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Amsterdam (Mar 30 - Apr 6, 2019)

Allison and I spent spring break in Amsterdam. Tulips being the main attraction, we dedicated two full days to Keukenhof. We rented bikes and rode along the flower fields, stopping for lunch and to check out the beach and the deer. Then we went to Keukenhof itself, and enjoyed not only the flowers, but the trees, the pond, the animals, the windmill, the statues, and the indoor exhibits. The theme this year was "flower power", and the entire experience was absolutely fantastic.

Back in Amsterdam we stayed in the center of town, walked around, visited several museums, and went out to eat. We went to the flower market for more tulips. We made another day-long excursion to Zaanse Schans, again did some biking, and visited several functioning windmills and a clog shop. We also went canoeing through a village just outside the city, and had a picnic on an island populated by birds. Finally, one night, we paid a visit to Olga and her family.

 

 

Maui (Feb 18-23, 2019)

Elmer and Adam went on a quick trip to Maui during Adam's ski week. Adam did a little bit of fishing, skimboarding, and exploring. Elmer went hiking to the top of the volcano, and found some snow.

 

 

Boston (Feb 2-3, 2019)

Michelle took part in a musical over IAP, so I flew to Boston to catch the Saturday night show (and part of the Sunday afternoon show). The name of the musical? Reefer Madress (enough said). It was hilarious, and awesome, and totally worth the trip.

 

 

Park City, Utah (Dec 27, 2018 - Jan 2, 2019)

This year, we went skiing with the Lehoczkys for the first time. We rented a house with beatufil views and ski-in, ski-out access in the middle of the Canyons resort. There was plenty of fresh snow, which was great for skiing (but not so great for driving without a four wheel drive). Skiing in proved to be a bit more difficult than skiing out, resulting in some of us getting lost, and various other misadventures. In addition to skiing, Allison spent some of the time remembering how to snowboard.

Because driving was a challenge, we ended up mostly staying put, but we did go out to eat at the fantastic Fireside Dining. We spent New Year's Eve eating, drinking, playing games, and enjoying each other's company.

 

 

Boston (Oct 25-28, 2018)

Elmer, Allison, and I went to visit Michelle for the family weekend. Allison was very excited to deliver the giant frog that Michelle left behind. We checked out Michelle's dorm room, attended a couple of lectures, went to several concerts and shows, and hung out at various other events organized for the occasion. We walked around campus, stopped by MacGregor, and visited my old dorm room. We saw the Suratis for brunch. The weather was rainy and not particularly inviting, but it was nice to see Michelle and catch up with some old friends.

 

 

Boston (Aug 31 - Sep 3, 2018)

I went to Boston for the Labor Day weekend to help Michelle settle in at her dorm. She scored a small triple in Burton-Conner. We spent much of the weekend unpacking, shopping, and assembling/attaching shelves. We ubered quite a bit to get all the necessary supplies. When Michelle was busy with rush activities and a capella auditions, I just wandered around campus. Somewhere in there, we found some time to go watch a movie, and on the last day, we got together with Rajeev for lunch.

 

 

Ogden, Utah (Jul 15-29, 2018)

Allison and I spent two weeks at the Epsilon camp, held at Weber State University in Utah. Allison threw herself head first into everything the camp had to offer: challenging classes, engaging professors, new friends, math stations (zometool, logic games and puzzles, multiplayer games, origami), homework, spontaneous math-related activities, game nights, the talent show, outdoor games, bowling, and even some ad-hoc gymnastics.

Over the weekend, we went rafting on the Weber River, and from there drove on to Park City. We spent Saturday afternoon exploring the resort's many summer activities (Alpine Slide, Alpine Coaster, Legacy Launcher, ropes course, climbing wall, gem panning). On Sunday, we wandered around the impressive Main Street market, tamed a bull, went to an escape room, rode the Town Lift up and down the mountain, and enjoyed the scenery, the weather, and the food.

Before we knew it, it was time for the closing ceremony. As with all the best camp experiences, it was tough to say goodbye. We made some good friends and had a great time, and will try to go back if we can.

 

 

Boston (Jul 4 - Aug 3, 2018)

Adam spent the month of July in Boston this summer, and Elmer and I took turns spending some of that time there with him. Adam and I flew in just in time for July 4 and the fireworks. Over the next week and a half, we explored our surroundings, visited some old friends, went sailing on the Charles River, spent a Saturday wandering around Chinatown and the Public Garden, and of course met up with the Suratis and the Beebees.

Elmer, who arrived in town after I left, took Adam to visit some more exciting far-off places, such as Nantucket.

 

 

Bay Area (Apr 27-29, 2018)

Adam and I went on a quick trip to the Bay Area to attend RoboGames 2018. It was my first time at the competition (Adam first came a couple of years ago with Elmer), so I went around checking out all the various events: combat for robots as large as 100 kilograms and as small as 100 grams, robot hockey, sumo, humanoid robots dancing, and many others. It was a long couple of days, but pretty entertaining. Adam's robot didn't perform particularly well, but that didn't seem to dampen his enthusiasm much.

 

 

London (Mar 31 - Apr 7, 2018)

Elmer took Allison on a spring break trip to London. They spent a week visiting all the major landmarks: Trafalgar Square, the London Eye, Hyde Park, Tower of London, the British Museum, Kew Gardens, and a few others. They went on a bike tour, watched the changing of the guard, and wandered the streets of London.

The highlights of the trip, however, were centered around Harry Potter: watching Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, spending a day at the Harry Potter Studios, and visiting Platform 9 3/4.

 

 

Maui (Mar 25-29, 2018)

The big kids and I went on a last-minute spring break trip to Maui. For Adam, it was all about fishing: he brought his own pole and fished from the shore, tried his hand at spear fishing, and went deep sea fishing from a boat. Michelle and I stayed closer to home: we hung out at the beach, went kayaking, and saw some turtles. We sampled a few nearby restaurants, and went for shaved ice with the Fishmans (who just happened to be there at the same time). Michelle and I drove to Surfing Goat Dairy and saw some very cute baby goats, and I got to explore a little bit of the island on my own.

After dropping Adam off in California, Michelle and I continued on to the East Coast, where we spent a day visiting Exeter, and another half a day hanging out with Anubha and the kids.

 

 

New Zealand (Feb 16-24, 2018)

Vanessa organized this adult-only trip to New Zealand, which started in Auckland and ended in Christchurch. Pictures day by day: day 1 (Wai-O-Tapu thermal park), day 2 (Maori farm, a museum and a waterfall in Taupo, bushwhacking with Richard), day 3 (hiking on Lake Tarawera), day 4 (biking and wine tour, Napier walk), day 5 (flight to Blenheim), day 6 (Marlborough Sounds boat tour, including a visit to Ship Cove and Motuara Island bird sanctuary), day 7 (kayaking in Queen Charlotte Sound, Hapuku lodge and tree houses).

 

 

Huntsville (Feb 2-3, 2018)

Elmer took Allison to Huntsville for the weekend to attend the Grissom Math Tournament. When not busy doing math, they got a chance to sample some Southern cuisine, do a bit of hiking, stop by the cemetery, and visit the Space and Rocket Center. They also got to hang out with Brian, who came down for the weekend (sadly without Julia).

 

 

Steamboat, Colorado (Dec 23-30, 2017)

We went back to Steamboat for our annual ski trip this year. The rental house was very much ski-in, ski-out, with only a long staircase separating us from the ski slopes. Our ever-expanding group went skiing and snowboarding, sometimes together, sometimes separately. Snow wasn't the most abundant this year, but we did have one good snowfall at the beginning of the week. The scenery was beautiful, and we spent quite a bit of time on the back side of the mountain, where the snow was deeper, the chutes were steeper, and birds came to the lift to eat food out of our hands. Kids built a snowman, games were played, food was cooked and eaten, Christmas was celebrated, and all too soon it was time to go home.

 

 

Banff (Sep 23-26, 2017)

Elmer and I originally planned to go to Banff for a weekend in July, but that trip fell through and we ended up going in September instead. It turned out to be a perfect time to visit - the larch fall color season. We stayed on Lake Louise, in a room with an impressive view of the lake. We hiked to Helen Lake on the first day, and to the Bow Glacier Falls on the second day. We drove all the way to Jasper, stopping to check out the wildlife and the Athabasca Falls. On the last day, we went on a hike from the hotel to the Lake Agnes Tea House.

 

 

Switzerland (Jul 1-10, 2017)

We went to Switzerland with Allison while Michelle and Adam were away at camp. We flew into Zurich, then traveled around on trains with a Swiss Pass. We spent a couple of days in Lucerne, with a day trip to Mount Pilatus (featuring a summer luge run and a rope course) via the world's steepest cogwheel train. We then moved to the Interlaken area, and stayed in the car-free Wengen. From there, we took a tram and did the Mannlichen - Kleine Scheidegg hike, took several more trains to Jungfraujoch (aka Top of Europe, with its snow fun zone and an ice palace), and went on another hike at Schynige Platte. Leaving Berner Oberland, we headed to Bern and then on to Montreux. We spent a day in Gruyeres, and paid a visit to the chocolate factory in Broc. We took another train to Geneva and flew home from there.

 

 

Palm Springs (Mar 15, 2017)

We've been to the Indian Wells tournament several times before, but never for a day like this one. Here are some of the Round of 16 matches Adam and I were fortunate enough to see: Nishikori vs. Donald Young, Djokovic vs. Kyrgios (Kyrgios won!), Federer vs. Nadal (Federer crushed Nadal), and Wawrinka vs. Nishioka (Wawrinka barely pulled it out in the third set). We had awesome seats on Court 1, and Federer looked just unbelievable. We were also there earlier in the day, when Federer and Nadal came out to the practice courts.

 

 

Park City, Utah (Feb 21-23, 2017)

My second trip to Park City this year was with Michelle and Adam, who had a week off from school in February. We went for three days, and the conditions on the first day weren't the best: slushy at the bottom, icy in the middle, and windy at the top. But that night, the snow started falling down, and for the next two days, we skied in feet of fresh powder. Adam hooked up with Tyler, who took him on some crazy runs, of the double-black-diamond variety.

On the second day, we were in Deer Valley, and on the third day, back at Park City, where Michelle and Adam spent some time exploring the terrain park. A few lost items, 1.5 round trips to Salt Lake City, and a delayed then rerouted flight later, we made it home late that night.

 

 

Park City, Utah (Jan 13-16, 2017)

Since we skipped skiing over Christmas this year, we had to get our snow fix in other ways. I took Allison on a short trip to Park City over the MLK Day weekend. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and the snow was fantastic. We skied, raced, and snowboarded to our hearts' content. We went on a sleigh ride to Snowed Inn. Allison even managed to get some ice skating in before leaving for the airport.

 

 

Thailand (Dec 18-28, 2016)

Instead of skiing this year, we went on an REI trip to Thailand. Day 1: bridge on the River Kwai, Hintok river camp. Day 2: biking through Kanchanaburi countryside, kayaking on the River Kwai, Erawan National Park. Day 3: school sports day parade, Wat Niwet Thammapravat temple, Bang Pa-In summer palace, boat ride on the Chaopraya River, biking in Ayutthaya. Day 4: Wat Chai Wattanaram temple, rural Thailand from a boat, on the road to Sukhothai, biking through Sukhothai at dusk. Day 5: biking in Si Satchanalai Historical Park, village tour. Day 6: giving alms to the monks, hiking in Doi Ithanan National Park, Christmas in Chiang Mai. Day 7: elephant nature park, Thai cooking class, Chiang Mai night market. Day 8: ziplining, Mae Kampong village homestay. Day 9: hilltribe village tour and tree planting. Day 10: Hmong Hilltribe Lodge hike, Chiang Mai old city walk.

 

 

Boston (Sep 9-10, 2016)

I took Michelle to Boston for the weekend so that she could participate in Math Prize for Girls. While the competition was taking place, I wandered around Cambridge and Boston. In the evening, we met up with the Suratis and hung around Harvard Square.

 

 

Idaho (Aug 7-14, 2016)

Yalli organized a rafting trip on the Salmon River for Richard & Vanessa, Jamie Sue & Heow, and our two families. (Sadly, Yalli herself didn't make it due to a last-minute medical issue.) From McCall, Idaho, we flew on a small plane to Salmon, then drove to the put in. We traveled with several rafts, a dory, a paddle boat, three duckies (for the duckie test graduates), a stand-up paddleboard, and some dead weight. We had some weather at the beginning of the trip - rain and strong winds, which made the progress slow (and made everyone cold and wet). Conveniently, we stopped by a hot spring and warmed everyone up. The rain also meant some beautiful rainbows.

As the weather cleared, it got warm enough for some voluntary swimming and a water fight or two. The scenery and wildlife were spectacular. Several people tried their hand at the big oars. We stopped along the way, to see some art, visit Buckskin Bill's (and its tower), and hike to a yew grove. Activities at camp included yoga, crafts, games, can crushing, fishing, sand play, s'mores, and even a birthday cake for Jamie Sue. We played duckie wars, with the guides joining in the fun. The kids attempted to sleep under the stars, with varying degrees of success. Allison got stung by wasps, and learned about the magical power of The Extractor. Overall, it was another amazing trip, and it was hard to come back to civilization.

 

 

Ireland (Jul 9-17, 2016)

Elmer and I went to Ireland this summer while the kids were away at various summer camps. We flew into Dublin in the morning and spent the rest of the day wandering about the city, paying a visit to the nearby Trinity College. The next day, we set off through the Wicklow Mountains, making a stop in Glendalough to explore its monastic site, and to go on a peaceful hike around the nearby lake. We then continued on to Kilkenny (where we spent the night), the Rock of Cashel (and the nearby museum), and Cork, eventually ending up in The Dunloe hotel in Killarney, our base for the next few days. From here, we visited Killarney National Park, the Gap of Dunloe, the Ring of Kerry, and the Dingle Peninsula. At the end of the week, we left the Killarney area and headed toward the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, and Connemara National Park. We flew back home from the Shannon airport.

Impressions/observations: Rain is awesome, it makes things green! Irish roads are ridiculously narrow, and often have stone walls instead of sidewalks, making driving stressful. There are random castle ruins dotting the countryside. Irish play some extremely weird sports. The number of tourists, even in peak season, is very reasonable, making Ireland an awesome place to visit!

 

 

Boston (Jun 3-6, 2016)

We missed my MIT reunion last year, and decided to crash the Banks' reunion instead. We all assembled at the Suratis' residence on Friday night. On Saturday, we wandered around campus, invading 10-250 and trying to sneak into various dorms. In the afternoon, we participated in the Tech Games, including the always exciting 2.007 design contest. We then hung out at the Beebees' place in Lexington. On the way back to our hotel in Cambridge, we stopped by Toast to Tech, with its awesome fireworks.

On Sunday, we took the T to Boston, had lunch in Chinatown, and went kayaking on the Charles River. The Banks went back home on Sunday night, but we stayed another day, visiting the Edgerton Center garage and the D Lab, checking out some robots, stocking up on MIT and Harvard paraphernalia at the Coop, and stopping by Ginkgo Bioworks.

 

 

Costa Rica (Mar 30 - Apr 6, 2016)

For spring break, Adam, Allison, and I went to Costa Rica, basically on the same trip that Elmer and Michelle were on years earlier. Pictures day by day: day 1 (arrival in San Jose), day 2 (a visit to the Vida Campesina farm, arrival in Arenal Nayara, hot springs), day 3 (horseback riding, ziplining), day 4 (Hanging Bridges park, canyoneering), day 5 (watching crocodiles, outrigger kayaking, arrival in Manuel Antonio), day 6 (Manuel Antonio park and beaches, playing soccer with the local kids), day 7 (rafting on the Savegre River, butterfly garden), day 8 (flight back home).

The best part of the trip was the abundance of animals everywhere we went: toucans, parrots, and other birds, monkeys and sloths (and sloths at night), frogs, lizards, and snakes, insects and spiders, and one particularly cute Mexican porcupine.

 

 

San Francisco (Mar 26-29, Apr 8-10, 2016)

Michelle and I went on a quick road trip to the Bay Area during the first few days of spring break. We saw Jeff and Laena, went on a hike down the panoramic trail in Muir Woods, hung out at the super windy Crissy Field, and went to dinner at our favorite San Francisco sushi restaurant. Then we spent a day visiting Proof School before heading back home.

A couple weeks later, Elmer took Adam to the Bay Area to attend RoboGames.

 

 

Snowmass, Colorado (Dec 19-26, 2015)

Our annual ski trip took place in Snowmass, Colorado. We rented a house that was ski-in, ski-out, so many of us hardly had to get into a car for most of the week. Allison took snowboarding lessons, and made some good progress on her snowboard. We skied with the Banks, with Rajeev and Aleena, and occasionally with Anubha and Ara and the Beebees. The kids enjoyed the terrain park, warm gondola rides, and having lunch together at the base. There was plenty of snow coming down every day.

There was one unfortunate incident on the third day, which resulted in Adam breaking his left wrist, and being unable to snowboard for the rest of the trip. Other than that, it was great fun. The house came with a hottub, and plenty of space and opportunities for fort-building. We had a secret Santa exchange for Christmas, and played lots of games, old and new.

 

 

Utah (Nov 24-28, 2015)

We left the kids at home, and took a Thanksgiving week road trip to visit some of Utah's national parks. We drove through Las Vegas, stopping for dinner and a quick stroll along the Strip. We then headed to Zion National Park. We checked out The Narrows trail, walking as far as we could along the Virgin River; wading in wasn't super appealing given the brisk temperatures. Instead, we did the Angels Landing hike, with its crazy dropoffs and amazing views throughout.

Leaving Zion, we headed next to Bryce Canyon National Park, which was covered in snow. There, we hiked the Navajo Trail and the Peekaboo Loop, getting our fill of the awesome hoodoos. Finally, we stopped by the Arches National Park and went on a short hike to see the Delicate Arch.

 

 

Palm Springs (Nov 20-22, 2015)

Adam made it into Tommy Tucker again this year, so we spent another beautiful weekend in Palm Springs. Adam met up with some of his old tennis friends, and met a few new people as well. He played doubles with Advik, spent some quality time messing around on the grass courts, and even played some ping pong. And somewhere in there, he played a couple of decent tennis matches.

The facility, as usual, was amazing, and the views were unbelievable.

 

 

Kauai (July 26 - Aug 2, 2015)

We went to Kauai again, but this time stayed on the north side of the island. This gave us a chance to enjoy the fantastic views of Na Pali Coast practically from our hotel room. We went back to the Pools of Mokolea, which were still as awesome and secluded as last time we were here. Whatever people we saw were mostly at the Rock Quarry beach nearby. We went back to the same beach again the next day for surfing lessons, and, despite a couple of unexpected jellyfish and bee stings, the kids enjoyed the experience.

In contrast, Queen's Bath, which we visited for the first time, was teeming with people (though we still managed to find a couple of secluded pools a bit further afield). So was the hike along the Na Pali Coast to Hanakapiai Beach.

We spent quite a bit of time around Hanalei - hanging out at the beach and at the pier, kayaking, and sampling food at various restaurants.

 

 

Russia (May 7-11, 2015)

Masha and I convinced each other to come to Ekaterinburg for our 25th grade school reunion. It was quite a surreal experience for several reasons, not the least of which the fact that the entire trip lasted only five days, with two or three of them spent on travel. I was perpetually jetlagged, and struggling not to fall asleep.

On my first day there, Masha, Anya, Lena, and I went for a long walk around the city. The city was decorated for the 70th anniversary of May 9 (Victory Day), with huge, building-sized slogans everywhere. The kids' all-city choir was practicing for the celebration. The weather was cold and miserable the entire weekend, but we did manage to get a few hours of walking in before it started pouring in earnest. At which point we retreated to Anya's apartment.

The reunion itself took place at a cottage on the outskirts of town, which we apparently rented for the whole night (and morning, and the following afternoon). About half of my former classmates I haven't seen since 1988, yet (perhaps unsurprisingly) most people haven't really changed all that much. Like I said, it was pretty surreal.

 

 

Galapagos (Apr 5-13, 2015)

We spent the kids' spring break in the Galapagos, and it was perhaps the most awesome place we've ever visited. The trip we were on was run by Country Walkers, and the itinerary was well organized and jam-packed with activities. We spent three days on Isabela Island, and another three days on Santa Cruz.

Day 1: marshlands with flamingoes, tortoise breeding center, a walk along the beach to the hotel. Day 2: a boat trip to Los Tuneles and its blue-footed boobies, snorkeling, looking for penguins, trip back to town, a walk along the coast, some nice views, and the Wall of Tears. Day 3: a horse ride along the rim of Sierra Negra, followed by a hike to Volcan Chico with its moon-like landscapes, horse ride back, drinking coconut water back in town. Day 4: a flight to Baltra, a boat ride to a secluded beach with a view of Daphne Island, and a return to Santa Cruz with its pelicans and the fish market. Day 5: a walk to Tortuga Bay, millions of crabs, hanging out and swimming with iguanas, a visit to the tortoise farm with tortoises (here they are up close!) living in the wild. Day 6: kayaking, a boat ride to La Fe, more snorkeling, and a farewell dinner.

 

 

Palm Springs (Mar 21, 2015)

We went to Palm Springs for a day to watch the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open: Djokovic vs. Murray and Federer vs. Raonic. It was particularly exciting because we finally managed to catch a Federer match. We also saw a couple of doubles finals. Adam tried out a few rackets at the demo center. It was hot, as usual, but a very good day of tennis watching overall.

 

 

Bay Area (Feb 13-15, 2015)

Michelle and I spent Valentine's Day weekend in the Bay Area. On Saturday, Michelle went to a math tournament while I visited Masha and family; in the evenning, we had dinner at our favorite sushi restaurant in San Francisco. On Sunday, we got together with Jeff for lunch, then drove up to Marin Headlands to check out the unbelievably clear view of the city and the Golden Gate Bridge. (Unfortunately, we weren't the only ones who came up with this great idea; the crowds were almost as unbelievable as the views.) We dropped by Ghirardelli Square on the way to the airport, and spent another chunk of time standing in a huge line at the ice cream shop.

 

 

Beaver Breek, Colorado (Dec 23-30, 2014)

For this year's ski trip, we returned to Beaver Creek, and we also recruited the Beebees to join the group. The skiing was fantastic, as usual, with the snow ever plentiful. The kids were adventurous as ever, and even Natalie, Aleena, and Allison were finally able to keep up with the big kids. Allison took both ski and snowboard lessons, and spent a couple of days back on the bunny hill, trying to ride her snowboard. Inevitably, however, the entire crew got back together at various times during the day, be it at the base for lunch, to take a break from skiing, or on the way back up in gondolas and lifts.

The house we rented was on a shuttle route, so there was a fair bit of time spent waiting for and riding the shuttle. The kids also went sledding in the backyard and built a snowman. We all played board games, and worked for hours on a large puzzle. There was the usual amount of chaos and misadventures, but the hardest part was saying goodbye at the end of the week.

 

 

Palm Springs (Nov 21-23, 2014)

Adam has been looking forward to attending the Tommy Tucker tournament again for the past year and a half. It was just as fun the second time around. He played lots of tennis, on hardcourt, grass, and clay courts, and made some new friends to boot. In the evenings, we went out as a group to feed the hungry tennis players. At the end of the weekend, Team Green emerged victorious and got to hold (for a good few minutes) the big fancy trophy.

 

 

Oregon (Aug 9-17, 2014)

We heard good things about the Rogue from our previous rafting guides, so this summer we headed up to Oregon with the Lehoczskys. We first spent a couple of days in a beach house on the Pacific coast. Although it was freezing, the kids built themselves a raft and went swimming. Adam tried some fishing. Elmer and I went on a very windy walk down the beach. Before driving back inland, we stopped by another cold beach, where the kids enjoyed playing in the waves (and Adam again went fishing).

We finally made it to the lodge on the Rogue River the night before the rafting trip began. It was the longest (5 days) and the largest (22 people) trip we've been on so far, and featured a multitide of rafts, duckies, canyons, rapids, and wildlife. As we traveled down the river, we (some of us, anyway) jumped off a jump rock, hiked to and went down a water slide, played with some newts, and enjoyed a variety of water games. The camp life was busy as well, with more jump rocks, more swimming, more attempts at fishing, more wildlife, some dishwashing, and occasional sleeping under the stars. Rafting trips rock!

 

 

Alaska (July 6-15, 2014)

Elmer took Adam on a father-son trip to Alaska (Adam's choice!). They flew into Anchorage, and spent the first day biking around town. Among other things, they biked to the coast, encountered a moose, lots of birds, and a cat, and watched some small planes take off the water. The next day, it was their turn to fly on a small plane, to the Kulik Lodge, a fishing lodge in Katmai National Park. They spent several days fishing for salmon and trout in the Kulik River and some nearby lakes. They also visited the nearby Brooks Lodge to watch bears catching their own fish.

For the second part of the trip, the boys flew to Valdez. They spent one day hiking to a nearby glacier. They spent another day kayaking among the icebergs, with a scenic stop for lunch.

 

 

Maryland (June 23-29, 2014)

The kids and I went to visit the Banks in Maryland, partly because Allison insisted that it was time to pay them a visit, and partly to get Michelle closer to her camp in Massachusetts. It was a pretty relaxing week, full of activities appropriate for the summer: picking cherries and strawberries, making pies, running a lemonade stand, going to the pool (and crashing the Banks' swim team party), miniature golfing, bowling, laser tag, fishing, hiking, chilling at home, hanging out with Cocoa, and even camping out in the backyard.

Farther afield, we visited the Adventure Park at Sandy Spring, where all the kids enjoyed various climbing and ziplining courses. We also went on a White House tour, thanks to Sylvia's planning skills.

 

 

Las Vegas (Apr 14-17, 2014)

Spring break, part 2: We took Adam and Allison to Las Vegas for a few days. We stayed at Mandalay Bay, but visited all the other usual destinations: the Bellaggio, the Venetian, the Palazzo, and so on. We ate at some fantastic restaurants, caught a Cirque du Soleil show, and visited tigers and dolphins at the Mirage.

Out of town, we took a day trip to the Valley of Fire State Park, and spent the afternoon exploring the Beehives, hiking to the Mouse's Tank, and starting down the Rainbow Vista trail. Another day, we drove east to the Hoover Dam, and took a tour there.

 

 

Snowmass, Colorado (Apr 6-10, 2014)

Spring break, part 1: Michelle's spring break didn't coincide with Adam's and Allison's this year, making travel challenging. Michelle and I ended up hopping on a plane for a quick trip to Snowmass and a few days of spring skiing. We got lucky on the first day; it actually snowed the night before, and we had the mountain pretty much to ourselves, with several inches of fresh powder to boot. Michelle spent some time practicing her jumps in the snow park. She also built a snowman right on the mountain, and named him Bear Bottom, in honor of the nearby trail.

After the first day, the weather warmed up significantly. Bear Bottom didn't make it past the second day, and the trails got noticeably dirtier and more bare. We saw people skiing in shorts. Overall, it was an interesting experience, and we had a good time both on the mountain and hanging out at the village.

 

 

Whistler (Dec 20-27, 2013)

This year, our little skiing group spent a week in Whistler. The snow wasn't exceptional by the locals' standards, but good enough for us tourists - and always beautiful. The little kids (Allison, Aleena, Natalie) continued to get better at skiing. The big kids continued in their crazy tree-hugging ways. We skied a lot together as a large group, which necessitated some waiting around on the way down the mountain. We stood in lift lines, rode gondolas and ski lifts, explored a race course, and ate lunch at the base. Oh, and the best thing about Whistler? Four words: Dave Murray run, eh?

Back at the house, Anubha went a bit crazy with baking, producing some truly marvelous creations (which the kids were only too happy to devour). Another big bonus was the location of the rental, just a few steps away from the slopes.

 

 

Maui (Nov 23-28, 2013)

Over Thanksgiving break, Elmer took Allison on a father-daughter trip to Maui, Hawaii (her favorite place in the world). They apparently spent quite a bit of time at the pool, especially on the slides. They tried out ziplining, went on a hike, and visited the aquarium. They also paid a visit to a goat farm, milked a goat, and brought home some yummy goat cheese.

 

 

New York (Sep 4-8, 2013)

School was starting late this year, so we took a quick trip to New York in order to watch the semifinals of the U.S. Open. It was also a great chance to visit with some friends. We stayed with the Lehoczskys, who generously made their home available to our gang of five. On Friday, we had lunch with Rob and Avelina, and got together with the Beebees for a stroll in the Bronx Botanical Garden (and dinner).

On Saturday, we made our way to Flushing Meadows, where we watched the two mens' semifinal matches (Djokovic vs. Wawrinka and Nadal vs. Gasquet), as well as an exhibition match between the McEnroe brothers and Todd Martin/Michael Chang. Overall, we had a great time in New York; school should start this late every year!

 

 

Stanford (Aug 17-18, 2013)

Michelle's tennis team traveled to the Bay Area this summer to play in the Gar Glenney Cup. All the matches were played at the Stanford tennis center, which gave us an opportunity to explore the Stanford campus a bit. We also saw some friends, albeit briefly - Kleanthes for dinner of Saturday, and Jeff for lunch on Sunday. The team ended up losing the competition by a few points, but it was a great experience overall.

 

 

Norway and Sweden (July 13-27, 2013)

Scandinavia has been on our list of places to visit for a while now. We first flew into Bergen, then drove south along the west coast of Norway to Villa Sortland. We spent several days exploring the area: meeting the sheep, the swans, some frogs, and one cat; going out on a rowboat and, later, a motorboat to an island; going fishing for some "stinky mackerel"; enjoying the local cuisine; and relaxing in the hot tub. We also went on a longer hike on one of the nearby islands. Throughout our stay, we picked loads of blueberries and mushrooms, and enjoyed the gorgeous scenery.

We then drove inland toward Voss, across the pass and down to the fjord region. We stayed on a farm in a charming small town called Fresvik, located literally at the end of the road on the southern side of Sognefjord. The weather was sunny and warm, and the kids went swimming at Fresvik's unique beach. We went on some fantastic hikes, and our mushroom picking efforts yielded a huge pot of delicious mushroom soup. We also hired a boat for a day to take us down the fjord. The boat ride included such diverse activities as catching water from a waterfall into a bucket; stopping in Gudvangen to check out the Viking festival; and summoning a herd of goats.

Leaving Norway behind, we flew to Stockholm, where we spent the last couple of days wandering around Gamla Stan (Allison liked the changing of the guards), visiting the Open Air Museum with its multitude of animals, eating, and even playing a little bit of tennis.

 

 

Russia (May 24-29, 2013)

This was a very short trip to Russia, for Baba Shura's funeral. The family, and a few friends, gathered at the cemetery. Afterwards, everyone went to a restaurant to pay their respects.

We stayed in Ekaterinburg for a couple of days after the funeral, mostly visiting with friends. Anya organized a get together with some of our classmates - it was really great to see everyone after so many years (20 or more in some cases!). By luck, it also turned out Tatiana Ilyinichna was in town with her granddaughter, Eva, and we had a chance to catch up for a few hours.

 

 

Georgia (May 24-28, 2013)

Elmer took the kids to Atlanta for the Memorial Day weekend. They wanted to hang out near a lake for a couple of days, and Stouf kindly invited them to come and stay with his family at Tate. The kids enjoyed playing in the lake, jumping off the tower, having fun on a surfboard, and trying to catch fish with bare hands. There were also games to play in the house (complete with some new playmates to play them with), and a trampoline.

After getting back to Atlanta, they paid a visit to Christine, who had just gotten back from a trip of her own.

 

 

Oahu (Mar 31 - Apr 6, 2013)

We went to Oahu for spring break. For the first couple of days, we stayed at the Waikiki Hilton. The kids got to experience the hustle and bustle of Waikiki; we went for a long walk along the beach, climbed some trees, and took pictures with parrots. We went out to dinner at nearby restaurants, including Benihana. We hiked up Diamond Head, and paid a couple of visits to the local farmer's markets.

The rest of the week, we stayed at the Aulani resort, with its lazy river, a snorkeling lagoon, and fancy bathrobes. We explored the nearby beaches and tide pools, and got to pet some sea turtles. Michelle and Adam took a surfing lesson. We also paid a visit to Pearl Harbor, and went on a long hike along the Kuliouou Ridge Trail.

 

 

Palm Springs (Mar 10, Mar 22-24, 2013)

We made not one, but two trips to Palm Springs in March. The first was to watch an early round of BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. We saw Murray, del Potro, Cilic, Errani, Djokovic (vs. Fabio Fognini), and some other great players. Adam and Michelle got themselves a pair of gigantic tennis balls, and used them to secure a few autographs. They also played some tennis at the racket demo center.

Two weeks later, we headed back to Palm Springs for the Tommy Tucker team tournament. Michelle and Adam had an absolute blast playing on three different surfaces (grass being the clear favorite). Allison enjoyed the hotel pool.

 

 

Steamboat, Colorado (Dec 22-29, 2012)

We went back to Colorado for Christmas, with both the Banks and the Suratis joining us again. Allison took a ski lesson to get started, then held her own for the rest of the week. Natalie got on skis this year as well, and did amazingly well, like a true Bank. Sometimes we went skiing with the Banks, and sometimes by ourselves; sometimes we met up, either on purpose or by accident, somewhere on the mountain.

The snow this year was fantastic; there was some serious snowfall in the second half of the week, and the kids (and certain adults) had great fun digging themselves out of the deep snow. As the conditions got better, the crowds got bigger as well. Still, the mountain provided plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature.

Of course, the kids also enjoyed just playing in the snow, and on the last day, they went sledding on a hill next to the house. The next morning, bright and early, it was time to say goodbye. As luck would have it, though, our flight got delayed, so we met up with the Banks again at the Denver airport.

 

 

Vancouver Island (Nov 17-22, 2012)

We had warm memories of Vancouver Island after our last visit there exactly 10 years ago. This time we flew directly to the island, and stayed in a hotel right at the beach. We quickly discovered why the locals call this time of year "storm watching season." It rained pretty much every day, and the ocean waves were quite spectacular. The kids loved it. Every day, we all donned our raingear and headed into the rain: to hike in the forest, to climb on rocks and through various forms of vegetation, or to explore the small islets lining the coast. We would usually last for two or three hours until someone got themselves soaking wet, at which point we would head back inside and make extensive use of the clothes dryer and the fireplace before heading out again.

It was definitely different as far as vacations go, but this trip seemed to really appeal to our Californian children. On our last night there, the rain finally cleared for a bit, and we went one more time to the beach to watch the sunset. The next morning, it was raining again, as we flew back home to sunny California.

 

 

Green River, Utah (Aug 16-20, 2012)

Rafting was such a hit last summer that we did it again, this time with the Lehoczskys. We started at the Flaming Gorge Dam and went down the Green River, apparently famous for its trout (though we also witnessed some other wildlife). Everyone started out on rafts, but after the duckies got inflated, we took turns on the duckies. The water was quite cold, but we occasionally went swimming anyway.

In the afternoons, after setting up camp, we did some fishing (more successfully on the second day), built boats for a series of boat races, and ate some tasty meals. The night sky was amazing, and the kids loved finding constellations and looking for shooting stars. They also quite enjoyed chasing one unfortunate toad. In the mornings, we all had breakfast and some nice hot cocoa before setting off again.

One of the stops along the river was at the Jarvie Ranch, where we got a tour of an old ranch from an old rancher. And on the way back home, we stopped by Park City, where we had just enough time to go on the alpine slide before having to rush off to the aiport.

 

 

Glacier National Park (July 20-23, 2012)

We left the kids at home for the weekend, and went hiking in Glacier National Park. On Saturday, we hiked the snow-covered Hidden Lake trail. Despite it being relatively crowded, there was plenty of wild life to be observed; most notably, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, marmots, and one persistent chipmunk. The crowds receded after the overlook, and we had the entire descent to the lake almost to ourselves.

On Sunday, after a brief encounter with a deer right in the parking lot, we embarked on a longer hike over Swiftcurrent Pass. There was again no shortage of wildlife; in addition to the ever-present marmots and squirrels, we saw a moose on the lakeshore, and then another one right on the trail.

After the hike, we stopped by the Many Glacier Hotel for some dinner. And as a final treat, there was a bear sighting on our way out of the park.

 

 

North Carolina (June 23-30, 2012)

This summer, we spent a week in the Outer Banks, NC with the Bank family. Sylvia rented an awesome house right on the ocean. We went to the beach every day, swimming, boogie boarding, hunting for sand crabs, and digging giant holes in the sand. Once we went for a long walk along the beach. Another time we ran some time trials. On a windy and stormy day, we flew a kite.

On the sound side, we went crabbing from the dock, and took kayaks into the sound to catch some fish. We rented jetskis and a pontoon boat. And we even went hang gliding in the hot hot dunes of Nags Head.

Back at the house, the kids enjoyed each other's company, playing games, making up songs, and playing with Michelle's sewing machine. They even helped with the cooking.

 

 

Boston (June 7-10, 2012)

We made a quick trip to Cambridge for Elmer's college reunion. Michelle and Adam got their first chance to see MIT, and wander around the campus for a bit. They visited the Stata Center, and climbed the Alchemist. Commencement was going on at the same time, so there were plenty of people hanging around.

We went on a duck tour to show the kids a little bit of Boston, then rode the T to Harvard Square and joined a tour of Harvard. We also visited Rajeev at the Scalable Display offices. But by far the most popular event was the Tech Games, a competition between groups of alumni and their families. We joined the class of 1992, and participated in a paper airplane contest, a pi race, an angry bird shooting contest, a packing competition, and a water balloon toss.

When not busy with reunion activities, we hung out with the Suratis. They were kind enough to take us around Boston, and even to organize a picnic at a local park.

 

 

Belize (Apr 7-15, 2012)

Elmer and Adam went to Belize for spring break. They spent the first few days with a guide, visiting caves, going cave tubing, ziplining, and exploring Mayan ruins. They paid a visit to a Mayan home/farm, where they experienced some local cooking, and tried their hand at pottery. Their guide also took them fishing on the river. Adam enjoyed the local wildlife: monkeys, birds, butterflies, and so on.

The second half of the trip was less structured, and spent on an island resort next to Belize Barrier Reef. The boys went snorkeling and fishing (both from the dock and from a boat), and even got to sample the fruits of their labor. They shared the beach and the boat with another family from the U.S.

 

 

Palm Springs (Jan 21-22, 2012)

Both Michelle's and Adam's tennis teams again qualified for the sectional playoffs at Indian Wells. We all went to cheer them on. It was a weekend of crazy winds, canceled/rescheduled matches, and lots of running around between different venues. But it was still fun. Allison found herself plenty of playmates among the siblings, and kept herself busy all weekend. On Saturday night, the whole gang went out to dinner. And the accomodations were positively luxurious.

 

 

Park City, Utah (Dec 23-30, 2011)

Our little ski club is growing; this winter, the Suratis joined in on the fun. Aleena, at three and a half years of age, was the youngest one of us to get on skis. Peter and Allison improved tremendously this year; they started out on the magic carpet (which served delicious snow cones, courtesy of Sylvia), but after a day or two of lessons, were going up the lift and skiing down the mountain with the rest of us. The older kids continued getting better as well. Michelle and Adam perfected the art of making snowballs while snowboarding... well, not exactly, as evidenced by Michelle falling off a (gentle) cliff.

In between all that skiing, we had lunch at the mountain, and went skating at the ice rink. Back at the house, we organized a ping pong tournament, emptied stockings on Christmas morning, and had epic snowball fights out in the yard. The week was over only too quickly, and soon it was time to say goodbye.

 

 

Lower Klamath River (Aug 7-13, 2011)

This summer, Michelle wanted to try going away to camp. We flew to Sacramento and dropped her off at Mountain Camp in the El Dorado National Forest. The rest of the family drove north to Happy Camp, CA - the starting point of our trip down the Lower Klamath River. It was a three day, two night leasurly rafting trip through some very mild white water. We spent several hours every day relaxing on the rafts or paddling the duckies, stopping for an occasional meal, or a swim, or a game of Hunker Down Duckie. In the afternoons, we stopped and set up camp. The kids enjoyed panning for gold, collecting wood for the fire, and picking blackberries.

After the rafting trip, we drove back down to Lake Tahoe, and picked up Michelle from her camp. We missed her terribly, but overall, it was a great experience for the whole family.

 

 

Italy & France (June 15 - July 3, 2011)

Our summer trip to Europe started in Italy. We flew into Rome and stayed there for a couple of days, exploring the city. We took a tour of the Colosseum and underground Rome, and visited Castel Sant'Angelo and St. Peter's Cathedral. We then rented a car and drove to Tuscany. We spent a week in a Tuscan villa, which was hands down the most amazing place we've ever stayed at. We loved everything about it: the grounds, the views, the pool, the hammock, the home-made Italian food, the soccer field, the cherry trees (and cherry pies), and the cats living in a barrel. Allison got quite sick for a few days, but even that was much easier to bear in such beautiful surroundings. We took several side trips to the neighboring towns and villages: Florence, Siena, and San Casciano dei Bagni.

After tearing ourselves away from Aiola, we drove to France (stopping in Pisa on the way), and stayed another week in Provence. The French villa was more ordinary, but the food was fantastic. We went to the market in nearby Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. We bought some fishing poles and went fishing and kayaking in the Sorgue. We visited nearby towns: Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Bories, Gordes, and the Lavender Abbey, Roussillon, Arles, and Avignon. Further afield, we drove south through fields of sunflowers to the Camargue with its horses and flamingos, and took a dip in the Mediterranean.

Finally, on the way back home, we flew through Frankfurt and used the opportunity to attend a Women's World Cup match between USA and Colombia. There were many American fans in attendance, making for a fun atmosphere. The match itself was pretty exciting as well.

 

 

Kauai (Apr 17-24, 2011)

We went back to the island of Kauai, and found it more or less unchanged after five years - though it was all new to the kids. We stayed at the same hotel, fed the same koi, visited with the parrots, and went kayaking in the salt water lagoon. We hung out at the beach and attended a luau. It was all so comfortingly familiar... even the chickens.

We also covered some new territory. Michelle and Adam went ocean fishing and ziplining (they particularly enjoyed the Water Zip and the wildlife). We went on a long and very muddy hike in Waimea Canyon leading to Alaka'i Swamp - the absolute highlight of the trip. We drove up to the north shore to snorkel at one of the calmer beaches, and also visited Secret Beach. Back at the south shore, we stopped by the Shipwreck Beach. We departed on Easter Sunday, right after the egg hunt.

 

 

Palm Springs (Jan 8-9, 2011)

Michelle and Adam's tennis team made it to the sectional playoffs in Indian Wells, so we all got to go to Palm Springs for the weekend. The team played three matches on Saturday, and two more on Sunday. In between matches, the kids warmed up, cheered for their teammates, snacked, and did their fair share of goofing off. It was fun to see the kids play on the same courts as the pros. As a bonus, the team ended up winning the playoffs.

When not on the tennis courts, we went out to lunch and dinner in Palm Desert and Palm Springs, and enjoyed the beautiful weather and the change of scenery.

 

 

Beaver Creek, Colorado (Dec 23-30, 2010)

This year, we decided to give Utah a break, and instead went skiing in Colorado. We rented a house near Beaver Creek, together with the Bank family. Michelle and Adam split their time between skiing and snowboarding, and got much better in both. The Bank kids, who had never skied before, quickly caught up; we were all riding up and skiing together by the end of the week. Peter and Allison tried skiing as well, although Peter seemed to take to it a whole lot better than Allison. All of us enjoyed the resort, however, and the weather and conditions were fantastic.

When they weren't skiing, the kids played outside in the snow, built snowmen, went sledding on a nearby hill, and played together inside the house. They emptied their stockings on Christmas morning, and had a good time sharing and playing with their presents.

 

 

New Zealand (Nov 19-26, 2010)

We traveled to New Zealand for a week-long whirlwind tour of the south island. After flying into Chirstchurch, we rented a car and headed west over Arthur's Pass. In Punakaiki, we went to see the Pancake Rocks. We then headed down the coast to Franz Josef Glacier, where we hiked around Lake Matheson. From there, we drove south to the picturesque Queenstown (we took a gondola up for a bird's eye view). All the while, the ubiquitous New Zealand sheep (and a few goats, too) were everywhere an eye could see.

From Queenstown, we drove west to Milford Sound through the Homer Tunnel, and went kayaking in the sound. On the way there and back, we stopped by the Chasm, and hiked parts of the Routeburn and Hollyford Tracks. And on our last day there (after spending the night in Te Anau), we took a helicopter up to the Kepler Track's Luxmore Hut; we hiked up to Mount Luxmore, and then came back down to Brod Bay, where a water taxi picked us up for a ride back to Te Anau.

 

 

Maryland & Washington DC (June 27 - July 5, 2010)

This summer, we visited the Bank clan on their home turf. It was tons of fun! The kids found lots of creative activities to entertain themselves in and around the house: they painted each other's faces, made pinatas, prepared and sold home-made lemonade, and even helped dispose of a snake. We went hiking and letterboxing. We visited a local farm for berry picking (Sylvia makes a killer blueberry pie), and to hang out with the goats. We went to the pool to swim, dive, and play in the water park. The big kids went fishing in Chesapeake Bay, and although they didn't bring home fish for dinner, we still got to eat plenty of Maryland crabs.

Of course, we also visited some of the major sights in Washington DC: the National Mall, the Capitol (including a tour of the interior), the Supreme Court, the White House, Washington Monument, and Lincoln Memorial. We went to the Natural History Museum (where we saw the butterfly exhibit and visited Mr. Bones), and the Dulles Air and Space Museum.

On July 4th, we took the kids to the local neighborhood parade. They decorated paper bags (to be used as containers for candy), waved their little American flags, and generally looked very cute. That's probably why so much candy got thrown their way. Allison declared it the best 4th of July ever!

 

 

Russia (May 28 - June 6, 2010)

Michelle, Adam, my parents, and I took a long-planned trip to Russia. We arrived in Ekaterinburg early Sunday morning. Later that day, we had a family get together; despite our best efforts, Michelle fell asleep at the dinner table. On Monday, after situating ourselves in our hotel (which, incidentally, came with a killer exercise room, and some very tall volleyball players), we drove around the city, visiting places familiar from childhood. We went to the cemetery where my grandfather is burried. We visited my grandmother in her apartment (and also the playground next to it). We stopped by the houses and yards where my mom and dad grew up. We then headed to my old school, where Tatiana Ilyinichna gave us a full tour. In the evening, we visited Anya and Tonya. Despite communication difficulties, the kids really hit it off, and stayed up late playing and painting; we even took them outside to another playground.

Over the next couple of days, we saw some more old friends and visited other familiar places. My dad took us to meet his teacher. Anya and I spent one evening wandering the streets of Ekaterinburg. We passed by my old house, looped around through the center of the city, and walked by the Keyboard Monument. Masha took us to the Ekaterinburg History Museum and the Doll Museum, and at night we went to the Opera Theatre to see Swan Lake (thank you, T.I.!). On our own, we visited the Church on the Blood, paid tribute to the city's founders (aka Beavis and Butthead), made headbands out of dandelions, explored the Dynamo Stadium (the kids loved the gymnastics apparatus), and walked around some more, shopping for souvenirs. I got a chance to stop by Igor's place and meet his adorable kids.

On Thursday, we flew to Moscow and immediately headed to the Red Square. We watched the change of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the kids found a great place to climb: the Grotto at the Alexandr Garden. On Friday, we visited the Kremlin: the Armory, Tsar Cannon, Tsar Bell, and the gardens. We walked around Old Arbat, and we met up with Lena and walked some more. The kids really enjoyed souvenir shopping; on Saturday, we took them to Izmailovo and the Vernisazh market. Finally, we went to the Nikulin Circus (thanks, Lena!), which the kids also loved.

 

 

Costa Rica (Apr 3-10, 2010)

Elmer took Michelle on an adventure trip to Costa Rica, and the Brown family joined them to complete their private group. (This trip was booked through Wildland Adventures.)

Pictures day by day: day 1 (monkey bars, a visit to Don Juan Bautista's farm, and cow milking), day 2 (Sky Trek zipline canopy tour, animal chasing, and biking), day 3 (canyoneering and hanging bridges), day 4 (crocodiles and kayaking), day 5 (Campesinos Reserve hike, horse riding, manual tram river crossing, and playing pickup soccer with some local kids), day 6 (monkey search at Manuel Antonio National Park), and day 7 (charter flight back to San Jose).

 

 

Park City, Utah (Feb 26 - March 2, 2010)

We went on our annual ski trip to Park City. As always, the snow was fantastic, and the mountain was gorgeous. Michelle and Adam tried both skiing and snowboarding. We even put Allison on skis for a few short minutes.

Allison found other fun things to do besides skiing, as well. She went sledding at a local playgound and tubing at Gorgoza Park (where she particularly enjoyed Camp Frosty). At the end of the day, the kids played in piles of snow next to our house, and built numerous snowmen. And relaxed in bed with a book.

 

 

Maui (Dec 22-29, 2009)

We flew to Hawaii again for Christmas this year. We stayed in Wailea, on the island of Maui. The kids enjoyed going to the pool and the beach, boogie boarding, paddle boarding, and surfing. We went out to eat at the resort's various restaurants, and Allison tried her hand at hula dancing.

We visited the Maui Ocean Center and the Surfing Goat Dairy (the baby goats were super cute). We went hiking in the Haleakala National Park. We drove south to Makena, and to the end of the road, to La Perouse Bay, where the kids collected lots of cool-looking shells, and we watched an amazing sunset.

 

 

Joshua Tree (Oct 10-11, 2009)

We left the kids at home and drove to Joshua Tree for a quick weekend trip. We went on several different hikes inside the park. Although the quick nature walks attracted somewhat of a crowd, we found that on some of the longer trails we were the only people for miles around. We saw some cool birds, though. And rabbits. And a snake.

 

 

Oregon (Aug 22-28, 2009)

For our summer trip this year, we headed to Oregon. We spent a couple of days in Portland, visiting Washington Park (with its rose garden, the lovely Japanese garden, and the Children's Museum) as well as the Chinese garden. From Portland, we drove to the Columbia River Gorge, stopped at Multnomah Falls, and saw fish ladder and hatchery at Bonneville Lock and Dam. We also paid a visit to Sauvy Island Farms, where the kids had their fill of riding in a wagon, picking berries, fruits, and vegetables, smelling flowers, and even hanging out with some farm animals.

The rest of the week we stayed in Cannon Beach, right next to the Haystack Rock. We hung out at the beach, explored the tide pools, built sand castles, rode bikes on the beach, and made s'mores at the hotel campire. Elmer, Michelle, and Adam went fishing in Astoria, and came back with four huge salmon (the biggest one was 17 lbs!). We also all went crabbing off a boat in Nehalem Bay, and caught plenty of crabs to make for a delicious lunch!

 

 

Bahamas (July 3-8, 2009)

Elmer took Adam on a snorkeling trip to the Bahamas. They stayed at the Atlantis, and spent their days snorkeling, swimming, and exploring the resort. They also chartered a boat and went fishing - not once, but twice! On the way to the boat, Adam found a coconut, and the fishing guide was nice enough to cut it open for him.

Adam had this huge smile on his face when they got back home, and it literally didn't leave his face for a full week afterwards...

 

 

Montreal (May 22-25, 2009)

We took a quick weekend trip to Montreal for our ten year anniversary. We spent a couple of days exploring the city, going to fancy restaurants, and visiting the sights: the Biodome, Jardin Botanique (where we found a nice leaf cutter ants exhibit that Michelle would've liked), and so on. We spent another day hiking in Mont Tremblant.

 

 

Orlando, Florida (April 10-17, 2009)

Well, we finally did it. We went on vacation to Disney World, and it was actually kind of fun. We stayed near the Boardwalk, and within walking distance to Epcot. Except for the ridiculous crowds, we found Epcot to be quite a nice place to hang out. The kids loved the Butterfly Garden, and Allison kept heading back to the water fountains. She also loved the hotel pool, featuring baby ducks swimming alongside the humans.

Of course, we also visited the rest of the theme parks: Magic Kingdom (in the rain), Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, where everyone liked the safari ride. Michelle particularly enjoyed the water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.

It turned out that Michelle's friend Faith was there with her family at exactly the same time, so we got together for dinner one night. On our last day, we ran into them again at Epcot, and the kids got a chance to hang out some more.

 

 

Park City, Utah (Feb 27 - March 2, 2009)

Michelle and Adam hadn't had enough skiing in Canada, so we went on a quick weekend trip to Utah. Elmer stayed home with Allison.

The weather was fantastic, and the skiing was awesome as usual. Michelle traded in her skis for a snowboard, but that didn't slow her down for very long. We had a great time on the mountain, and even managed to squeeze in some ice skating before our flight back home.

 

 

Chile (Jan 30 - Feb 8, 2009)

Another awesome adventure vacation with Richard, Vanessa, Sandor, and Yalli! For this one, we traveled to South America (the trip was organized through Expediciones Chile).

We met up in Argentina and crossed the border into Chile, where we made our way to the village of Futaleufu. From the lodge in Futaleufu, we went on guided side trips exploring the surrounding rivers, mountains, and valleys. Pictures day by day: day 1 (white water rafting on Futaleufu and a hike to Eagle Rock), day 2 (biking, hiking to the Devil's Throat overlook, an impromptu swim across the Espolon River, and sit-on-top kayaking on the Espolon), day 3 (sea kayaking on Lake Espolon), day 4 (biking in the Azul River valley), day 5 (hiking to Don Benedicto's ranch), day 6 (canyoning). At the end of each day, we came back to the lodge for pisco sours, and a chance to relax and enjoy each other's company.

 

 

Vancouver & Whistler (Dec 20-27, 2008)

The kids wanted to go skiing for Christmas, so we packed up all our warm clothes, and headed to Vancouver. We spent the first couple of days in the city; we visited the aquarium, played in the snow (which was in abundance this year), and went out to restaurants. We rode the Christmas train at Bright Nights in Stanley Park, and visited the reindeer at Grouse Mountain.

We then drove to Whistler, and spent the next few days on the slopes. Everyone had a blast, despite the unusually cold temperatures. Even Allison loved playing outside; she went for walks in the snow, and particularly enjoyed going "sledding" on Mama's snowboard.

 

 

Mt. Baldy (Sept 28, 2008)

This doesn't really qualify as a trip; it was just a local day hike to Mt. Baldy. It was a very nice hike, though; the scenery was fantastic, and the weather absolutely perfect. It was a bit of an adventure as well: we started out a bit late, and had to hurry up to the summit for fear of getting stuck on the mountain after the sun went down.

 

 

Catalina Island (Aug 31-Sept 1, 2008)

We took a short trip to Catalina Island over the Labor Day weekend. On the boat ride to the island, we ran into a large pod of dolphins; they jumped all around the boat for several minutes, putting on quite a show. The other highlight of the trip was snorkeling in Lover's Cove; Michelle and Adam wore their brand new wetsuits to keep warm (although Michelle soon got cold anyway).

We also went biking along the coast, tried fishing off the pier, went kayaking, and hunted for crabs at the beach. Oh, and went out to eat, of course.

 

 

Chicago (Aug 1-7, 2008)

Our summer trip this year was to Chicago, to visit Brian and Kelly, and to meet Julia. The kids hit it off right away; the four of them played together in the house, in the backyard, and at a local park. As a special treat, we even got to hide out in the Changs' basement while a tornado was passing nearby. (That just happened to be on Elmer's birthday. We couldn't have arranged for a more perfect birthday present.)

When we weren't hanging out at Brian's house, we explored the city, and visited some of its numerous museums: Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute, the Field Museum, and Adler Planetarium. We also went swimming at some of Chicago's city beaches, hung out at the Navy Pier, took the Chicago River architecture tour, went for a stroll through Northerly Island, and took an elevator to the top of Sears Tower.

 

 

Japan (April 6-13, 2008)

Fortunately, for spring break this year, Elmer got a chance to take Michelle to Tokyo, Japan. Unfortunately, it was very rainy there that week. Fortunately, they could avoid the rain by visiting places like the fish market, the arcades, and some museums. Unfortunately, getting to the museums often involved taking the wrong trains and getting lost in the rain - and sometimes, when they got there, the museums were closed.

Fortunately, the last two days of the trip, the sun finally came out and the weather turned nice. Unfortunately, that is when Michelle got sick and had to stay in the hotel room with a fever. Fortunately, the week finally ended, they got on the plane, and made it home safely - and we were very happy to see them.

 

 

Park City, Utah (March 7-11, 2008)

Back to snowy Utah for a few days of skiing, with my parents, Shige, Amy, Lan, Kimberly, and Calvin. Several of the adults didn't ski this year, but we lived vicariously through the kids. Michelle was fearlessly zooming down the mountain, seeking out black diamonds wherever she went. And even Adam was skiing well after taking a couple of lessons.

Allison stayed around the house most of the time. She enjoyed going for walks in the snow (although she didn't enjoy getting dressed). Amy's sister came to visit one afternoon with two of her kids, and the two babies had a good time getting to know each other.

When the kids (and some of the adults) weren't skiing, they dedicated themselves to mastering Guitar Hero, which was very thoughtfully provided for them by the house owners.

 

 

Big Island, Hawaii (Dec 22-30, 2007)

This was our second trip to the Big Island (first time for the kids). We stayed at the Hilton, which was great for Adam and Michelle. They went snorkeling and kayaking in the lagoon, participated in a fish feeding, explored the nearby tidepools, went fishing at the beach, hung out with sea turtles, and even swam with some resident dolphins. As for Allison, she went on long walks around the hotel grounds (including the art gallery).

On Christmas Eve, the kids attended story hour, which featured Christmas stories, milk and cookies, and a surprise visit from Santa. And later in the week, we celebrated Christmas by eating some yummy teppan yaki at the hotel's Japanese restaurant.

Besides all that, we drove south to the Volcanoes National Park, and hiked our old favorite, the Kilauea Iki Trail. We drove north to the Pololu Valley Lookout, and hiked that, as well. We also met up with the Zamanskys at the Hapuna beach.

 

 

Las Vegas (Nov 22-25, 2007)

We celebrated Thanksgiving in Las Vegas this year, together with my parents. We had Thanksgiving dinner at a French restaurant, complete with turkey and pumpkin pie for desert (or duck and chocolate mousse, for those of us who are not turkey crazy).

The kids enjoyed visiting the Mandalay Bay aquarium, watching the show at the Bellagio fountains, and seeing dolphins and tigers at the Mirage. We stopped for some lunch and ice cream at the Venetian, saw a magic show, and just wandered around the Strip.

 

 

Bay Area (Oct 26-28, 2007)

We went on an impromptu weekend trip to the Bay Area to escape the Southern California fires. It was nice to be able to breathe the fresh air again, after being stuck indoors for most of the preceeding week.

On Friday, we visited Elmer's mom, and hung out together at the local park. We saw the Berlins on Saturday; Michelle and Adam had a blast playing with Joshua and Audrey. Finally, we swung by Masha's house on Sunday before heading back home.

 

 

Alabama and Georgia (April 8-15, 2007)

Over spring break, Elmer took the kids on their first trip to the South. They spent a couple of days in Huntsville, visiting the Space & Rocket Center, the nature trail, and the cemetery. They also met up with Anthony Hester.

Next they headed to Lake Guntersville, where the kids got to do some fishing, and to enjoy the fruits of their labor. They also explored the lake from a boat, and learned a little about thunderstorms.

The trip ended in Atlanta, with visits to Christine's house (Adam's favorite guitar player was there during one of them), and a chance to hang out with Stouf's kids.

 

 

Park City, Utah (Feb 9-13, 2007)

For our ski trip this year, we headed back to Park City, Utah. Hale and Lan came with (most of) their kids, and Shige and Bryan were able to join us this time as well (although Amy, sadly, could not make it). We rented a nice new townhouse at the base of the Olympic Village. Bryan played his guitar, and Adam tried his best to accompany him on a harmonica.

We went inner tubing with the kids on the first day, and Michelle and Calvin even tried their hand at snowmobiling. The rest of the time, we skied. Michelle and Adam took some skiing lessons at Deer Valley; by the end of her lesson, Michelle was whizzing down the resort's tallest mountain. Adam did his own brand of skiing (mostly positioned on the inside of Elmer's legs), but he had a blast. When the kids were too tired to ski, they had fun playing in the snow, and hanging out at the lodge.

 

 

London (Jan 19-23, 2007)

This was a short business trip to London, without the kids. As usual, London was beautiful and fun to walk around in, but a bit too cold for us spoiled Southern Californians. We wandered around the city for a couple of days, mostly from one tourist spot to the next. We also stumbled upon something called The Hung Drawn and Quartered (a pub, apparently).

 

 

Miami and Jamaica (Dec 30, 2006 - Jan 6, 2007)

After talking about it for three years, we finally managed to plan a trip to Jamaica. We stopped in Miami on the way there, and spent a couple of days exploring the area. One of the highlights of our Miami visit was a trip to the Everglades National Park.

In Jamaica, we drove to the Silver Sands resort, which is located on the north shore of the island. There we shared a villa with Daniel and Kanchi and their kids, Rajini and Darshini. We went to the beach, swam in the pool, lounged around the villa, played lots of games (the kids even tried their hand at ping pong), and ate lots of Jamaican food. Michelle and Adam had a great time playing with Rajini and Darshini, and for us is was a good opportunity to catch up with old friends. On one of the rare occasions when we ventured out of the villa, we took a trip to the Green Grotto to explore some caves.

 

 

Seattle & British Columbia (Aug 18-26, 2006)

Since the kids are so info fish nowadays, the Pacific Northwest seemed like a perfect place to go on vacation. We spent four days in Seattle, visiting all the popular tourist spots: the Pike Place Market and the Waterfront, Seattle Aquarium, Museum of Flight, and the Seattle Center. We went up the Space Needle, saw the butterflies at the Pacific Science Center, and played for hours at the Children's Museum. We went to the Gas Works Park and the Fishermen's Terminal. But the highlight of our stay was a visit to Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, with its fish ladder.

From Seattle, we drove to British Columbia, and stayed for another three days at the Harrison Hot Springs lake resort. We swam in the hot springs pools, explored the lake, visited Minter Gardens, went blueberry picking at a nearby farm, and went trout fishing at Trout Creek Farm. We weren't allowed to release the four fish that we caught, so we took them back to the hotel room and cooked them on a portable stove. Which is what Michelle and Adam wanted to do anyway.

We hooked up with Masha and her family first briefly in Seattle, then at Harrison Hot Springs. Together we went riding on little bumper boats. We also rented a big boat for everybody, and went cruising around the lake at 50 miles an hour. The water was really cold, but Vova went wakeboarding, and we somehow managed to convince Elmer to try it too.

 

 

Kauai (Apr 5-12, 2006)

Time to try out another Hawaiian island - now one of our favorites. We stayed at the Hyatt on the south end of the island, and it was awesome. There was a koi pond with daily fish feedings which our kids religiously attended. There were parrots which sat on your arm if you were brave enough to hold them. There was a salt water lagoon where we went swimming and kayaking. There were pools with waterfalls and waterslides... and so on.

Kauai is reasonably small, so we had a chance to explore most of the island. Not far from us were the Spouting Horn, Allerton Garden, Poipu Beach, and Mahaulepu Beach. We spent a day sightseeing and hiking in the Waimea Canyon. We drove to the north shore, and hiked to the Pools of Mokolea. We saw the Wailua Falls in the east. And we counted chickens wherever we went.

 

 

Mammoth (Feb 17-21, 2006)

After our trial run at Big Bear, we embarked on a somewhat longer ski trip, to Mammoth Mountain. Hale's family came again, and so did Masha's. We stayed at one of those ski-out and try-to-ski-in condos smack in the middle of the mountain. The snow was abundant, and the temperatures freezing.

Michelle and Calvin went skiing with us this time (rather than attending ski school), and their skiing rapidly improved. As for Adam, his favorite activity was shoveling the snow next to the house. There were also plenty of opportunities for sledding.

After tiring ourselves out during the day, we spent the evenings at the condo. Michelle and Adam spent some quality time hanging out with their favorite baby.

 

 

Big Bear (Dec 24-26, 2005)

Together with Hale's family, we took a short trip to Big Bear over Christmas. It was very warm, and there was hardly any snow at the base. We went inner tubing on the first day - no coats necessary! On Christmas day, some of us hit the mountain (while others preferred to stay at the lodge and watch football). Michelle and Calvin attended ski school and learned about pizza pies.

Back at the lodge after a day of skiing, we opened Christmas presents, played games, and relaxed. And back at home in San Diego, Kristine and Kimberly helped the little kids make gingerbread houses.

 

 

Trinidad & Tobago (Oct 1-9, 2005)

Vanessa and Richard organized the most awesome vacation ever - our own private REI Adventures trip to Trinidad and Tobago. Sandor, Yalli, Richard, Vanessa, and the two of us all flew to Port of Spain, Trinidad on day 1, and spent the next 4 days hiking, mountain biking, and kayaking around the island. We then flew to Tobago, and spent another 3 days on the smaller island. Here are the pictures day by day: day 2 (hiking and kayaking), day 3 (hiking and biking), day 4 (hiking and biking), day 5 (hiking and exploring the bat cave), day 6 (snorkeling), day 7 (hiking), day 8 (biking).

There are lots more pictures from this trip at the Lehoczky/Escobar site. The official trip description is available from the REI site.

 

 

New York (July 8-13, 2005)

Our own trip to Tokyo inspired us to take the kids to a big city - so we headed for New York. We stayed with Sandor and Yalli, who graciously shared their apartment with us. Orion and Amadea were great hosts as well: they let us play with their toys, took us to the local park, and were great company for Michelle and Adam.

When we weren't hanging out with the Lehoczkys, we tried to expose the kids to the excitement and the craziness of the big city: we wandered the streets, explored Central Park, went to a couple of museums (not very successfully), took a boat ride, and rode lots and lots of taxis (an activity very popular with the kids). We also hung out with Peter and Sandy, and visited their new digs in New Rochelle.

 

 

Japan (May 13-22, 2005)

Japan has been near the top of our travel wish list for a while now, and we finally got a chance to spend a week there. We started with a few days in Kyoto, visiting some of the more famous temples and other sights: Nanzen-ji, the Philosopher's Walk, Ginkaku-ji (the Silver Pavilion), Heian shrine, Daitoku-ji, Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion), Ryoan-ji, and Katsura Imperial Villa. We also took a train to Gifu one night to watch cormorant fishing on the Nagara river.

We spent the rest of the time in Tokyo, sampling its multitude of neighborhoods, and being awed by the city's energy, exuberance, and the sheer number of people. Besides exploring the city itself, we took a day trip to Hakone, stopping by the Hakone Open Air Museum. There was also the mandatory trip to the Tsukiji Fish Market, to watch the tuna auctions, and to browse the market stalls, which featured every kind of seafood imaginable.

 

 

Big Bear (Feb 5-6, 2005)

After a couple of failed attempts, we finally made it out to Big Bear to see some snow. There wasn't very much of it left, but the kids were impressed nonetheless. Michelle had a blast inner tubing, sledding, and building a snowman. Adam was excited by the white stuff at first, but quickly got tired of the cold, preferring to stay inside.

We stayed at Lagonita Lodge, right next to the lake. In the morning, the ducks waddled across the icy lake surface looking for food.

 

 

Death Valley (Jan 15-17, 2005)

We went to Death Valley without the kids over a long weekend. Some of the roads inside the park were closed due to recent rains, but we still got to see most of the main sights: Badwater Basin, Golden Canyon, Devil's Cornfield and the nearby sand dunes, the Ubehebe Crater, and Scotty's Castle. We even stopped by Las Vegas for some dinner on the way back home.

 

 

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (Nov 13-20, 2004)

We went to Puerto Vallarta for a week, on our first full-length trip since Adam was born. The kids enjoyed hanging out both on the beach and at the pool. And then there were the daily trips to visit the animals at the resort's own zoo.

Besides lounging around in the sun, we attended the fiesta night at the resort, and also took a water taxi to Puerto Vallarta itself.

 

 

Flagstaff, Arizona (Sept 24-27, 2004)

Another weekend trip, this time to Arizona. In Flagstaff, we hung around town, did a bit of hiking, visited a local playground, and went to a couple of restaurants (one of which featured some nearby ducks and chickens).

From Flagstaff, we took a day trip to see the Grand Canyon. On the way back, we stopped by the deer farm, where the kids had lots of fun feeding the deer. Finally, we visited Sedona on our way back to the airport.

 

 

Las Vegas (Apr 9-11, 2004)

We went to Las Vegas again, packing up half the house into our car for a three day long trip. After spending most of the day on the road, and checking in to the hotel, we hit the Strip and the restaurants.

We took the kids around to see some of the major kid-oriented attractions, such as the AdventureDome at Circus-Circus, the Bellagio fountains, and the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay.

 

 

Paris & London (Mar 25-Apr 2, 2003)

We hadn't been to Europe for awhile, so we decided to go visit some friends in London, and pay another visit to Paris. We took an 11 hour plane flight from LA to Paris, and spent a couple of days wandering around the city.

We then took a Eurostar train to London, where we stayed with Hale, Lan, and the kids. Michelle and Calvin really hit it off; they played together, slept in the same room, and even took baths together. We spent a day walking around London with Peter and Sandy, and another day visiting the Natural History and Science museums with Hale and company.

Finally, we took another train back to Paris, and flew back home just as the weather was starting to turn for the worse.

 

 

Vail, Colorado (Feb 28-Mar 5, 2003)

We went skiing again this year, with a lot of the same crowd as last year, and more. We rented a house in Vail this time, close to Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek.

Once again, Michelle was too young to ski, so she mostly hung around the house. There were plenty of good toys to play with, including Bryan's guitar, which once again was a big hit. She did venture outside every once in a while, to walk around, build a snowman, and play with the bear statues at the Vail town centre.

 

 

Las Vegas (Feb 1-3, 2003)

We drove to Las Vegas for a weekend in February, with my parents. It turned out to be really cold and windy outside the entire time we were there. We found plenty of things to do indoors, however: eating, browsing the malls, and visiting toy stores.

 

 

Vancouver (Nov 28-Dec 4, 2002)

We took a week off around Thanksgiving, left Michelle with my parents, and went to explore the Pacific Northwest. We flew in to Seattle, drove to Vancouver on Thanksgiving day, and enjoyed some yummy sushi while everyone back home was filling up on turkey.

After exploring Vancouver a bit, we took a ferry to Vancouver Island, and spent some time in the Pacific Rim National Park. From there, we drove down to Victoria, and took another ferry back to the U.S. (Port Angeles). We went hiking in the Olympic National Park (Hoh Rain Forest, and some of the beach areas). We then completed the loop by driving back to Seattle.

 

 

Maui (May 30-Jun 6, 2002)

We paid another visit to Hawaii - this time, the island of Maui. We rented a one-bedroom condo close to the Kaanapali beach, which turned out to be a pretty great setup with a baby. Michelle loved swimming in the ocean and playing in the sand - she turned into quite the little sand monster.

Exploring the island was a little tougher with a one-year-old, but we did manage to get in some hiking on the road to Hana, and in the Haleakala National Park.

 

 

Boston (May 7-14, 2002)

This latest trip to Boston was half-work, half-play. We took Michelle with us, and took turns babysitting. We stayed at Brian's place (Michelle made herself right at home), and saw him occasionally, as his busy social schedule allowed.

Our social schedule was rather busy as well, as we tried to visit a lot of the old friends. Michelle enjoyed meeting new people, and found herself some great new playmates, including Annamira and Mosfet the dog. She also paid a visit to ATG, and met some of her parents' ex-coworkers from MIT.

 

 

Park City, Utah (Jan 29-Feb 3, 2002)

We went skiing/snowboarding in Utah with my parents, Christine, David, Amy, Shige, Bryan, and Rob. We rented a nice big house close to the Park City slopes. The house had some truly awesome features such as heated floors, and a hot tub out on the deck (see if you can spot the picture of Bryan unwittingly trying out some 54 degree water). We bought lots of food, and cooked dinner every night.

The skiing itself was awesome. The upcoming Olympics scared everyone off, and the slopes were completely deserted, with multiple feet of fresh powder to boot. Unfortunately, Michelle was too young to ski, but she didn't completely miss out on all the action: she seemed happy to go for walks in the snow.

Bryan brought his guitar, and he and Rob played it one night. Michelle wanted to play too, but couldn't open the case because she didn't know the combo.

 

 

Alaska (Aug 17-26, 2001)

Our first vacation with Michelle... We thought a cruise might be convenient, so we went to Alaska. The whole Russian gang was there: parents, grandparents, and cousins. Everybody had to dress up for dinner.

The cruise started out in Vancouver, and proceeded through the Inside Passage, to Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. We then cruised the Glacier Bay and College Fjord, and disembarked in Seward.

We rented a car in Seward, drove to Anchorage, and spent the last couple of days taking side trips from there. Some highlights: a clear view of Mt. McKinley, mushroom picking, and climbing a glacier.

 

 

Spain (Nov 18-27, 2000)

We spent Thanksgiving with my parents in the south of Spain, on the Mediterranean coast. We stayed in a nice little resort not far from Malaga and Marbella.

As usual, we took a few side trips, this time to Granada, Seville, and the Gibraltar. On that last trip, we had a run in with the monkeys, who got into our rental car and stole a bag of food.

 

 

Yosemite (May 20-21, 2000)

We spent a weekend in the Yosemite National Park (right after coming back from Hawaii) with Jeff and Tara, Masha, Vova, and Dima. We camped on the western edge of the park, at Hodgdon Meadows, and made a couple of day trips into the park interior. Jeff organized a hike up the John Muir Trail to the Vernal Fall on Saturday. On Sunday, we went for a (pretty relaxing) bike ride in the Yosemite Valley.

Nothing super exciting happened at the camp. The bears didn't come to steal our food.

 

 

Hawaii (May 5-14, 2000)

On our Hawaiian visit, we spent the first couple of days hanging out with Mark in Oahu, including a visit to Mark's favorite bar (Duke's) on Waikiki Beach, and a short but wet kayaking expedition somewhere on the north shore.

The rest of the time, we wandered around the Big Island. There was the mandatory visit to the Volcanoes National Park, where we hiked the beautiful Kilauea Iki Trail through the crater by the same name, and did most of the hike to the lava flow, at the end of the Chain of Craters Road (sadly, we didn't have enough time to complete the 7 mile hike before it got too dark).

We went to the top of Mauna Kea (driving our little economy rental right though the "SUV only" signs), and talked to the astronomy geeks at the observatory.

We also did some hiking in the valleys - Waipio Valley, and Pololu Valley Lookout. And, of course, hung out in Kona, Hilo, and everywhere in between, did some lounging around on the beach, and consumed an incredible number of papayas.

 

 

Fiji (May 1999)

This was our honeymoon trip. Fiji is great, because to get anywhere cool, you have to travel on a tiny propellor plane, which seats something like 6-10 passengers, and looks like a bus with wings.

For variety, we went to two different resorts, and thus two different islands, Qamea and Yasawa. Each of these small islands typically has a single resort (which fits something like 10 couples), and a couple of local villages. If you hike just a mile or two away from the resort, you find yourself on a completely isolated part of the island, with your own private beach (if you hike without water, you also find yourself very hot and thirsty... oops).

We went on two different fishing trips: one was of the low-tech variety (you get a line with a hook attached to the end of it, and lower it into the water, using your index finger to feel if anybody is tugging), the other was on a high-tech deap-sea fishing boat. This second trip proved particularly lucrative: the catch included an 8-foot long sailfish, a few good-sized skipjacks, and a mahi mahi. The best part was eating all 3 varieties of fish for dinner (skipjack makes excellent sashimi).

 

 

Europe & Asia (Sept-Oct 1998)

We went on a 2-month long trip to Europe and Asia on our way from Boston to San Francisco. We hung out with my relatives in Russia (Sverdlovsk and Moscow) and Elmer's relatives in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taipei.

In between, we rode the train around Europe, visiting something like 15 countries in a month. Here are some of the cities we stopped in: Amsterdam and Brussels, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Venice, Rome, a few places in Switzerland, Nice, Barcelona and Madrid, and Paris.

 

nat@hungs.com
elmer@alum.mit.edu