Alaska

We finally made that trip to Alaska, during summer 2005. Five days is too short to see much of Alaska, but we did manage to get a glimpse of the vastness and beauty of that state. Here's more.

Hawai

We spent a fun, mellow and relaxing week at Maui in early summer 2004. Stayed at the Sheraton resort - good food, great views and nice swimming pools! All of us, especially Rebecca (she's such a water baby!), had a wonderful time.

The Keys

Europe

We visited Europe during the spring (May - June) of 1998 and spent almost three weeks there. Started off with England - reliving history in London, visiting friends and relatives in Cambridge and Manchester. Then five glorious days of walking, sightseeing and eating in Paris and finally soaking up the beer and sunshine in southern Germany. We relied almost exclusively on the Internet to plan and arrange our trip. There is a huge wealth of useful information about hotels, motels, train timings, directions and such on the web now. Most of the reservations and other transactions were however done thru the phone. Here are some websites that we found useful: We also relied a lot on the LonelyPlanet series of books on Europe.

Yellowstone

Yellowstone is definitely the most interesting place we've visited in the US. Entering the park from the west entrance is like stepping into a fairy tale ! Its got everything - geysers, warm springs, vast green valleys, waterfalls, canyons ...

We visited YellowStone in the summer of 1996 and spent almost a week there. Camped, hiked and drove all around the park and also spent a couple of days in the Grand Tetons National park. Some photos here .

Grand Canyon

Its a long drive to the Grand Canyon but certainly worth it. The spectacular 1-mile deep and 15-miles wide canyon, carved by the mighty Colorado river is testimony to the power of mother nature. Some day, I hope to make the 7-mile trek to the botton of the canyon and perhaps raft the Colorado river ! Here are some photos from our trip a few years back.

Niagra Falls

One of the world's largest waterfalls. Awesome, however its become too commercial - with floodlights, watchtowers, motels and gift shops surrounding it. Check it out from the Canadian side, if you can. The boat (Maiden of the Mist) ride by the falls is kinda nice.

Yosemite

One of the nice things about living in the BayArea is its proximity to the towering Sierra Nevada mountain range. The Yosemite National Park offers a view into the grandeur of the Sierras. It includes waterfalls, towering cliffs, rounded domes and scenic meadows.

We have camped in the valley, hiked up to the foot of the waterfalls and I've even climbed all the way to the top of Half Dome ! Backpacking in the Tuolomne Meadows is next ! More snaps here

Victoria

A charming island off the coast of British Columbia that still retains its British origins - especially the gardens and afternoon tea. We spent almost a week here in the summer of 1997. We also visited Vancouver and Seattle during this trip.

The Pacific coast

The Pacific coastline, running along the west coast of California has some of the most scenic areas in the US. Route-1 snakes along this coast starting from Southern California, past the Central coast and going further up into Northern California and beyond. Its a slow, arduous route, but well worth it. A great book that describes this region is Hidden San Francisco and Northern California by Ray Riegert.

Some of our favourite spots on the pacific coast:

Photos from our trips to these locations.