BootsnAll Travel Community

Sausalito, CA, USA

Just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. I met Isabelle Allende there!!! I got to interview her!!! She's amazing and human and amazingly human!!!

(Cripes...another "o"....sorry.)

Orlando, FL is a very strange place.

It appeals because it has warm weather and Disneyworld. If there is any place that you must absolutely go before you die, make sure that place is somewhere far from Orlando.

Uh oh.

O's..hmmm...I have a few of them, too...

Otavalo
Ecuador

I went there to explore the famed Saturday markets...

Otavalo is a town about 2 hours north from Quito. It's known for the Otavaleño indigenous group and their huge Saturday market. There, you can visit the animal market (not worth a visit, if I say myself) and the huge artisan market. You can find mantas (tablecloths), colorful socks, sweaters, purses, weavings, etc. It's quite a sight, and gets a bit overwhelming after hours of wandering around. The Otavaleños are very beautiful people.


Socks for sale


Piles and piles of colorful mantas

Oolitic, Indiana.

To tell the truth, I haven't been through the town, which is named for the type of limestone that comes from there. Or, it's the other way around and the limestone is named after it. I basically just used it because I like the word "Oolitic", and because we haven't had a "C" place name.

Sion, Switzerland

Went with about twenty of the people I worked with in Kandersteg to Sion for a trip to see the castle and for a winery tour back in the spring of 99...... I really remember it being a gorgeous day!

Newberg, Oregon

You don't need to visit. I promise.

Gouda, Netherlands -- (pronounced GGGOW-DA, with that lovely gutteral "G" - you can hear an example here.)

Gouda is home to one of the most famous cheese markets. Kaasdragers (literally, cheese carriers) carry cheese out onto the market square on these traditional rigs:



( Image courtesy of fragments.homestead.com/files/gouda_cheese_market_small.jpg )

Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Park, Southern California

11 miles off the coast of Ventura, California (where I was born and grew up!), Anacapa Island is one of 8 islands that make up the National Park. Like the New Yorker who's never visited the Statue of Liberty, I've never been.

Channel Islands National Park

Avon

No, not Avon calling..but Stratford-Upon-Avon. I ended up in the Cotswolds for a week, and did a day trip to this town. It's a cute town, well known as being Shakespeare's birthplace. The Avon is connected to the various waterways in the region -- there is an area where a lot of narrow boats were parked. You can see many street performers around there - from fire dancers to jugglers, etc.

bump

Ndola, Zambia

Located in the Copperbelt region of the country. Lots of government offces and mining operation out of this city.

Afghanistan.

Lived there for almost two years working for a sub-contractor to the Canadian Military, in Kabul.

It is one of THE most beautiful countries on earth. I only saw a teeny tiny bit of it and was incredibly amazed by how spectacular it is.

This picture doesn't do it justice but is one of the best I have....



(And yes, It's crooked, I know! Haven't yet worked out how that happened or, for that matter, how to fix it..... )

Wow, forgot about this thread!

Nashville, Indiana. Nope, not the other one. This is actually a major tourist destination in the state (well, mainly for people over 50 who live in the state already). It's Quaint with a capital "q". It's right next door to the largest state park in Indiana, and a favorite for artists. It's a nice place to visit, if only to laugh at the hordes of knick-knack shoppers.

Egegik, Alaska population about 30 or so people for most of the year, during salmon season can climb to around 2000. Isolated and wonderful place to works as there is nothing to spend your money on.

Kastel Novi, Croatia. I don't know why, but I loved these windows.

Istanbul, Turkey. The Blue Mosque at night.

Yaroslavl, Russia



City of churces somewhere inbetween Moscow and St. Petersburg. Quite lovely actually. Only, couldn't find a cheapish hotel, pleaded with all sorts of people to give me a chance. Ended up in the train station 'rest rooms' (not the toilet!). Was ok, except that Yaroslavl is quite a busy station and there were loud, big Russian trains all night. Whatever. Wandering around town was cool. Dozens of old buildings and especially churches.

Lake Charles, Louisiana
Home of Contraband Days and the McNeese Cowboys,"Go Pokes!" Incidentally my Alma Mater.

You know that I'll be able to go on with this forever....if nobody take the volley within a few hours I'LL TAKE IT.

Sidi Ifni, Morocco



A bizarre town in Southern Morocco. It has been abandoned by the Spanish quite a while ago - and the Moroccans seem to be unwilling to move into the old Spanish area - that's why you have a 'old town' that is Ghost Town Central after nightfall and a very lively (albeit small) Arab quarter on the other side of the main road. Strange place that attracts strange people. Meant to spend a day or two and ended up staying six or so. Not that there is anything to do in Sidi (I did surf a bit...but the sea was just a wee bit too messy for my abilities). Just one of those places...

Ivanhoe, NQ.

When I was in primary school we used to have athletics competitions with the Ivanhoe primary school because it was of similar size, i.e. less than 30 students between ages of 6 and 12. It's out in the middle of nowhere, west of the Atherton Tablelands. Dry as bone. When you come back from there you have a thick coating of dust all over - even if you have the windows up.

Those were the days, ah yes, I used to get at least 3 1st ribbons because there were only ever a few other kids to race / jump against.