Design Destinations

June 12, 2013

Riding the Royal Scotsman in Western Highlands

As we were flying into Edinburgh I struck up the conversation with the gentleman sitting next to me on the plane who when I told him that we were going on the Royal Scotsman train, said, “It the weather is sunny and dry, it will be beautiful. If it’s not, well, drink a lot [...]

June 4, 2013

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Scotland: Land of Kilts and Tartans and Plaids

When we got home from Scotland and I showed a photo of my husband proudly wearing the kilt he rented in Edinburgh for a formal dinner (they rent them there like we rent tuxes for weddings and special events), our five-year-old grand daughter laughed and said, “Why is Papa wearing a skirt?” I suspect that’s [...]

May 30, 2013

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Edinburgh Above and Underground.

Who would have thought that when we checked into the iconic Balmoral Hotel in the middle of Edinburgh that we’d be given a room three down from the one in which J K Rowling holed up in to finish “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows.” Yep, that’s what happened. Her name is on the door. [...]

May 22, 2013

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Edinburgh Highlights

When I think of Edinburgh, Scotland, bagpipers, the gateway to golfing and maybe an image of Mary Queen of Scots floats into my mind. Yes, these are all parts of this old and interesting city way north in the British Isles. But there’s more. Yes. Lots more. Here are a few other sights you might [...]

May 17, 2013

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Visiting Siem Reap and Angkor Wat for a second time.

I spent three days in Cambodia last January and have three distinct memories. It is interesting to blog about a destination after some time has gone by. The really strong impressions float to the surface. As a little back ground information, we went to Siem Reap at the end of a fairly long trip [...]

May 5, 2013

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San Francisco Here We Come

San Francisco is such a great city. The water, the history, the hills, the charm. I love going there and am very excited that many trips to this complex city are in our future since our son and daughter-in-law live there now. We recently had a long weekend in S.F. to celebrate a special [...]

April 29, 2013

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Teeth Blackening Tradition North Vietnam

It was hard not to stare at the women flashing their jet black toothy smiles. Blackening one’s teeth was of the most fascinating customs I saw in the craggy, misty mountainous area of Vietnam. Practiced by the ladies of the Black Hmong tribe who live in the mountain regions near the [...]

April 22, 2013

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Village life in North Vietnam Mountains

I’m not sure where this comes from but I’m fascinated and always have been with the way people live–functionally and aesthetically. Obviously resources–financial and others play a huge factor– but the basic need for shelter and how it is met communicates so much about one’s priorities. I’m drawn to understand what those priorities are and [...]

April 15, 2013

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Visiting a school in the mountains of North Vietnam

An absolute highlight of our trip to the mountains of North Vietnam last January was a visit to a small school in the village of Sin Chai. Sounds so simple, but it was really a special experience. We found our way there because our guide, Hoang Ha Van, very quickly understood that [...]

April 7, 2013

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Time Travel in Sapa, Vietnam

It’s been over two months since we spent a couple of days in the mountains of North Vietnam. We saw sights I’ll never forget. We had a chance to visit Minority Tribes in this remote part of the world, very close to the Chinese border. I felt like I had zoomed back in [...]