September 23, 2013

Let's visit the bunnies on Okunoshima ("Rabbit Island") in Japan; things to do

Let's visit the bunnies on Okunoshima ("Rabbit Island") in Japan


Used for making chemical weapons during World War II, little Rabbit Island is now home to more than 300 fluffy  bunnies.  The island is accessible only by ferry, but does have a hotel should you want to spend more than a day.







September 20, 2013

Introduction to Ashland, Oregon

Introduction to Ashland, Oregon


Famous for its annual Shakespearean festival, Ashland is located in the Rogue River Valley just north of the California border.  It is a small college town with old-fashioned homes lining its green hills, and with dense blackberry thickets lining its rural roads.  Some of the locals are burned out (I witnessed a drunk lady in a parking lot and a space cadet at the theater); some are overly cheery (I found this especially in shops and throughout Oregon); some are smug (about living there); and some are throwbacks to hippie days (they sit in doorways--strumming, fluting, and asking for spare change). 

Located on Highway 5 about halfway between San Francisco and Portland, it makes a good stop on that journey.  It is an all-day drive from the Bay Area, but if you start out early, you can get here by 4 or 5 p.m.--in time to freshen up with a swim and dinner and still attend an 8:30 p.m. performance of the Shakespeare Festival.  Note that the town is devoid of gas stations; look for one I found on the first Ashland exit going north. 



More information about Ashland.

More things to do in Ashland.

More things to do along Oregon's Highway 5

image depicts Lithia Park, courtesy of Ashland Oregon Chamber of Commerce 

September 18, 2013

Dog Sledding in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

sled dogs on the job in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Dog Sledding Through Wonderland

Not everyone comes to Jackson Hole to ski.  Sometimes a snow-lover wants to try something different.

As our sled races through a white-blanketed expanse, pulled by an eager team of dogs straining to go faster than my husband-musher is permitting, soft snow swishes with abandon into the air.  A bit lands refreshingly on the small portion of my face that is still exposed.  It doesn’t get much better than this.  Read more . . .


More animal attractions.

More ideas for exploring the U.S.

article and image c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

September 5, 2013

New Haven, Connecticut: Claire’s Corner Copia; restaurant review

Claire’s Corner Copia  

1000 Chapel St., (203) 562-3888. 

pastry case at Claire's Corner Copia in New Haven, Connecticut
pastry case at Claire's Corner Copia in New Haven, Connecticut


A favorite with Yalies (including graduate Jodie Foster), this coffeehouse serves organic-vegetarian-kosher snacks and meals all day.  At Claire's Corner Copia soups are satisfying, and pastries and cakes from the gigantic glass display case are not to be missed--the Lithuanian Coffee Cake is a favorite.


More ideas for exploring the U.S.

article and image c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

September 3, 2013

It's all about the art in Taos, New Mexico

sculpture in Taos, New Mexico

Arty Taos

In Taos, it’s all about the art.

Populated with more artists and galleries per capita than Paris, the town is overflowing with beautiful and creative artworks.  Artists are drawn by the light, which is sometimes warm and golden and other times bold enough to turn the surrounding mountains blood red—a fact that prompted the Spanish conquistadors to dub them the Sangre de Cristo Mountains for their resemblance to the “blood of Christ.”  Rainbow halos are said to hang over the mountains in summerRead more. . . 


More things to do in New Mexico.

More ideas for exploring the U.S.

article and image c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

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