Vacations

1997 to the present

Big Sur and places north

Joe at Big Sur (1999)

Also at Big Sur (1999)

George at Big Sur (1999)

 

New Mexico (August-September 2001)
Ruins of a church built on top of even older native ruins, Pecos National Historic Park. Buffalo at Castle Rock on the Vermejo Park Ranch. Gus pointing out the geological layer (KT boundary) demarcating the event that wiped out the dinosaurs 60 million years ago, Southern Colorado.
Along the dino-death hiking trail. George and Sarah on a hike on the Vermejo Park Ranch where Sarah and Gus live. Gus removing burs from his socks.
    Sarah and Gus in Cimarron, N.M. on their 7th anniversary (9-4-01).
An early September full moon over Vermejo. An adobe church in Ranchos de Taos made famous by Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams.

A more famous view of that church (San Francisco de Asisi) built in 1815.
We stayed at a quaint little B&B in Santa Fe called the Turquoise Bear. George in the common area of the Turquoise Bear. Taken at Bandelier National Monument, famous for 12th century cave dwelling ruins. This one reminded me of a skull. Click here  to go to their web site.
Another view of the caves. Looking out from a cave. You can see the blackened ceiling from ancient fires. If you look closely, you can see a cave painting.
At the top of long, hard ladder climb are the ruins of an ancient ceremonial cave with a Kiva (at right). George climbing a ladder to a cave dwelling. Joe at the entrance to a cave. Not easy to get in and out of but fantastic views.
  These artist-decorated horses were all over New Mexico as part of a fund-raising exhibition. These two were at the Albuquerque airport.

The best for the last. This one had a jet coming out its rear!

Return to New Mexico (November-December 2004)

La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe, where we stayed. Pecos National Park.
A Santa Fe courtyard. The old church at Pecos Nat'l Park.
Lake Merrick at Vermejo Park Ranch, N.M. Coke ovens on the ranch.

Palm Springs over the years

Joe lounging by the pool catching up on his reading, April 2008. George at Palm Canyon (March 2002)  
At the tram station on a cold rainy day (November 29, 2002). Joe on a rock at the summit of Mt. San Jacinto (11-29-02). It had just snowed on the mountain; rain fell in Palm Springs. George on a hiking trail on Mt. San Jacinto (11-29-02).
Same place, close to the end of the "Desert View Trail (11-29-02). Sun started to break through. On the tram on the way back down. Started to clear over the desert.
Laguna Beach, August 2003
View from our motel room looking south. View looking west at sunset. Full moon over Laguna Beach.
Catalina Island at sunset. George is down at the water in the lower left.  
 

New York City, December 23-30, 2003

The American Museum Of Natural History

  The American Museum of Natural History on Central Park West at 79th St.  
A T-Rex! Another view of this great lizard. A fish fossil.
Another fish fossil. Model of a large dino. Fossilized remnants of some prehistoric animal.
Large Mayan stone head. A couple of our ancient ancestors including Lucy on the left. More recent ancestors traipsing through the snow.
  Reproduction of ancient cave painting.

EVOLUTION IS A FACT,  NOT A THEORY!

Around Manhattan

Times Square, Christmas Day. George at Times Square. Another view of Times Square
Rockefeller Center. Times Square Christmas 2003.

 

 

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 St. Patrick's Cathedral outside and in.
Trump Towers Lobby.                   Central Park.
Central Park looking south from above the skating rink. Central Park with eastside in background.
Central Park with the Guggenheim in the background. George at the corner where the post office is located with Empire State Building in background. Sunlight reflects off the windows of the Hotel Beacon (Broadway at 75th St.) where we stayed.
  View out the window of the hotel.  

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cloisters

The Metropolitan Museum of  Art (5th Ave. at 82nd St.) has art from over the globe, since the beginning of human culture.

 From the Middle East (the "Cradle of Civilization") some of the oldest works of human art.
Cuneiform, the oldest form of human writing. Also from the Middle East. More works of art from ancient Samaria, Assyria, Babylonia.
Art from Egypt's 3,000 or so years of glory.

Greco-Roman and other Mediterranean art. Armor from the Middle Ages. A medieval  portrait of St. Barbara.
"Unicorn in Captivity" is one of a series of Medieval tapestries on exhibit at The Cloisters in upper Manhattan.           A Medieval chapel is recreated. Statue of St. Barbara.
Painted carved ivory. Golden icons. George and Joe in the Cloisters garden overlooking the Hudson.
Some modern art from the MMA. Georgia O'Keefe on left. Three paintings by John Singer Sergeant below right. Windows (left) and a sculpture (right) by Frank Lloyd Wright. A Tiffany window.

 

Espana (Barcelona and Ibiza), October 5-16, 2006     (Flags of Spain and Catalonia)

Barcelona, capital of Catalonia, one of Spain's provinces.    
A Roman excavation in the middle of Barcelona in the Gothic Neighborhood. The Gothic Cathedral of Barcelona began in the 13th century. Exterior of the Gothic Cathedral. Second photo taken from the roof.
View of Barcelona skyline with Gaudi's Familia Sagrada in background taken from roof of cathedral. Close-up of Gaudi's Familia Sagrada.  
Frank Gehry's fish sculpture on the Barcelona waterfront. Moonrise over the Mediterranean.  
An example pf Antonio Gaudi's architecture honoring St. George, patron saint of Catalonia.    
Playa den Bossa and Ibiza Town on the island of Ibiza.    

 
We stayed at a small apartment on the beach with terrific views of the walled city. George stands on the balcony (L) with a view of the old city in the background. I'm sunning on the beach in front of the apartment. More views of the town. "Juan Carlos" rents beach equipment. He looked like a SoCal surfer guy but didn't speak a word of English.
     
     
Pike's and San Antonio on the north side of Ibiza.    
The pool at Pike's. They upgraded our room because it was off-season and not many people staying. We got these really cool rooms with the feel of authenticity of the 15th century farmhouse from which the place was built. This is in the town of San Antonio. The tall building house the world famous Cafe del Mar.
     
Yosemite, California, December 30, 2008-January 3, 2009
The Ahawanee Hotel in Yosemite where we spent the New Year holiday. Half Dome George in the snow.

 

Northern Spain,  September 1-17, 2009                                                                                                                                                                                          

CANTABRIA

BASQUE COUNTRY

NAVARRA

ARAGÓN

CATALUÑA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe in Santander, Cantabria

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

George in Santander

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Basque Country

Alquezar, Aragon

View of San Sebastian, Basque Country

George at the Cafe Iruña, Pamplona, Navarra

George in front of the Castle in Javier, Navarra

Basilica de Pilar on the Ebro River, Zaragoza, Aragon

Church of Santa Maria, Sanguesa, Navarra

View of Barcelona from Palace of Arts on Montjuic

The beach at Sitges, Cataluña

Columbus statue Barcelona, Catalunya

Joe sampling some Navarra Rose on the balcony of the Calipolis Hotel in Sitges, Catalunya

George at the train station in Sitges

Sunset on Sitges and our trip to España

   Coming November 2010--ANDALUCIA (Sevilla, Granada, and Cordoba)!

 

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