will not bore you with all of the hyperlinks - you can find them easily enough on my travel map if you are interested.

If you have not guessed, I am interested in history and travel allows the past to mean more. I just read a story of the death of the last member of those men who served in the WWI Royal Air Force in Britain. The focus of his life in his recent years had been to try and remind people of the sacrifices made no going on a hundred years ago during World War One. Movies like "Saving Private Ryan" also bring light to the fact that World War Two is quickly moving from memory to history, as well. It would be nice to say that by learning more about history we can learn from our past mistakes to make a better tomorrow. It might be a little naive and trite to use that old cliche, too, but all we can do is try. What better example can be found at Orval where the Trappists have erected a new monastery next to the ruins of their old destroyed one so that the mission they conceive as their lives' purpose can continue. The fact that they make some pretty good beer is just another reason to venture off the main track into the Ardennes forests of southeastern Belgium. Don't be afraid. You won't be alone.

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The Little Queen shows off the Oregon Cascades!

The Little Queen shows off the Oregon Cascades!

And, of course, there is the odd local hike to spots of beauty that leave me more than satisfied!