This past weekend we headed out for the inaugural ski trip of the season. Our destination: Zao Onsen, a ski town about 400 km north of Tokyo. I heard of its famous snow monsters and hot springs and decided that we should check it out for ourselves. We set out on Thursday morning heading for …

Continue reading Zao Onsen: Snow Monsters!

I have to give the kids a lot of credit. When I announced that we were heading off to visit Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and embalmed remains, I expected cries of protest. They merely shrugged and set off. We queued up, surrendered our big cameras, and snapped only two forbidden photos with the iPhone while …

Continue reading Let’s Go See an Embalmed Communist Leader and a Notorious Prison! Or, Our Last Day in Vietnam

After our wonderful visit to Siem Reap, we boarded a 90 minute flight and landed in Hanoi for the second country of our vacation. We spent the night in Hanoi's Old Quarter, then met our van the next morning for the three hour drive to Halong Bay. Most foreign visitors to Hanoi take some kind …

Continue reading Vietnam: Halong Bay and First Thoughts of Hanoi