Carol and I met up with friends for part of our Australia trip we took last November. It was really three trips in one as we spent 19 days traveling to Australia's exotic "Red Center", then taking a coach north to King's Canyon and Alice Springs, then off to Port Douglas via a stopover in Cairns and Kuranda. While in Port Douglas, the Great Barrier Reef offered a water wonderland as we snorkeled 6 separate reef sites over two days and took day trips to Mossman Gorge and Daintree National Park ending at Cape Tribulation. The trip ended in Sydney where we toured the Opera House, scaled the enormous Sydney Harbour Bridge and ferried across the harbour to Manley Beach. These travels took us to exotic locations within the continent and unforgettable sights.
The whole Keyes clan travelled to California's wine country in August 2015. Along the way, we ziplined, kayaked, hiked California's redwood forests and coastal headlands and naturally, sampled vintage wines. Wine country in the Dry Creek Valley region was a fascinating endeavor that educated us about California's sustainable growing practices and biodynamic farming. Carol and myself ended the trip with a short stay in San Francisco touring Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf and Chinatown.
Carol and I crossed Madison off our list of home away from home visits by visiting the capital city last October. Like our trip to Duluth in one unfortunate way was the unseasonably cold weather. But there was the warmth of the hot food served up by vendors at the Farmer's Market on the capital square to keep things cooking. And touring the brew pubs around town also kept us busy. And of course, a visit to Babcock Hall and its refreshing ice cream was also a must. All in all, a wonderful trip that ended with a tour of the world famous Arboretum.
A trip to Duluth had been on our list for some time. We always seemed to migrate to southern Minnesota for our annual "get out of town for Labor Day" excursion but this time we wanted to get a taste of craft breweries and the town haunts. Duluth was a great visit as we spent time on the water in an excursion vessel and driving the skyline parkway to get great aerial views of the city, among other things.
Our trip to Costa Rica brought together two couples in a remote section of the country as well as a jaunt to Costa Rica's biggest city with driving through mountain passes in between. Carol, myself, Bruce and Diane Keyes parted during a cold Midwest February to explore this lush, inviting and sometimes dangerous democratic Central American country. The danger is in the natural environment which roams free and wild the way it should be in this exotic land of rushing rivers, dense forests with poison dart frogs, peccaries and tapirs as well as birds and flowers of extraordinary beauty, among other things. The Osa Peninsula captivated us with the diversity of flora and fauna as well as the knowledge and patience of professional guides who took us through the Corcovado National Park and on a boating excursion to Cano Island. Driving to our Eco-friendly lodge outside La Fortuna in northern Costa Rica was much easier than anticipated due to the modernized freeway system and reliable backroads.
Carol and I have been very fortunate to have our wonderful friends Danny and Eileen embrace and host us on our visits to their home in Chapala, Mexico. They patiently informed us of the out of the way places where Mexican life "happens" and included us on many multiple day trips to exotic locales such as Tapalpa, Manzanillo and Amacuerca to name a few. Carol and I also have visited Mayan ruin sites in Cozumel and Teuchitlan, stunning art galleries and studios in Guadalajara and the oldest distillery in the Americas, la Rojena, in the town of Tequila.