Welcome to my blog. I document my adventures in travel, style, and food. Hope you have a nice stay!
All in 2024
For our first tour day, we went to the Cu Chi Tunnels and the War Remnants Museum. We also drove around the city a little bit, then some of us found a place for dinner.
For our last day by ourselves in Ho Chi Minh City, we had a relatively low-key day. We walked through Japan Town in the morning and met a cousin’s friend for lunch. In the evening, we met the other people who would be with our tour group and all went out to dinner.
We dodged the rain (mostly successfully) to walk through the Reunification Palace and went to the Saigon Central Post Office to buy and send a few postcards.
For our first full day in Ho Chi Minh City, we got an overview of the city, dodged rain (sometimes heavy), went to the Fine Arts Museum, and took a food tour for dinner.
A lot has been happening over the past few months. We said goodbye to my dad, celebrated Tynor and Mallory getting married, started adjusting to me being a new retiree, and did a quick road trip with Melody’s sister Celeste to Yakima and Spokane. Mere hours after Celeste left for the airport to return to New York, we were there ourselves beginning a trip to Vietnam that would last for over three weeks.
Melody’s sister Celeste made her almost annual trip here from New York, and one of the things we always do is a road trip to visit their family. This trip was no exception.
Weddings are more than a ceremony or even the beginning of a new part of a couple’s life. It’s a way for a couple to express themselves to family and friends through parts of the whole event. In that way, the weekend was a perfect expression of Tynor and Mallory.
The Japanese American National Museum has had an exhibit open for the past couple of years, Irei: National Monument for the WWII Japanese American Incarceration which includes three elements: a website (Ireizō), light sculptures (Ireihi), and a book of names (Ireichō). Tynor, Mallory, and I were in Southern California before Melody, Kellen, and Noël before my dad’s memorial service, so we took the opportunity to go to the JANM to stamp names in the Ireichō.
This past weekend, we held a memorial service for my dad, who passed away at the age of 97. Of all the stories told at the service and shared among people at the reception, the conversation always came back to family. Being one of eight children, he and his siblings always made sure that the whole family never lost touch with each other, and we, the next generation, work to maintain that.
It was time to head home. Among all of us, we went via car, plane, and train to get home, stopping over in two different cities on the way.
For our last full day in Texas, we went to Natural Bridge Caverns and had a quiet rest of the day. Even so, we made the most of the day.
Eclipse day! We were watching the chance of clouds continuing to rise, but as long as it wasn’t raining, we would still try to take a look. In the afternoon, we saw the Alamo and walked a bit on the San Antonio River Walk.
This was a travel day, driving from Houston to San Antonio. Before we hit the road, we spent time at the Houston Space Center. And on the road, we stopped by Buc-ee's to fill up to see why it's so popular.
For our other full day in Houston, we spent the bulk of the day with Lindsay, Joe, and Noah. It started with lunch at the Farmers Market, then a walk through the Houston Arboretum, then snacks and dinner. After saying goodbye, we tried to see bats emerging at sunset.
After everyone got up and had breakfast, we went to Hermann Park to view the Japanese Garden, the Centennial Garden, and other parts of the grounds. After stopping by the Rothko Chapel, we went back for lunch and hung out. Lindsay and her family spent some of the afternoon and dinnertime with us, where we celebrated her and her baby's birthdays.
I’ve been thinking for quite a while about trying to see the 2024 total solar eclipse. I do have cousins in Ohio and Indiana in or near the path of totality, but it occurred to me that I also have a cousin in Texas whom I haven’t seen for several years. The fact that it could be likely that the chances of good weather seemed good, I asked the kids if they were interested. Hearing “Yes” all around, a plan started to form.
