On a recent flight, we used the Turkish Airlines Stopover in Istanbul program to spend three days in Istanbul. It is an excellent program that I highly recommend. Even though Istanbul was still cold in February, we visited Gülhane Park every day. My son played in the playground area while I got a few minutesContinue reading “Trip Report 2/3-2/5/25: Gülhane Park, Istanbul”
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Trip Report 1/10/25: Cuc Phon National Park, Vietnam
One January afternoon drinking beers and overlooking Trúc Bạch Lake in Hanoi (where John McCain was shot down), while I was checking out some herons in the lake, my friend I was visiting asked if I wanted to go birdwatching at Cúc Phương National Park. He found a one-day birdwatching tour for us; he andContinue reading “Trip Report 1/10/25: Cuc Phon National Park, Vietnam”
Hotel Beyaz Saray, Istanbul
We stayed at the Hotel Beyaz Saray for our Istanbul trip. Very briefly, I loved the place. The breakfast was so good, one of the real highlights of the entire trip. The location across from Grand Bazaar and only a twenty-minute walk to all the attractions in Sultanahmet. There’s a Grand Bazaar tram station nextContinue reading “Hotel Beyaz Saray, Istanbul”
Initial Impressions: Celestron Outland X 8×25 binoculars
Santa brought me a pair of Outland X 8×25 binoculars because I was such a good boy this year. I will be traveling in January and wanted a small pair of binoculars so I can go birdwatching even though nature is not the primary goal of my trips. I have gotten them out twice inContinue reading “Initial Impressions: Celestron Outland X 8×25 binoculars”
What a Piece of Kit! – Travel Sorry!
My family and I recently visited my mom. It was my son’s first time visiting grammy’s house, and she was ready. One thing about my mom, she does not throw anything away. She’s not a hoarder, but if something is well-built and still functioning, she will keep it in storage. That is how I gotContinue reading “What a Piece of Kit! – Travel Sorry!”
Likin’ Lichen
I wrote earlier about Turtle Time from the Potomac Valley Audubon Society. Another event we attended was one of their Wee Naturalists classes. These are monthly classes that are specifically for preschool and kindergarten-aged children. Much like Turtle Time, many of the other kids were homeschoolers. I even recognized a couple from the previousContinue reading “Likin’ Lichen”
Turtle Time
I want to shout out the Potomac Valley Audubon Society in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. They have some excellent educational programs that are all free or very affordable. We were lucky enough to attend a few events during our winter trip to WV. Each activity was well-run; the instructors were patient andContinue reading “Turtle Time”
The Power of Picnics
Families often want to spend more time outside. Hundreds of studies have shown the benefits of the great outdoors. From overall happiness to academic achievement to mental and physical health, time spent outside correlates with higher quality of life. That being said, the REI-inspired family happily hiking through a national park may seem daunting, outContinue reading “The Power of Picnics”
Babies and Birdwatching
Preschoolers and older actually. I just like alliterative titles. Children should spend more time outside. There are many benefits such as higher levels of creativity and less depression. One of the major barriers to children enjoying the great outdoors (in my opinion) is lack of knowledge. We never ask children to do math problems withoutContinue reading “Babies and Birdwatching”
The Usual Santas – Mick Herron
Eight mall Santas walk into a buffet. It sounds like the set-up to a joke and it isn’t too far off. The Usual Santas by Mick Herron is a funny short story about the Christmas Eve adventure of eight mall Santas who have sat down for dinner to exchange holiday stories from the mall. IContinue reading “The Usual Santas – Mick Herron”
The Keasy Depot 