travelswithwendy

[travelswithwendy]

Denali, Alaska

I was excited about our day, a quick breakfast and our group once again loaded onto the bus to Denali National Park in Alaska.  Hey wait a minute, I thought it was called Mt. McKinley National Park?  Well it was but it is not anymore…..

Royal Carribean – group shot of all in first class dome train

The bus trip would take about 2 ½ hours. Our guide was always trying to keep us entertained. This…

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I love to travel. So many places to go, so many things to see. I had never dreamed of visiting to Alaska. I had always dreamed of the sunny places like Bahamas and Bora Bora. However, I was so excited to be flying into Fairbanks, Alaska and boarding a glass – dome luxury train that would travel through Denali National Park to Talkeetna (the Klondike gold rush base city) and then continued down to Anchorage where I would board a cruise ship for seven days to the Hubbard Glacier. Yes, this was to be an adventure.

Train – our amazing train with a glass roof. Denali Star route with 36 dining room car. Reclining leather seats all front facing

Our flight from Los Angles had a layover in Seattle Washington but eventually we were flying into Alaska. As we took off in Seattle I could see Mount Saint Helens volcano from my window seat. I could see the entire volcano where it blew and took out one entire side of the mountain. I could see how big the explosion was, it was incredible. I enjoyed looking out the window for landing, the green landscape was so amazing.

  Mt Saint Helens looks whole until you see the other side and it is missing

Mt. Saint Helens with entire side of mountain missing

We collected our luggage and boarded a bus to the Sophie Station Hotel where we would stay for two nights to tour Fairbanks.

Sophie Station Hotel in Fairbanks Alaska – Gregg and Wendy

The hotel was skilled at checking in a large tour bus group, they were anticipating our arrival and had all the hotel key packets ready, it was short order that we all got to our rooms quickly. I was deeply appreciative. All the rooms are suites with kitchenettes, they were very spacious and comfy. We quickly unpacked, refreshed and met downstairs to take advantage of the Fountainhead Around Town city bus. We rode the complimentary bus downtown to do some shopping and get some dinner. On the way back, the bus driver dropped us off at Safeway that was just down the street from our hotel allowing us to walk back with some supplies. We grabbed some cheese, crackers, beer and wine to enjoy by the fireplace at the hotel before bed. The next morning we enjoyed a quick buffet breakfast in the hotel before boarding the bus for a full day of sightseeing.

Our first stop was the Alaskan Pipeline. I thought okay, I’ll see this huge eyesore that carries crude oil 800 miles from the top to bottom of the state.

Alaskan Pipeline as it disappears into the ground

snaking along for 800 miles – Alaskan pipeline

It was actually very interesting. Our bus pulled over to the side of the road where the Alyeska Pipeline or the Trans Alaskan Pipeline System (TAPS) Visitor Center is located. There is no building just a self-guided walking trail with informational boards that you can read.

  Gregg and Wendy at Alaskan pipeline

kissing and laughing under the pipeline is a tradition

You can touch the pipeline and see where it disappears beneath ground – only 380 miles actually run underground due to the hard-frosty turf. The pipeline crosses 3 mountain ranges, 30 major rivers and streams. The highest point is 4739 feet at Aligun Pass; which is quite high. Animal lovers will enjoy that 554 miles is kept maintained for safe animal crossing. We walked around for about 20 minutes to reading the boards about the “pigs”.

  retired pig that cleans the pipeline

new pig that cleans the pipeline

Don’t miss a walk next to the beautiful stream that runs along side the engineering marvel. My last thought was wow – every hour more than $1 million dollars of black gold flows through it. A huge boost to the of Alaska.

creek running next to pipeline

We were informed by our tour guide that we had time to visit the University of Alaska Museum of the North, native culture, wildlife and art if we were willing to spend just 90 minutes and get back on the bus. We all agreed we could manage it. The museum is not very big, the price is $14 per person. I loved the large stuffed wildlife.

Gregg and Wendy visiting University of Alaska Museum of the North

The most photographed brown bear, Otto welcomes you as you enter to view the largest collection of mummified Bison in the world.

  largest collection of mummified Bison in the world

such a cute seal and walruses

large stuffed moose

There is more than 1.5 million artifacts and specimens to see.

We walked around quickly and enjoyed seeing each room full of colorfully displayed art and cases full of artifacts. It would take 2-3 hours to see it all. I recommend visiting the café and gift shop. The art and jewelry are very affordable.

  University of North – Artic Fox

very colorful baskets – such work

University of North – authentic clothing

We were able to see everything, purchase some gift from the store and walk around to see the outside, the building itself uses is very beautiful.

  fancy dress up clothes for those celebrating their gold rush wealth

University of Alaska – Gregg in front of museum

A must-see tip: in one of the back rooms is the Great Alaska Outhouse Experience, artist Craig Buchanan uses license plates, rubber ducks, backgammon boards and more. It has a foam seat and would function except that it is missing the all-important hole. The work was commissioned to challenge visitors’ perception of what should be considered art. The director of the museum states “this embraces other kinds of creations allowing for a more democratic, rather than elitist, definition of art”.  Is this art???

  University of Alaska – Wendy in Alaskan Outhouse

University of Alaska Gregg in Alaskan Outhouse – Is this art?

    Our last and longest tour stop was to The Riverboat Discovery to visit a Chena Indian Village. We boarded a 3-hour cruise on an old steamboat that guided us down the Chena River.

  Wendy ready to see Indian village

During the 3 hours we would experience a bush floatplane land and take off next to the boat

sea plane landing next to us on the river

visit the home and kennels of the late 4-time Iditarod winner, Susan Butcher and her championship sled dogs

  The most time would be spent with an Alaskan native guided walking tour of a five-generation family Indian village on the Chena River.

  Chena village home and clothing

The Athabascan Indian village cabins were made of spruce logs. We toured into a cache used to store supplies and a primitive spruce bark hut

    salmon drying

a working salmon wheel

Santa’s reindeer eating

The walk was long but very interesting.

  Dave Monson, husband of the late Iditarod winner and owner of Trailbreaker Kennels demonstrated how to load up and mush the dogs on his 4 runner (no snow) and played with the new puppies, the future sled dogs. We enjoyed touring the village. I loved seeing the salmon wheel working and visiting the camping tents used by the hunters. The reindeer were a pleasant surprise. It was so difficult to keep a sense of time, I knew the sun should be going down but it doesn’t and it is still so light out for being evening time. Before we disembarked the steamship, we were all treated to the best local salmon appetizers. It was a perfect day. I visited the large gift shop waiting for the bus to arrive. Inside I was able to take a touristy photo posing on a dog sled. They also have a “cold room” there were you can go inside to 40 degrees below 0. It is free however they will try hard to sell you a photograph of you with the thermostat behind you reading -40. Of course, I bought it! Dinner back at the hotel, rest and relaxation. Tomorrow we board the train to Denali. It was still light out when we laid down, we were so tired from our day we had no problem sleeping. The hotel’s blackout curtains were very good!

Fairbanks, Alaska I love to travel. So many places to go, so many things to see. I had never dreamed of visiting to Alaska.

[travelswithwendy]

Pompeii, Italy

My tour of Pompeii (just 14 miles from Naples Italy) was unbelievable. It was surreal walking amongst the historians actively excavating human remains. I was creeped out after being told I would carry away human DNA on my shoes when I departed the buried city.

the city of Pompeii was once on the waters edge – now the water is miles away

Mount Vesuvius can be seen sitting so innocentlybehind the…

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This place is a gem. I can’t believe we have never been here before! We planned two days of wine tasting, shopping and a good dinner out for our trip to Buellton and this place did not disappoint.

all the sites to select from!

We were given site # 143. A large pull through spot in the back of the resort. We were walking everywhere so this just added more steps to each outing. All the sites are nice. All the sites appeared to be “pull through” spaces with lots of room for your slide-outs. The only difference I could see was the premium sites have a concrete pad and the others are on gravel-dirt. I could live with the that to be closer to the front of the resort and the outside lounge serving food at the fire pit patio. We visited for happy hour one afternoon while I did a load of laundry next door.

love the fire pit lounge!

After enjoying split pea bread bowl at Anderson’s Inn we started on foot to do some wine tasting. We walked down to Ken Brown Tasting Room. We were their first tasters of the day; a little quiet one week before Christmas.

so happy – gonna eat some split pea soup in a bread bowl!

The Buellton area offers up mostly reds for your tasting enjoyment; however they did have a nice chardonnay and I purchased a bottle. We were able to stop at one more winery,  unfortunately many had their doors already closed for the holiday. Not the best time of the year for wine tasting. We enjoyed dinner at AJ Spears Saloon & Dining – a Steakhouse. The place was decorated with large game. A lion, several bears and oh so many deer heads mounted to the walls.

Gregg at AJ Spurs posing with a buffalo!

this one greets you on the way to the ladies room!!

cozy fire place and live entertainment!

just passing these to get to my table!

Geez. I loved when we sat down they brought a rod iron pot of A.J.’s Hearty Vaquero Soup, Tequila Beans and homemade salsa – they say mix it together – its yummy! Served to everyone to get you started – before you even order.

live entertainment!

The meals are all served “chuck wagon style” which means all meals come with salad, AJ’s spuds, rice pilaf, garlic bread and your choice of a root bear float or an After-Dinner drink – all included in your meal! Prices are very reasonable too.

chuckwagon style dining! so amazing!

After dinner we thought we would head over to the lounge fire pit patio in our RV resort but the fire wasn’t on? So we walked over to the hotel next door and sat at their warm comfy fire pit. LOL we were the only ones there.

hotel next door has an awesome fire pit too!

We enjoyed breakfast watching the sun come up the next day. It was beautiful.

the most amazing sunrise so far in Buellton!

the most amazing sunrise ever!!

We are already planning to go back again. The resort was very nice and quiet. I loved the cabins with names of wine grapes that surround the place.

cute cabins to rent – Pinot Noir or Cabernet cabin?

We really enjoyed it here. If we were to stay one more day we would have taken the bus to Solvang – it picks up right in front of the resort where you check in.

Solvang – a cute Danish town with awesome pastries and many wineries offering tastings!

  Buellton, Ca – Flying Flags RV Resort & Campground This place is a gem. I can’t believe we have never been here before! We planned two days of wine tasting, shopping and a good dinner out for our trip to Buellton…

[travelswithwendy]

I jumped at the chance to spend a few days in Pismo Beach on the way down the Pacific Coast. We searched availability and selected Pacific Dunes Ranch RV Resort.

stop here to check in

I wanted to go to the horse stalls!

We checked into site #169. It was located on the upper level with a magnificent view of the sand dunes. The office welcomed my dog with a treat & a map of the dog walking areas (and a few rules – but they had those for the children too). We inquired how far the beach was over the dunes and was advised against walking the ½ mile there.

just a view of sand…. where’s the ocean?

I leashed up my dog, Bella, to walk down to the stables to look at the horses. I really wanted to ride the horses on the beach, I thought it would be such an adventure.

horseback riding next to the waves on the beach!

love the horses! It would be so fun to ride them to the beach!

The horses all looked ready to go, but my hubby said no to that. He hasn’t rode a horse in almost 40 years. We quickly had dinner, grabbed a couple chairs and a cocktail and walked out onto the sand dunes to watch our first sunset.

It was so quiet and relaxing, we were the only ones out there. We stayed until it was dark and then navigated our way back to our campsite with the promise to adventure over the dunes to the beach the next day. lol

After breakfast we started the half mile walk over the sand dunes to see the beach!

My hubby and I have never camped on the dunes, we had no idea how far this would appear to be. We walked over several small dunes to climb the highest one we could see in the distance. I thought ok – we will see the beach when we get to the top of this one.

just the second “set” of dunes – the Ocean is out there somewhere…..?!

OMG, when we reached the peak and looked it was easily 10 more dunes and it looked a mile away.

Since we had already come this far we decided to continue.

I came up the sand dune and thought – oh you have got to be kidding me!

Finally we pushed through the last dune and walked onto the beach.

Bella is ready to go back to the RV!

There was an ATV Race taking place on the beach. We navigated pass the riders to get to the surf line. One of the riders looked at us with disbelieve, wondering where in the world we must have come from.

I think it took about 90 minutes to reach the beach. We decided to walk down the beach to town to get back to our campsite.

My hubby, Gregg and Bella walking on the beach – never seen so many people driving on the beach before!

Both of us were tired and did not want to take the dunes back to our RV.

largest seaweed ever close up

walking on the beach in Pismo

The entire walk took about 4 hours. Hence the advice from the lady who checked us into the RV resort – don’t’ walk the dunes to the beach! LOL. We left camp without our wallets so we couldn’t stop anywhere to eat or shop.

getting sand out of the shoes

front yard decor?

looking at the beautiful beach!

always finding the Elks Lodge – no wallet for a drink 😦

I would stay here again if I could ride a horse on the beach. It is really the only thing to do at this resort unless you want to wonder and get lost in the sand dunes!

There are full time residence in some of the spaces. If you stay here make sure you get on the second level. The first level is like camping in a parking lot. Oh, plan to ride the horses across the sand dunes to the beach instead of walking – LOL.

walking through town!

Pismo Beach, Ca I jumped at the chance to spend a few days in Pismo Beach on the way down the Pacific Coast.

[travelswithwendy]

London Bridge is falling down    We all remember the famous nursery rhyme.  It’s a real bridge. Currently it is one of Arizona’s favorite tour attractions. 

boating under London Bridge in Havasu Arizona

Built in 1830 it was constructed of heavy concrete blocks and replaced an old wooden bridge on the River Thames in London, England. (also was falling down – lol) For over 600 years the famed bridge spanned the river.

The history of London Bridge on the Thames River is gruesome.  Severed heads of traitors were impaled on the bridge pikes, but first dipped in tar to preserve them overtime and weather.  William Wallace was the first severed head to be placed on the bridge.  A London visitor in 1598 counted over 30 tar dipped heads on the bridge. 

tar dipped heads of traitors on the London Bridge in England

London Bridge began to sink as soon as it was built.  By the late 1960s it was 4 inches lower on one side.  The uneven construction of the narrow bridge often blocked the shipping traffic over the years. It cost so much of the Queen’s money she ordered it to be auctioned off and a new bridge to be built. 

London Rhyme – falling down bridge

Hence the famous nursery rhyme, London Bridges Falling Down…..  many thought that the famous London Tower Bridge was falling down.  And many confused that the famous Tower Bridge was the one shipped and built in Arizona.  So funny! 

London Bridge falling down – no wrong bridge. Why did everyone think the famed song was the tower bridge?

what people thought they would see when they came to Havasu to see London Bridge!! LOL

Robert McCulloch, founder of  Havasu, Arizona purchased the bridge in London City on April 18, 1968 in an auction for $2,460,000 million. McCulloch had each concrete block numbered before the bridge was taken down to ensure it could be re-built.

London Bridge Blocks arriving in Arizona to be reconstructed over Havasu Lake

The blocks were shipped 5, 400 miles through the Panama Canal to Long Beach Pier and trucked to Arizona at the cost of $1.2 million dollars.

stacked London Bridge blocks ready to load and transport 5,400 miles to Arizona

The London Bridge spanning the Bridgewater Channel in Havasu City Arizona was completed in 1971 at the additional cost of 7 million dollars!  

London Bridge in 1971 getting ready to release water soon!

building the bridge in Havasu at the cost of 7 million

London Bridge is a must see when visiting Havasu Lake. 

There are many shops and restaurants around the bridge.  We took a romantic night stroll across the bridge.  The weather is always perfect here.  

a romantic walk across London Bridge at night

Christmas at the shops below the London Bridge in Havasu, AZ

shops next to London Bridge

Gregg tasting a flight of beers at Barley Bros Brew House – the view of the Lake is beautiful!

We enjoyed boating on Lake Havasu!   It was such a large lake, I had no idea.  I really loved all the ducks.  Talk about flying south for the winter? There were thousands.  The cute lighthouses along the peaks of the shorelines was a delightful surprise.  I loved them.   The small lighthouses are replicas of famous ones in Canada. 

replica lighthouse on Lake Havasu

boating around Lake Havasu with our dog Bella – a beautiful day!

Christmas wreaths hanging from London Bridge

touring the shops & restaurants – loved the water fountain

free docking at the shops & restaurants!

Havasu City, Arizona London Bridge is falling down    We all remember the famous nursery rhyme.  It’s a real bridge. …

[travelswithwendy]

Dubrovnik, Croatia “Pearl of the Adriatic” a popular travel destination, because of “Game of Thrones”? I fell in love with the city years ago watching “Missing” with Ashley Judd.   I stood on the deck of the ship as we sailed into the old port, it was breathtakingly beautiful as we went under the Franjo Tudjman Bridge.

Our “English recorded self-guided walking tour” of the ancient city  included shuttle service to and from the port. We located the bus by the name and boarded for a short drive to the medieval walled city. We arrived at the “Pile Gate” and got in the tour line to checkout our earpieces and recorders. Today, you just download the app on your phone and use your own earbuds – must faster. We also received a “self-guided walking map” also in English.

The 12th century walled city of Dubrovnik sits on the edge of the Adriatic Sea. One of the first things I noticed was it reminded me of San Francisco – built straight up the mountain side – this was going to be a strenuous walking tour and it was a very hot day! The double lined walls reach the maximum height of 82ft that surround the city and were never breached by the many armies that attacked over the years.

We walked through the ancient “Pile Gate” a working draw bridge. The gate opened to a large courtyard called a placa. Dubrovnik is known for its large marble squares – beautiful and shiny from thousands of tourists’ feet that walk on them each day.

Sitting in the middle of a placa was a large working fountain. The Big Onofrio fountain was constructed in 1438, a project that included a 12 mile water supply system to the city; an aqueduct system that included two large public fountains. The city is quite proud of this water system still working today.

We toured Saint Blaise Church, the Patron Saint, and several venetian palaces within the city. We walked to the main placa to see the famous statue of Saint Blaise. The town was destroyed many times by earthquakes and the many attacks from army troops, but the ancient city was always rebuilt by the dedicated locals that lived there and maintained it to the amazing condition it is today.

 The 12th century Cathedral was funded by Richard the Lionhart who was shipwrecked on the island in 1192.  He pledged to build a church if he survived. The Clock Tower still chimes every  hour, the city landmark is located in Luza Square that was the main market place many years ago.

We stopped for lunch at the  in the old historical port area that is still active today.  The old port market was busy with offloading fishing boats and locals shopping as we sat eating our meal.

Polkisar Pizza Café – Gregg and I ordered a capricciosa salad and a pershuito & parmesan cheese pizza, we ate and “people watched”.

After lunch we felt rested up enough to “tackle walking the wall”. It was 95 degrees with humidity so we agreed to take it slow. We climbed the uneven staircase to the top and walked along the back of the walled city. The view of the city was spectacular. All the orange tile rooftops with a backdrop of the Adriatic Sea. Just like the movies. The trip up the stairs was worth it. We spent another hour walking until we started the walk back to the Pile Gate.

A crowd had gathered around a stone jutting out from a wall on the Franciscan Monastery. I had heard about the Maskeron Legend of Dubrovnik on “Bachelorette Season #6″. The legend states if you can hop on the gargoyle head stone jutting from the wall, keep your balance and remove your shirt “while facing the wall” – luck will follow you in love. The bachelor failed and didn’t receive a rose, poor guy. Many guys were trying to stand on the small stone. I didn’t see any successes. Gregg tried to stand on the small stone, he could not.

We took the shuttle back to the ship and slept for three hours, we almost missed dinner!

Dubrovnik Croatia Dubrovnik, Croatia “Pearl of the Adriatic” a popular travel destination, because of "Game of Thrones"? I fell in love with the city years ago watching…

[travelswithwendy]

Carpinteria is a quaint small coastal town between Santa Barbara and Ventura in southern California. The historical town has the most beautiful beaches and breathtaking sunsets of any beach in Southern California.

sunset on the beach in Carpintaria

Gregg photo bombing my sunset pic

sunset on Carpentaria Beach

Our hotel is our RV. We camp at the Carpinteria State RV Park on Palm Avenue.

Soon as we park we leash up Bella, our dog, and take our first long walk, usually catching our first sunset. We walk to the end of the RV park, past San Miguel Campground towards the oil rig pier. This area of the beach you can let the dogs run and play in the surf & sand without getting a ticket. Our dog loves it and after the drive it is a wonderful way to burn some energy off her.

After our walk we change for dinner and take a short walk to Linden Street where we select from several restaurants what to eat each night. We love The Palm. A bar and grill restaurant that’s been there over a 100 years. A friendly, comfortable atmosphere where you grill your own steaks and feast from all you can eat salad, potato, baked beans & bread bar! The handmade croutons on the salad bar are so yummy. We eat here every trip.

Another great place we frequent is Siam Elephant Thai Restaurant. We sit outside on the patio to enjoy the Southern CA weather and enjoy chicken satay with a peanut sauce and pad see ew. They make everything from scratch. They are popular for their red & green curry and pumpkin in the fall. Gregg and I love relaxing here with a glass of wine and the ocean breeze.

Siam Thai in Carpinteria on Linden Ave and outside patio

It is a nice stroll through the park on a wooden boardwalk to & from Linden St.  A great opportunity to walk off the fullness of dinner each night.

Sly’s Steak House is our “to go to place” for a martini and appetizer. They know how to serve their drinks with style. They always have a cocktail of the day. A jumbo shrimp cocktail will set you back $20 but it will be the biggest and best you’ve ever had. We order the red onion straws to share. They are addicting and they keep bringing us back again and again. We always visit Tacos Don Roge & Ice Cream! We laugh and love our cheap lunch. Authentic street tacos for $1.75 each. Choose from your normal shredded chicken, beef, pork or carne asada. You can also try lengua (beef tongue), Cabeza (cow head) tripe (intestines) and buche (pig stomach). They also have a great salsa bar and make delicious handmade guacamole. I just love their tables with umbrellas outside to enjoy your tacos and finish it off with a ice cream cone in the sunshine.

The most well know place of all time to eat is THE SPOT. A burger & shake shack that only takes cash It is located right next to the ocean and across the street from the park. There is always a line, you can smell the grill cooking for miles. You can pass without getting a burger and fries to eat in the park with an incredible view of the ocean.

the famous SPOT burger & shakes in Carpinteria

A new pizza place opened recently on the street, Pizza Man Dan’s. The salad bar is large and fresh, there are TVs to watch sports. They have a large outside patio and you can bring your dog on a leash. Gregg isn’t too crazy about the place, but he is a pizza snob. It’s a great place to gather with large groups – and if you don’t want to go out – Pizza Man Dan’s delivers to the campsite day and night – you always see his delivery cars.  805-658-6666

Brittany and Parker in surf on beach in Carpentaria

I never get disappointed at Carpinteria to get a view of sea lions and dolphins playing in the surf. I love taking several daily walks just to gaze out and catch a sight of a sea lion playing in the surf or a few dolphins swimming up the coast line.

heron in the bush by the wash

The one mile RV campsite does run along the Metro Train Station. Yes, the train does run a couple early morning trains 7 days a week. Most of the amazing RV Parks in California are located next to railroad tracks. The railroad runs along the entire coastline, so if you want to camp at the beach you will have to suffer the train passing by.

Last trip we walked to the train station and boarded for a day trip to Santa Barbara for lunch and some wine tasting. Brittany and Chris had never been wine tasting there and our little grand-daughter, Parker, had never rode a train before! It was a great day.

took the train to Santa Barbara to go wine tasting – getting a bite first!

Carpinteria State RV Park Carpinteria is a quaint small coastal town between Santa Barbara and Ventura in southern California. The historical town has the most beautiful beaches and breathtaking sunsets of any beach in Southern California.

[travelswithwendy]

The sinking Island - Venice Italy

The sinking Island – Venice Italy

Time to visit Venice, Italy before the most beautiful islands sink into the sea Venice has always been slowly sinking. The most beautiful islands I’ve ever visited. If it is on your “bucket list” or “somewhere I want to travel list”, it’s time to move it at the top – before this beautiful city disappears into the sea.

the Grand Canal – Venice, Italy

Venice has been slowly sinking for over 1000…

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Venice, Italy - walking tour

Venice, Italy – walking tour

The next day we woke, enjoyed coffee and our view from the room.  We had a breakfast buffet at the hotel and got directions from our English speaking concierge about the free water taxi to get across the canal. It was a short but fun ride.

morning sunrise looking at the Grand Canal in Venice Italy from our balcony room

I purchased a simple 3 hour walking tour online that started in St. Marks…

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Venice, Italy

We landed at Venezia Aeroporto Marco Polo about 6pm.  We secured our luggage and a direct boat ride on the Alilaguna Ferry which is located right next to the luggage claim area, we purchased our ticket at the kiosk in English. Once you board the ferry the agent will provide you with the further information.

Venezia Aeroporto Marco Polo from the air

By RUI Sousa

It was a warm day and the breeze…

[travelswithwendy]

The People's Court - Shanghai, China

The People’s Court – Shanghai, China

The People’s Square of China back in 1912 was a horse racing track.  After gambling & horse racing were banned by the communist government the race track became The People’s Square.

Just another event in China when the communist government took the land for rich foreign investors.

The People’s Square is home to:

The Grand Cinema

Shanghai Grand Theatre

Shanghai Museum

Shanghai Art Museum

Shanghai…

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The Bund - Shanghai, China

The Bund – Shanghai, China

Gregg and I hailed a taxi to The Bund, a waterfront area in central China. “The Bund” translates to “outer beach” on Zhongshan Road and is honored as the “World Expo of Architecture”.

walking the Bund in Shanghai

One side of the Huangpu River is old and historical, the other side of the river is the most modern and eclectic skyscrapers with blue and pink neon. The Bund is a 1 mile long freetouris…

[travelswithwendy]

The Middle Class of Shanghai

The Middle Class of Shanghai

The government relocated 250 million people from surrounding villages into communist housing with the promise of better education and healthcare for their families. The Chinese government wanted the land to for rich foreign investors.  Many families were forced out of their homes at gunpoint. It just seems so unbelievable to me that this just recently happened. I again marveled at the rows of…

[travelswithwendy]

Beijing, China - The Great Wall

Beijing, China – The Great Wall

After we stopped at a fishery restaurant for lunch in a small village town in Beijing, we continued our drive up the winding road to the Great Wall of China for another 30 minutes.

Beijing China

Steve asked us what car did we drive? Gregg said we owned a Ford 150 pickup and a Chrysler 200. Gregg searched on his phone to bring up a photograph of our car because they had never seen a Chrysler. We…

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Beijing China -Lunch

The flight from Shanghai was two hours long. We landed in Beijing and followed the crowd that led us to the baggage claim area where two smiling faces held a sign that read MCAFEE.

our tour guide Steve and his driver

It was so loud and overwhelming with a “pushy” crowd we quickly exchange greetings  and walked to their car. The car was old but seemed to run efficiently. Steve, our tour guide, was…

[travelswithwendy]

Beijing, China - part 1

Beijing, China – part 1

Most people said was impossible. They said, you’re crazy. We flew from Shanghai to Beijing, had lunch, toured the Great Wall of China and flew back to Shanghai. We arrived back at the hotel before midnight.

posin’ on the wall with watchtowers 15, 16 & 17 behind us

We hired a private tour guide and his driver over the phone. They were going to meet us at the airport in the baggage claim…