The next stop on our California adventure was Mendocino, a small northern coast town right off of highway 101. We left San Francisco early in the morning heading north along the coast with the top down in our convertible. The scenery was amazing - high rocky cliffs overlooking the pacific ocean with small beaches nestled in coves. Occasionally the road lead us inland, driving through hilly valleys. We stopped a couple times to take some photographs and walk around on a beach, supposedly the deadliest one in California. After about six hours of driving we made it to our bed & breakfast, Fensalden Inn, a cute, small, and homey cottage with an ocean view. After settling in we drove into town to sit on the cliff and watch the sunset. It was so perfectly perfect. We then decided to check out the local pub for some dinner. The next day we had an amazing breakfast made by our nicest hosts and hit the road, it was time for wine. We drove through the Navarro River Red Woods Forest and some very small towns and then out into the valley. Our first winery was Handley Cellers, where we got a private tour about the history and process of making wine. Then we tasted some - yummy. We ended up buying a bottle of their famous Gerurztraminer and Chardonnay. Back on the road, we continued south on to Navarro Vineyards which was much larger and more crowded. Their wines were decent, nothing special, so we sat outside by the vineyards to relax in the sun. Our last stop was Husch Vineyards where I surprisingly got carded. Satisfied with our tastes we drove back to Mendocino to do some shopping in their local stores. Back at our bed & breakfast we challenged each other to a game of scrabble and then decided a nap was needed before dinner, however we were more tired than we thought and slept right through dinner. The next morning we were greeted by another filling and delicious breakfast by our wonderful hosts. We packed up, said goodbye and headed to our next stop, Sonoma. Mendocino, you will be missed. We greatly enjoyed your laid back attitude, amazing hospitality and food, and cute little homes nestled on a cliff above the pacific.

San Francisco was a bit different than I envisioned. I knew there would be hill after hill, that trolleys cluttered the streets, and it was home to the 60s revolution. What i didn't know, or actually realize until was there, were how many homeless people wandered the streets, the amount of good graffiti and the lack of greenery in the downtown area. Despite all of these things, San Francisco is quite an interesting, unique, flows to its on vibe city. A city everyone must visit. We stayed with a friend off Market St, at one end of the Mission neighborhood. We spent our days walking all over the hilly streets, visiting stores i buy cards from online, exploring museums, and photographing everything. Of course my favorite area was Haight Street, or hippie-ville. There were more vintage stores than i could handle, trendy dark bars perfect for drink breaks, and of course, one-of-a-kind people. We did the typical touristy things, went to fisherman's warf, rode a trolley, saw the seals, and walked for many hours throughout gold gate park. A good beginning to our week long California adventure.

Our last stop on our journey throughout Turkey is Göreme, a small town in the region called Cappadocia. This area is know for its incredible landscape full of natural wonders characterized by 'fairy chimneys' and it's unique culture and history. The land was once occupied by Hittites, who carved homes and even villages out of the fairy chimneys. As time went on more towns were built in a similar fashion and today you are able to stay in hotels carved entirely from the landscape called Cave Hotels.

Our last day in London was spent exploring the southeast countryside of England. The tour had three major stops, Leeds Castle, the White Cliffs of Dover, and the cute town Canterbury. We woke up early, got on the tube and found our way back to the Victoria Coach Station. Everyone boarded the bus and we made sure this time not to sit by the emergency exit (last time it leaked in cold air). We made our way out of the city, passing through the southeast neighborhoods of London, over the Prime Meridian, and through areas we normally wouldn't see. Once outside of the city the buildings and streets turned into rolling hills and countryside. After a good hour drive we made it to Leeds Castle, the most gorgeous, stunning, and fairytale-like castle I had ever seen. It is surrounded by a moat and many acres of land. We had arrived before the Castle opened so we decided to take a walk along the lake, explore the on grounds aviary, and found our way (after a little help) through the labyrinth. Once the Castle opened we went inside. We started in the wine cellar and then made our way through parlors, drawing rooms, and bedrooms. Since the original owner of the castle wished it to always be in use, today it is a place for meetings, sympathies and plays. After pretending we were kings and queens we had to get back on the bus to head to the shore to see the White Cliffs of Dover. I was very excited and had a vision of high rising cliffs painted white with the sea crashing below against rocks. I thought we would stop at such a scenic view atop the cliffs however when the bus pulled over we below the cliffs by a busy port. The cliffs were not amazing and white and the weather made it difficult to see across the water to France or to even get a good photograph. They also only gave us 10 minutes - such a disappointment. We then headed towards Canterbury, a quaint little town that inspired Chaucer to write Canterbury Tales. In Canterbury we explored the famous Cathedral with large beamed archways and colorful bright stained glass windows. We had time before we had to get back on the bus so we went inside a cafe to eat our lunch and then wandered about the cobble stoned streets. On the bus ride back into the city we grew sad that our last day in England was coming to an end. To celebrate we went out to a pub for our last pints of ale (I got cider) and then headed home to pack and prepare for our long flight back to the U.S.

"I must live here one day" I said as we took the tube through the neighborhoods and walked along the winding streets; just one more city to add to places I love. During our week long stay we resided in a decent size flat in Sloane Square near Chelsea, an area known for high end boutiques which was once considered the bohemian quarter. Everyday we left our flat early and took the tube to a historic landmark, museum or must see area. SUNDAY: A walking adventure through the neighborhood of Chelsea & Kensington. After eating breakfast in our flat we bundled up and headed to the Victoria & Albert Museum full of all kinds of art, from Chinese artifacts to high end fashion to sculptures and works by British artists. Afterward we strolled into Hyde and Kensington Park where we sat on a park bench near the Albert Monument for a cheese and cracker lunch. From there we explored Kensington Palace and then headed to Harrods to see what all the fuss was all about. It was like Nordstrom combined with a Middle Eastern Bazaar. We ate dinner in a nearby pub and had a few drinks - cider on tap, i am in heaven. TUESDAY: A day exploring the neighborhoods of Southwark & Westminster. Our first stop was Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the only other thing besides the rugby game Aaron had to see. Then we headed back across the Thames River via the Millennium Bridge to the tube and headed west to Embankment. There we oohed and awed at Big Ben and the Parliament and waited in a long line to go inside Westminster Abbey (breathtaking). We walked back across the Thames River and ended our day at the Tate Modern, a place I could visit every day of my life, to see the Rothko exhibit. So inspiring, so beautiful, so perfectly modern. WEDNESDAY: The last day of 2008. It was another chilly day so after bundling we headed to Tower Hill and waited in a long line for tickets. The magnificent castle overpowered the river front, making the surrounding buildings seem tiny and weak. Inside we hiked up and down small spiral staircases into dungeon rooms and living quarters. We waited in another long line to see the Crown Jewels and snuck inside the cafe to eat our '7-eleven' sandwiches (mmm pickle and cheese on wheat bread). After the Tower of London we headed to the Tower Bridge, a stunning piece of architecture. We walked across it, I took many photos and then we walked back to our flat to prepare for our night's new years festivities - a romantic dinner cruise along the Thames River and fireworks at midnight by Big Ben. THURSDAY: The first day of 2009. Since none of the museums were open, we took two walking tours with a great company called London Walks (highly recommended). The first took us on a pleasant stroll through the Royal Neighborhood of Kensington. We saw the homes of many famous writers and poets, discussed the history of the Kings and Queens and all their quirks, and saw many cute mews. We had time to kill before our next walk so we had some lunch (mmm cheese and crackers) and then headed to see Buckingham Palace (not that impressed, wished we could have gone inside). We then took the tube to Embankment and met our guide for our Apparitions, Alleyways, & Ales tour. She lead us through creepy alleys where murders and mystery happened and then into a bar for a nightcap. And that my friends is the city of London. Enjoy the photographs.

Monday, our third day in England, was spent traveling west out of London to visit Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and the small town Bath. We woke up early and took the underground to Victoria - the circle line. Following the crowd and signs, we found our way out and on the streets figuring out how to get to the Victoria Coach Station. On the ride to Windsor we saw the city and then suburbs and then a little bit of countryside. Windsor Castle is located in Windsor a small town outside of London, home to the prestigious all boys school the princes attended. The Castle was gorgeous and powerful and inspiring. We walked through the state rooms still decorated in Victorian furniture, wallpaper, and art. While there we were lucky enough to see the changing of the guard. The put on quite the performance, marching here and there and shifting to the left an inch by wiggling their feet. Running out of time we glanced at the cathedral and then headed through the town back to the bus. Driving to Stonehenge was beautiful. We passed rolling countryside, farms, harvest fields, sheep, and cute little towns. Stonehenge was a joy to finally see. The rocks were fairly large, large enough to make you ponder how did they move them back then. And then what is the purpose of this sculpture. Could it just have purely been the community expressing themselves through sculptural art? Back on the bus we headed to our last stop, Bath. It was starting to get dark out and I watched the London countryside zoom by as Aaron slept on my shoulder. In Bath we went to see the Roman Baths. Romans came to Bath a long time ago and found hot springs. They created a huge Bath center focused around them and thought they were healing waters. For many years people would visit Bath to sit in the hot healing springs. We walked around the cute little town, down cobblestone streets and took in its beauty before having to hop back on the bus for the long 2 hour ride home.

After a day and a half in Istanbul we flew southwest to Selcuk, a small town located near Ephesus and Kusadasi. Selcuk had a European feel, with white walled homes with tiled roofs nestled neatly amongst the hillside. We walked through the ruins of Ephesus; swam in the Aegean Sea; bargained with locals in a little mountain town; and mae friends with our hotel staff.

Formerly known as Constantinople, Istanbul once was the capital city of the Roman Empire, The Byzantine Empire, the Latin Empire, and The Ottoman Empire. Today Istanbul is considered Europe's most populous city. Divided by the Bosporus Straight, Istanbul lies on both the European and Asian continent. It is split from east and west, new and old. The old Grand Bazaar built during the Ottoman Empire is now surrounded by new brand name boutiques; small narrow cobblestone streets are being replaced with nicely paved wider roads; and Muslim women are embracing new freedoms of the western culture by the refusal to wear the head scarf and even full length clothing. Istanbul is a massive city, busy and fast paced. I think the one day spent there was just enough time to visit its hot spots and get a taste of what it has to offer.

Our last stop on our journey in China. We spent the first day walking around the Forbidden City and ended our long day at the acrobats show. Then the next day we woke early and rented a driver to take us to see the Great Wall of China - by far the best part of the entire trip. We hiked along it and then toured the tombs of the emperors.

Xian is a small (but large to me) city in north western China and is know for its ancient walled capitol and the Terra Cotta Warriors. It is a very industrial city and is one of the most polluted in China. The first day we were there we took a cab to the history museum and then climbed eight floors of the Large Goose Pagoda for a nice view of the city. Day two was our adventure to see the Terra Cotta Warriors, which was quite a site to see. So many of them. On our last day I woke up with a massive pain on my side hindering my wanting to do much so we wandered the streets of an antique market and then headed into the walled city.

Shanghai is a large city, home to about 20 million people. It is mostly a concrete city with large sidewalks, many roads, and high rise buildings as far as the eye can see. The first day my mother and I walked down Nanjing Road to a temple, then a park, and then to the Shanghai museum. That night we all explored the Bund and Pudong.

A collection of photographs from the first couple days in China. We began our adventure by traveling down the Li River from Guilin to a smaller town called Yangshou, both located in the southern part of China. After a long day of beautiful scenery, walking and shopping we took a bus back to Guilin where our hotel was. The next day my mother and I explored the city of Guilin and ventured into the Seven Stars Park. The next day my mother and I took a tour bus out into the countryside to see the Long Hair Tribe and then up the mountain to get a wonderful view of the Rice Fields.

A collection of my Holga images taken while in the Flint Hills in Kansas.

We stayed at a quaint beautiful bed and breakfast and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Some of the last remaining tallgrass prairie in the nation. "Open sky, open land, unending horizon, the 'limitless and lonesome prairie,' to quote Whitman again. But the word that also springs to mind may be 'nothing'. A glorious nothing, but nothing nonetheless." (Verlyn Klinkenborg - National Geographic - April 2007)

After experiencing the true culture of Thailand we escaped to a beautiful island and then headed to Singapore, a very westernized city/state.

Our second stop in Thailand. Located in the north western area, surrounded by mountains.

Began our trip here, spent a couple days exploring the major city of thailand before venturing to a more rural town.