Travel - Kim&Geoff&Kids

one of the craziest travel days I’ve ever had.

I have a bit of a reputation amongst some friends for having somewhat ambitious travel arrangements. But even by my standards, today felt a little crazy. We woke at 4:45 a.m. Saturday Japan time. Took Metro about an hour to see the tuna auction and get sushi for breakfast. Then an hour back to our […]

Team Labs Tokyo

For anyone going to Japan and considering TeamLabs. Teamslabs Planets in Tokyo is a crowded, touristy cash grab, but a well done one and probably worth a visit. TeamLabs in Osaka is a touristy, crowded cash grab, and kinda boring and I’d give it a pass if I were you.

Ninja & Samurai Museum

Today we did a Samurai and Ninja class at the Samurai “museum”. It was a little cheesy and kind of expensive for what it was, but good fun anyway. Margot had long been interested in ninjas and similar, so she was particularly excited, but we all had a good time. Kim’s mom had been a […]

Match Making Japan

Kim and her mom both like matcha. Kim had expressed an interest in learning about how to make it properly, so I signed us all up for a class. It was not a formal tea ceremony, but just an informal and fun class, well done and enjoyable. Except the drinking part. Turns out I still […]

Shibuya Crossing

I’ve been lucky enough to do a fair bit of travelling. I’ve seen a number of tourist attractions that I didn’t get. I think “really busy crosswalk” might be on the short list of tourist attractions I most don’t get

Taiwan, Korea, Japan

Taiwan->Korea->Japan this trip. Inexpensive -> A little more Expensive -> most expensive Not very touristy-> some tourists -> Tons of tourists* *I’m sure there are some less crowded/touristy parts of Japan, but comparing the capital of Taiwan, the capital of Korea, and not-the-capital of Japan, I’m comfortable making that claim. I’ve heard more English, Spanish […]

Deer Park Nara

Contributing to the delinquency of the famous bowing deer at the deer park in Nara, Japan. Margot loved it. Hazel has stacks of empathy and was upset by the poor behavior of some of the tourists, but she did enjoy feeding the deer.

Osaka Aquarium

Slightly mixed feelings about big animals like whale sharks in captivity, but thousands of people see them here that would never see them in the wild, and maybe some percentage of those people will be motivated to make choices that are better for the earth. Osaka Aquarium is pretty nice. Maybe the coolest I’ve been […]

Namhansanseong West Gate Hike

Neat hike to see part of a 11km fortress wall that was built in 1711. Just outside Seoul. Hazel was making up hilarious haikus the whole hike. We had hiked up a pretty steep trail, then it joined a road, which the girls found a little distressing. When we got down it was pretty clear […]

DIY Workshops – Stone Shaping and Glass

We’ve had a lot of rain on this trip, but yesterday it was approaching biblical levels. We had a river tracing day planned, but it was cancelled and it was pretty clear we needed to find something to do indoors. I had earmarked a stone working workshop as something interesting, so we headed to that. […]

Sun Moon Lake

We rented some bikes for a hot but very enjoyable ride on the bike path around Sun Moon lake. Had a great time. Margot was thrilled to see wild monkeys!

Taipei

Our second day in Taipei, Taiwan was pretty packed. Kim was working but the girls and I got up early and went to a small amusement park, which the girls enjoyed until the seats got so hot it burned. Left there and got some fast food lunch. Hazel thought she was ordering a burger but […]

Ice Skating

Ice Skating with the Cousins

Alex’s Wedding

Celebrating with cousin Alex and Amanda More Photo booth Photos here

Lake District

My strategy for the drive from Scotland to Devon was to break it up. I tried to find places to stay near something cool, so we would wake, spend a good chunk of the day exploring and doing fun things, then drive a few hours each afternoon while everyone napped. Except me, of course. Although […]

Versailles 2016

Paris 2016

After London, we took the train to Paris, which was kind of a neat experience, but Hazel was disappointed. When I told her that it went under the ocean, she thought we would be able to see fish. Paris was fun and interesting. We had an Airbnb literally in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. […]

“Sunshine”

When we checked into our hotel Thursday, Hazel was offered her choice of small toys. The place is owned by the guy who made his fortune with "beanie babies" and the toys were made by company. Hazel picked a little pink poodle. Nothing worth mentioning, except for the first time, she picked a name that […]

I let Hazel pick what she wanted for lunch

Sushi!

Big smiles for the merry go round.

Grooming goats

She did brush the goats, but only when I was holding her other hand, so no pictures of that….

California academy of sciences

More interested in the older kids than the display. 🙂

I don’t know whose daughter hazel is.

The act of a desperate,desperate, desperate man.

It has been a long, long, long drive home. In my defense, those are apple slices and she is drinking milk.

At a park in San Francisco

Hazel was nervous about the bear

Daredevil

Hooray

Hazel says hooray for reciprocal agreements. Only $7.50 to go the San Francisco zoo!

I’m a taco.

We’re at the Santa Cruz surf contest, and Hazel keeps saying something that sounds very much like "I’m a taco!". Very excited, and with a big grin. No idea what it means, but it keeps making me laugh.“I’m a taco"