September 14, 2025 by trs

In and Around DC: Activities Summer 2025

*Double rainbow over Nationals Stadium in June*

I’ve always loved summer — the warm weather, the long days, the feeling of freedom. While my own long breaks are behind me, having a daughter in secondary school still brings a welcome shift in pace each year. This summer feels especially meaningful, as I’ll be bidding for my next assignment soon, and it could be our last full one in the U.S. for some time, so I was determined to make the most of it.

*C sparkles on the ice during her June Ice Show performance*

We kicked off the summer with an unexpected event: an ice show. Last year, my daughter began figure skating lessons and quickly advanced through the Learn to Skate levels. By spring, she had progressed enough to participate in the seasonal performance — a proud milestone for both of us.

Much of her early childhood was spent overseas, in places where extracurricular opportunities were limited. Even during our year back in the U.S. for my French training, pandemic-related restrictions curtailed many activities. So, this felt like the first time she could truly take advantage of the wealth of options available in Northern Virginia — a region teeming with opportunities beyond the usual suspects like soccer, ballet, and Scouts. Here, she could explore Irish dancing, field hockey, archery, fencing, or, of course, ice skating.

Though I grew up in this area, I never knew anyone who skated. So when C chose an ice skating party for her birthday in January 2024, I was stunned to learn that eight of the twelve kids she invited had at least a year of skating experience. It struck me how much had changed — and how fortunate she was to grow up in a place where these experiences were within reach.

Watching her glide across the ice during the two-day show, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with pride.

*My sister greets guests to the Great Gatsby’s big party at Dodona Manor*

We followed up my daughter’s performance by attending another of my sister’s. Over the past two and a half years, we have had the opportunity to see her in several stage productions. Last fall, she participated in an interactive performative experience of Dracula at the historic Dodona Manor in Leesburg. This year, she played Catherine in a Great Gatsby experience, also at the manor. It was fun to wander the grounds, watching short scenes and interacting with the characters.

To satisfy our sports-watching appetites, we were invited to a Washington Spirit game by my daughter’s friend and family. Although the Spirit lost, it was an exciting match that kept us on our toes. Then we caught not one, not two, but three Washington Nationals games through the summer – one each in June, July, and August. We had our first-ever rain-postponed game in June, which delivered an amazing double rainbow over the stadium. We brought friends to the July game that ended in a spectacular win for the Nationals and evening fireworks. The Grateful Dead-themed August game ended in another loss, but we left with fun souvenir shirts. Win or lose, my daughter and I enjoy an evening at Nationals Park.

In mid-June, I invited my friend JK1 (who I served with in Ciudad Juarez and visited in Thailand and Zimbabwe) to see British comedian Sarah Millican at DAR Constitution Hall. We had enjoyed a holiday lights display with JK1 and her family the previous fall at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, but their time in DC had grown short as JK1 wrapped up her language training and they moved to Laos. I had discovered the award-winning raunchy and hilariously funny Millican about two years before; as soon as I learned she would be touring in the U.S., I bought two tickets. A great deal had happened between my purchase of the tickets in early fall 2024 and the show in June 2025; with the administration’s military parade in the capital the day after, concerns arose that the show could not go on as planned. Thankfully, Millican’s team was in touch with the powers that be and her performance was given the go ahead. JK1 and I had dinner downtown beforehand, and then laughed and laughed through the show. How I had needed that!

On July 4th, C and I ran together in a local 5K. It was C’s first and my first in a long, long time. Back when I started this blog (11 years ago now!), I used to run regularly, but I had stopped when we moved to Malawi in 2017. C had asked me recently to show her my race tees and medals and asked that we run a race together. I suggested a fall run, but she wanted something much sooner. Against my better judgment, I signed us up for one only a few weeks ago. Unsurprisingly, we were slow. But we did far better than expected, and we had a good time.

C then headed off for two weeks of camp in Pennsylvania while I held down the fort with Ramen the Cat. The day after C returned, we headed to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to attend the annual Lotus and Water Lily Festival. The park, located in the northeastern corner of Washington, D.C., was originally planted with water lilies from Maine by a Civil War veteran in the 1880s. He and then his daughter commercialized the venture when the lilies thrived in the marshy environment. In 1938, the government of Washington, D.C. bought the land to establish a park, and in 1976, the National Park Service took over its administration and started the yearly festival.

*A snapshot of the beauty of the* lilies and water lotus at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

The festival takes place each July during peak bloom. The weather was hot and humid, and the park crowded with flower enthusiasts. There are many activities available over the course of the three days from painting classes and yoga, but C and I stuck to what the majority of visitors appeared to be doing: soaking in the atmosphere and taking photographs. We spent nearly two hours there.

At the end of July, C and I made our way to the National Theater to see the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I’ve been enchanted by the Harry Potter universe since 2000, when a fellow traveler at a youth hostel in Vienna, Austria, passed along her copy of the first book before she flew home.

When we arrived to take our seats in the balcony, we were surprised with an upgrade — something that had never happened to me before in any theater. Our new spots were in the left orchestra section, barely 30 feet from center stage. Part theatrical drama, part sleight-of-hand spectacle, the performance was nothing short of mesmerizing, leaving us and the entire audience spellbound.

Before heading out on our summer vacation, C and I got in a bit of volunteer work at a local farm. Nearly two years ago, my daughter joined an all-girls Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts) troop. This past summer she worked on the Eagle-required Citizenship in Community merit badge. As part of the badge, she needed to volunteer at least eight hours with a charitable organization that supports the community. C chose to volunteer with the Arlington Food Assistance Center. For six of her eight hours, we went to JK Community Farm in Purcellville, Virginia on two Saturdays to pick fresh vegetables. I figured if C were going to do it, I should too.

*Just some of the bounty we picked at JK Community Farm*

It was hard work! We pulled and cut weeds, and harvested eggplant, cucumbers, yellow melons, tomatoes, and a variety of peppers — including bell, banana, and jalapeño. On the first Saturday, the temperature soared into the upper 80s under a relentless, beating sun. I sweated profusely, and my back ached for most of the following week — to the point where I wasn’t sure I could make it through a second Saturday. Nevertheless, we were there, and my sister and her two kids joined us. However, it was a great experience for us all, to see the kind of work that goes into growing and harvesting our food, and the importance of generosity and assistance to those in one’s community who need a helping hand.

It was another magnificent summer in Northern Virginia. It was not quite over as we had two weeks holiday overseas yet to come, but I think we once again made the most of our time posted to Washington, D.C.

July 27, 2025 by trs

In and Around DC: Activities Spring 2025

*Plentiful in a northern Virginia spring, the Dogwood is both the state tree and flower of Virginia. Once my favorite flower, until I traveled and discovered the frangipani.*

Another Spring in Washington, D.C. It is now our third consecutive year, and thus the longest I have lived continuously in the U.S. since August 2003 to January 2007. Although during that time I lived in four separate locations around the country (California, Hawaii, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.). I am not accustomed to staying in one place. I will be honest, I am developing some rather itchy feet.

I have to keep reminding myself that any travel, even local, is travel, and my daughter C and I can have adventures anywhere. These past several months have been hard, both personally and professionally, but I have tried to keep in mind that such times make it all the more important to find joy wherever you can.

We kicked off Spring with an early-season game of the Washington Nationals. The longer we stay in Washington, the bigger the baseball fans we become, and the more we associate the arrival of warmer weather with an afternoon or evening at the ballpark.

*Checking out a Washington Spirit game at Audi Field*

Continuing our streak of attending professional sports events, we went to our first Washington Spirit match in May. The same college friend who took us to a Capitals game last fall is also a Spirit season ticket holder. He and his wife couldn’t make one of the matches and were kind enough to offer their tickets to C and me. We were able to enjoy premium seating with free food and drinks throughout the match and seats close to the goal line. It was an exciting game, though the Spirit lost. The whole atmosphere of a Spirit match is infectious; we will definitely make attending more Spirit games a priority!

*Not only did my sister perform in the show—she also designed this advertisement.*

Also in May, we drove out to Purcellville to watch my sister perform in another local theater production. Being back in the U.S. has had many benefits, and getting to see her pursue this new passion has been a true highlight. This time, she played Miss Scarlett in Clue—one of my all-time favorite movies and my daughter’s favorite board game. I have a fear of public speaking, and my single attempt to try out for an improv group in college was a resounding failure, so it never ceases to amaze me that my sister does this so well.

In May, we also visited the Washington Monument. I grew up just outside of Washington, D.C., and have lived in the area several times as an adult, but I had never been inside the iconic memorial in our nation’s capital. In my defense, it has been closed to the public several times: about six months after 9/11, for over two years after the July 2011 earthquake, about three years between 2016-2019 for security upgrades and repairs, and at least six months during the COVID pandemic. With it currently open, I was determined that C and I would see it while we are living here. However, ever time I tried to secure the free tickets, they were snapped up as soon as they were released online. Unwilling to wait any longer, I booked through Viator. $25 each seemed a small price to pay to finally check this off my list.

*Left: Bronze plaque found in the Washington Monument vestibule featuring George Washington and freemasonry symbols*; *Right: A view of the Tidal Basin from the Monument’s observation deck*

In 1833, a society began collecting funds to build a monument to the country’s first president, George Washington. This would be the nation’s second monument to President Washington; last year I visited the first monument in Boonsboro, Maryland, built in 1827. Construction on the Washington Monument began in 1848; when it was completed in 1884, it was the tallest building in the world at 555 feet, 5-1/8 inches.

We lucked out with the weather during our visit to the Washington Monument. May turned out to be a chilly and rainy month, leading me to dub it “Mayvember,” but we had warm and sunny weather, despite a strong wind. It was, frankly, perfect for the incredible views from the observation deck at 500 feet.

*Left: The Military Women’s Memorial; Right: A sentinel marches in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier*

Later in May, C and I visited Arlington National Cemetery. Despite all my years living in and around Washington, D.C., I can only recall visiting once before—around 2006—and even then, I only toured Arlington House. I very much wanted my daughter to see this extraordinary place; I thought this was especially important before more information highlighting certain heroes might be removed. In March, during a process reportedly conducted to comply with a presidential executive order, some material about black, Hispanic, and female veterans was removed from the cemetery’s website. Given the incredible history of the cemetery–built on land seized from the family of Confederate General Robert E Lee and his wife, Mary Custis, the great-granddaughter of the nation’s revered first president, George Washington, and located in southern confederate territory but on the doorstep of the northern capital — it is the final resting place for some 430,000 American soldiers from all walks of life.

For a Scout merit badge requirement, C was in charge of our visit and she made sure that we saw the highlights: the Military Women’s Monument, the eternal flame, Arlington House, and the changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

*The incredible expanse of Elizabeth Hartwell National Wildlife Refuge*

C and I wrapped up our Spring 2025 activities with some short nature walks at the Elizabeth National Wildlife Refuge in Lorton, Virginia. The refuge, established in 1969, was the first federal reserve created expressly to protect the bald eagle. At the time of its establishment, bald eagles were on the national endangered list with only a few breeding pairs in the area. Today, in a large part due to the Refuge, the Chesapeake Bay area, particularly around Mason Neck, is the home of the densest breeding population of the majestic birds outside of Alaska.

We brought binoculars on our walk and were lucky to observe several bald eagles flying and fishing in the area over the Potomac River. I found it so extraordinary that just 40 minutes outside the urban environment of our nation’s capital is so much protected land.

Once again, my daughter C and I made the most of our time posted to visit and experience the wonderful places and activities on offer in the Washington, D.C. area. We are incredibly lucky to live here.

July 19, 2025 by trs

A Mini Spring Break in North Carolina

Spring Break. I do love that term and the possible adventures it opens up. For the past two years, my daughter C and I have opted to spend her Spring Break in the Caribbean, first in Grand Cayman and then in Roatan. However, this year, we stayed closer to home.

From the beginning, this year has thrown me some personal and professional challenges, so I did not have either the time or the energy to plan a big getaway. In addition, I had already taken some time off work to manage those personal challenges and did not want to be away for long in case I was needed. Still, I very much wanted and needed a break.

I opted to take only two days off, during which C and I drove south to the beautiful town of New Bern, North Carolina, to visit our long-time friends and travel companions CZ and Little CZ. The aim was simply to spend time with people who mean a lot to us and to be away from home because the whole “change of scenery” idea really does work for me.

Another perk of this trip was the drive. Like many Americans, I do love driving and the excitement of a road trip. In many of my overseas postings, road trips are often limited, so while posted in the U.S., I want to take advantage of this option. Also, to be honest, I am currently quite annoyed by plane travel. I do not yet know if this is only a temporary irritation or something more permanent.

On the Wednesday night of the Easter week, C and I packed up the car to join the rush hour commuters heading south on I-95. I do not even remember the traffic; we really did not care. We were in the car, on our way to see friends, and singing our favorite songs at the top of our lungs. We stayed in a hotel just outside Rocky Mount, NC, for the evening. I could have pushed on to New Bern that evening, but the stress of the first few months of 2025 had worn me out. The journey, even staying the night in a nondescript, but clean and comfortable, hotel off the highway, was a big part of the break. Well-rested the following morning (more rested than I had been in months), we made the last two hours to CZ’s house the following morning.

Our first day was low-key. We arrived a bit before lunch and settled in. CZ and I began to catch up. Then, we all headed out to Sara’s, a restaurant serving up hearty portions of Italian and American comfort foods. It was a lovely, warm day and we sat outside. CZ and I did some more catching up. Afterwards, we drove just a short way down the road to the Latham-Whitehurst Nature Park, where we strolled and talked along wooded paths and boardwalks. Then back to the house for more talking. I am sure C and Little CZ were catching up as well; we weren’t worried about them. They have spent so many trips together over the years, they are almost like siblings.

For our second day, we decided to spend the day visiting Edenton. CZ said it had long been on her list of places to visit, and I am a huge fan of historic towns.

**Left:** The Cupola House, a Georgian-style home built in 1758.
**Right:** A 1905 bronze teapot commemorating the 1774 political protest organized by Penelope Barker—one of the first organized acts of female political action in American history.

Just outside of town, we stopped at the Edenton National Fish Hatchery. This might seem like an odd stop, but when I visited South Dakota in 2014, I also visited a fish hatchery. That one was established by none other than the famous Seth Bullock of Deadwood fame. The fish hatchery in Edenton also has a rich history, having been established in 1898. There is a small aquarium on the premises, and one can take a self-guided walk among the hatchery ponds. Unfortunately, several of the ponds were drained and we couldn’t see the fish in those that were filled. Though CZ and I tried to make it fun, the kids were bored fairly quickly. I admit is was no where near as interesting as the one in North Dakota.

*The 1898 Roanoke River Lighthouse on the Edenton waterfront*

The town of Edenton, however, is a different story altogether. We visited the welcome center and then took an hour-long trolley tour to learn about Edenton. Our trolley guide was a chatty woman, retired from nursing, who had grown up in the town. Though new to guiding, she knew her stuff. She filled us in on both the town’s and her family’s history.

Founded on Albemarle Sound in 1712—making it the second-oldest town in the state—Edenton served as the second colonial capital of the Province of North Carolina from 1722 to 1743. Often hailed as the prettiest small town in North Carolina, Edenton may be small, but it is rich in history, with nearly every street featuring multiple sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 1782 home of Penelope Barker, the organizer of the 1774 Edenton Tea party, serves as Edenton’s Welcome Center. The 1776 Chowan County Courthouse, a beautiful example of public Georgian architecture, is the oldest courthouse still in use in the state. Lane House, the oldest house in North Carolina, is found in Edenton.

*At the Herringbone restaurant, which is located in a 19th century herring icehouse*

After the tour, we took a stroll up the main street to do a bit of window shopping. Fronted with coffee and dessert shops, restaurants, cute boutiques, and Bryum’s Hardware Store (owned by the family of our trolley guide), which has been a town staple since 1912, the compact street offers more than most towns of comparable size. We all had a nice time on the walk; each one of us bought ourselves a little something. Afterwards, we ordered dinner from the Herringbone (our guide said it is the most popular dining establishment in Edenton), and ate outside with a view of the sun setting on the waterfront. We loved our visit to Edenton!

For our final day in North Carolina, we chose another waterfront destination—the historic town of Beaufort. Established in 1713, it is the fourth-oldest town in the state and is known for its rich maritime (and pirate) history. On our previous visit with our friends, we explored the North Carolina Maritime Museum, took a silly tour aboard a replica pirate ship, and spent time at Shackelford Banks enjoying the beach and spotting wild horses. This time, we came for a late lunch before catching a ferry out to Sand Dollar Island.

Sand Dollar Island is a barrier island in the Beaufort Channel. It not really an island, but instead a sandbar, which is only accessible at low tide. And it has the highest concentrations of sand dollars (flat burrowing sea urchins) in North Carolina.

To get there, we took a 30-minute ferry ride. Along the way, a pod of curious dolphins treated us to a bit of excitement. I doubt I could ever tire of spotting dolphins. The ferry “docked,” or rather rolled up to the sandbar, and we disembarked for our two-hour visit. Already after 5 PM and the tide on the rise, we had maybe a soccer pitch’s length and a maximum of fifty feet in width of sand to explore. The water around Sand Dollar Island was only a few inches deep so one could “wade” out a few dozen feet and still have the water only up to one’s ankles, giving the impression that visitors were walking on water. Though nearly everyone was bent over double in search of sand dollars.

Being the last boat of the day, there were not many left to be found. Visitors are warned to leave the living sand dollars, though we could pick them up and hold them to feel their tiny velvety spines, like hair, tickling the palm of your hand. C and I had never before found or held a sand dollar, so this was a very special experience. Especially walking on a sandbar at sunset as warm waters lap over your feet.

*Sand Dollar Island disappearing beneath high tide as we depart*

I will admit feeling just a tinge of worry as the sun set, the wind kicked up, and the water rose, and the return ferry was not yet in sight. But soon enough, we could see the ferry puttering towards us on the horizon. As we pulled away, Sand Dollar Island was certainly thinner than when we had arrived, and would surely be completely engulfed by the sea at high tide.

We drove back to CZ’s house, giving my oldest friend and I another hour to while away in conversation. C and I started our drive back home that evening, stopping again to spend one more night away from home, extending that different scenery feeling just a little longer. Then we were back home on Easter morning.

April 17, 2025 by trs

In and Around DC: Activities Winter 2024-2025

*The frozen Potomac River from Riverbend Park in Great Falls, VA in January*

I am continuing to write of my daughter C’s and my activities and adventures while make the most of our domestic posting to Washington, D.C. Lately, I have found it a bit harder to write about what we have been up to here in the United States. While I rarely discuss politics in this blog, I feel I must acknowledge the impact recent political shifts have had on myself and how they color the way many of us experience places and travel. The activities in this post start at the end of December, before the change in the government, and end in March, a few months into the new administration. Through it all, I continue to place great importance on meaningful experiences—time for my daughter and I to be together: to be entertained, to witness great performances, to explore historical sites, and to simply have fun.

Winter is my least favorite season of the year. I often plan a getaway to a warm (or warmer) destination around the holidays, and otherwise just plan to get through the chilly days. This year, I wanted to be a bit more intentional with indoor or seasonally appropriate activities that would make it pass a bit more pleasantly.

We started our winter activity extravaganza just after our return from our winter cruise with tickets to see the award-winning Broadway production of the Life of Pi at the Kennedy Center. I read the book some 20 years before and it had such a strong effect on me I recall where I was when I read it: in Hanoi during a trip to attend a conference. I had the book with me when I went out for an evening dinner and happened to sit near a table of U.S. diplomats. As luck would have it, my daughter C had selected the book from a pile of freebies at the end of sixth grade. I knew we would both enjoy the Tony award winning play with it’s power story by actors interacting with amazing puppets. I managed to get us second-row seats and it truly was a great night out.

At the very end of December, I booked us a tour of the U.S. Capitol and the Library of Congress. C has joined an all-girls BSA Scout troop here in northern Virginia and one of the requirements for the Eagle-required Citizenship in the Nation merit badge is to visit one’s state capitol or the U.S. Capitol. I had not toured the Capitol for at least 20 years and loved the idea of visiting again with C.

*No matter the weather, the U.S. Capitol building is historically and architecturally phenomenal*

All visitors to the U.S. Capitol are whisked through the public areas of the building with quick precision. There is a 13-minute introductory film and then each group is taken to the crypt, the rotunda, and statuary hall. Sadly, the public tours do not visit either the Senate or House galleries or climb up into the dome. I was surprised by the crowds on the last Saturday of the year. The rooms are so visually rich, I wanted more time to drink it in, but we had only so much time in any given spot before we had to move along.

*The extraordinary architectural beauty of the Library of Congress*

After the Capitol tour, our guides led us along the underground passageway to the Library of Congress. I had only visited the building once before; while working at the Defense Department, I went to the reading room in search of one particular book or article. How I could possibly have forgotten the astonishing grandeur of the library, I shall never know. But, my goodness, the Library is a feast for the eyes and a bibliophile’s dream. Again, the tour just scratched the surface. Unlike the U.S. Capitol, a visit to the Library is self-guided. C and I enjoyed the information, delivered with a comedic touch, of our guide, but I surely could have spent at least another hour languidly exploring the rooms. C, perhaps not, but she did like the Library portion of the tour better.

For our January outing, we lucked out with an absolutely glorious winter’s day to head to the Building Museum in downtown Washington, D.C. Like so many other places on my list of places to drag my daughter to, I last visited the Building Museum some 20 years before. One of the best parts of the museum is its location, housed in the gorgeous former headquarters of the U.S. Pension Bureau. Its distinctive red brick exterior is very attractive, but it is really the interior, with its Great Hall complete with eight massive Corinthian columns, that sets the museum apart.

*The stunning interior and exterior of the Building Museum*

The museum educates the public on the impact of architecture, planning, and design on our everyday lives and how it can transform communities. When C asked me where we were headed, she expressed skepticism that the visit would be of any interest to her. However, she loved the Great Hall and the exhibits. The “Mini Memories” exhibit featuring souvenir buildings from around the world was right up her alley. She familiar with many of the knickknacks such as the Empire State Building in NY, the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai, Big Ben in London, or the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, all of which she had visited. She really enjoyed the Brick City exhibit celebrating iconic architecture from around the world made with LEGO Bricks. And surprisingly, she also found the exhibit on Brutalism interesting, as one can find many buildings from that unfortunate period in architecture around D.C.

C made a Philadelphia Eagles player out of LEGOs and that evening we took part in one of the most Americana of winter activities: watching the Superbowl.

*The performers allowed photos during their second encore*

In February, C and I returned to the Kennedy Center to see an exquisite performance by the National Ballet of China. The company reimagined The Nutcracker, keeping the beloved original score but giving it a fresh twist for Chinese New Year. Every scene was infused with rich cultural elements—from dancers wearing zodiac animal masks to a graceful crane dance, and striking costumes inspired by blue-and-white porcelain and decorative fans. Once again, I managed to score seats close to the stage, which let us fully immerse ourselves in the performance. I was not quite sure how C felt about it all, until she leapt to her feet to applaud at curtain call. (Sadly, this will be our last visit to the Kennedy Center until it is less politicized).

*Nosebleed seats still give one a great view of the action on the court!*

To close out our winter season adventures, we went to our first professional basketball game, cheering on the Washington Wizards as they took on the Orlando Magic. While the Wizards did not appear interested in playing defense and only found their rhythm late in the final quarter, we had a really great time. The two and a half hours flew by as we were engaged and entertained from start to finish. I have a feeling this won’t be our last live basketball game!

Winter has never been my favorite season, and, between the shifting political climate and some personal challenges, this one was harder than most—between the shifting political climate and some personal challenges. But making sure C and I carved out space for fun and good memories made all the difference. From memorable performances to D.C. highlights, we found a great mix of things to keep us busy. And now, with spring (and warmer weather) finally settling in, I’m looking forward to lighter days—both in season and in spirit.

April 3, 2025 by trs

A Quick Getaway to Philly

C and I continue to make the most of my assignment to Washington, D.C. And, well, things have been more than a little, um, odd in Washington lately, which makes it more important that we make time to enjoy the positive aspects of the area and America.

In mid-March, C’s school had a random Friday off, so I decided we would have a short getaway to Philadelphia. I had only been to the City of Brotherly Love once, at least 15 years ago. I thought it would also be fun to invite one of C’s best friends, TO, on the trip. When I was a little younger than C is now, my best friend was a girl named Jennifer who lived up the street from me. Jennifer’s mom, Debbie, was also a single mom, but she invited me on several trips with her and Jennifer. We went to Ocean City once and another time to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. My parents, maybe exhausted with four children and without much disposable income, rarely took us on trips other than to see family (and half the time our car would break down before we got out of town). Therefore, my trips with Jennifer and Debbie were really special for me. I wanted to pay that forward.

We had TO stay over the night before so we could have an early start on the three-hour drive. Half an hour into our journey, I stopped at a 7-11 and the girls stocked up on just the kind of stuff you might expect teenage girls would like to munch on while on a road trip. And I had the last hour in quiet once they crashed. I wanted them well rested for the busy day we would have ahead.

*Sunlight hits the Liberty Bell with Independence Hall outside*

After checking in early at our Penn’s Landing hotel, we headed to our first stop: the Philadelphia Mint. C is a member of Scouting America. Since she was working on her coin collecting merit badge, the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, established April 2, 1792, seemed the perfect place to visit. Photography is not allowed inside the Mint, so we had to make do without. We enjoyed reading about the history of the Mint and the production of coinage in America but our favorite part was watching the thousands of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies move through the assembly line on the massive production floor. Though for C and TO, the gift shop came a close second.

After the Mint, we tried to visit Independence Hall, but I found out it was sold out for the day. I had not expected this on a random Friday in March! A National Park ranger informed me that a limited number of next-day tickets would go on sale at 5 PM, so I set an alarm and we headed to the Liberty Bell across the street. The first time I visited Philadelphia, it was a warm September day. I remember shuffling past the Liberty Bell in a long, slow-moving queue. This time? No line at all. It took less than ten minutes from entry to standing before one of our country’s most recognizable symbols of freedom. I think C and TO appreciated seeing in person something they had studied at school. Only they appreciated it for a fraction of the time I did.

*The extraordinary Philadelphia Town Hall (from the outside)*

I got those hungry teens some lunch, then we walked downtown to the beautiful Philadelphia Town Hall. Construction started on the ornate French Second Empire-style building in 1871, and when completed in 1894, it was the tallest habitable building in the world. With nearly 700 rooms, the Philadelphia Town Hall is the largest municipal building in the United States and one of the largest in the world. Today, it is listed as a National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. This is exactly the kind of cool building I enjoy touring! But wouldn’t you know it, all tours were sold out that day. Foiled again.

On the way to our final planned stop for the day, we passed through the Reading Terminal Market, the indoor public market built under the elevated train shed of the former Reading Railroad Company (yes, the one from the Monopoly game). Here, I finally got C and TO’s attention with the sweet shop featuring popular American and imported candies. With their sweet teeth satisfied, the teens were ready to continue on with my sightseeing plan.

Widowed Betsy Ross purportedly rented two small rooms and a storefront for her upholstery shop in a building near the center of Philadelphia. A flag maker for many years, the Ross family history credits her with sewing the second official flag of the U.S. While direct evidence is thin, the legend of Betsy Ross is firmly rooted in American history, and I, for one, am pretty happy with a woman having such a place in the pantheon of historical figures associated with our democratic beginnings. It isn’t a big museum and the tour guides throughout are great; they kept C and TO interested and engaged. That is no mean feat with two teenage girls, especially ones who have already been dragged around to several historic sites for most of the day. Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel via the quaint, historic, and very photogenic Elfreth’s Alley, the oldest continuously inhabited residential street in America.

We rested a bit at the hotel before I made the girls join me at the riverfront at Penn’s Landing for a walk as the sun was setting. Then we went to the largest Wawa I have ever seen, where we all stocked up on foodstuffs for dinner. Back at the hotel, we ate and I watched television while the girls hid in the bathroom, chatting and making TikTok videos. And at 5 PM sharp, I logged on to the website and secured us tickets for Independence Hall for Saturday.

The next morning, I took the girls to an early morning guided tour of Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, an extraordinary indoor/outdoor art space of mosaics created over decades by Isaiah Zagary combining handmade tiles, pieces of donated / cast-off household items from bottles to bicycle tires, and commissioned folk art from local, national, and international artists.

Honestly, I didn’t know if the girls would like it, but I wanted to include something on our itinerary other than historic sites. But they loved the Magic Gardens! They grabbed the scavenger hunt sheets provided by the museum, ditched the tour, and explored on their own.

I really enjoyed the tour. It was about 30 minutes long, providing us with information on the artist, his inspiration, process, role in the community, and legacy, along with plenty of time to meander where we liked, though in my opinion one needs at least twice the amount of time to really take in the details (well, if you are not visiting with teens). Unfortunately, the upper floors were closed to the public. I very much wanted to get up to the rooftop.

We then walked from the Magic Gardens to the old city for our Independence Hall tour. Luckily, we arrived early (as recommended online), and when other ticketed visitors did not arrive, we were able to join the tour scheduled 30 minutes before ours.

The tour is only 20 minutes long. The building is not large, and the tour visits just the two rooms on the ground floor. Though these are, perhaps, two of the most famous rooms in U.S. colonial history. C and TO were engaged in listening to and responding to questions from the guide; they are in civics this year. For me, the space, saturated as it is in our history to create a democratic nation, felt all the more weighty in the context of current political happenings. The words of our National Park Service guide, a bilingual, mixed heritage American from Puerto Rico, to our group, made up of visitors from around the country and the world, resonated with deeper meaning. I thanked each of the NPS guides for their service.

That was our quick trip to Philadelphia. Nowhere near enough time, but a fun and important trip that I hope will be something my daughter and her friend remember.

March 10, 2025 by trs

Lancaster County, PA Getaway – Again!

*C on the historic Chiques River Covered Bridge*

Last fall, I bought tickets for an event in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. My daughter C and I had really enjoyed our previous visit to the town, and we looked forward to another trip there. Washington, D.C. has also recently been saturated in tension and uncertainty, so I needed to get out of town for a weekend.

We headed out of town on a Friday afternoon just after C came home from school. Friday afternoon driving out of D.C. can be a struggle, and so soon after the Return-to-Office order for federal employees meant the 2 1/2 hour drive took about an hour longer. But no worries, our first destination in town was Sushi Heaven, an all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant we fell in love with during our last visit. After stuffing ourselves, we headed to our hotel.

*The Cartoon Network Hotel in Lancaster*

On our last visit we stayed at the super cute Red Caboose Motel in Ronks, PA. Looking for something else unique, I reserved a room at the world’s only Cartoon Network Hotel. While I am a bit too old for Cartoon Network, and C is largely over it, we are familiar with it, and we love a unique place! Also, the hotel is well-located on one of the main drags in Lancaster, with easy access to everything we wanted to see and do. I wanted a Powerpuff Girls room, but they had all been reserved, so we had to make do with Jake the Dog from Adventure Time. No problem. The room was cute, the beds comfortable, and we had a good night.

On Saturday morning, after a much-needed lie-in, we headed to the town of Lititz for a 10:30 AM tour at the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery. On our tour, C and I had the opportunity to roll out some dough, twist our own pretzels, and learn about the history of Sturgis Pretzels. Founded in 1861, the bakery is the site of the oldest commercial pretzel factory housed in one of Lititz’s original buildings, which was built in 1784. Now, pretzels have been around a really long time. Reportedly, an Italian monk invented them in 610 AD, but those were the soft pretzels now generally associated with Germany. But the hard pretzel popular in the U.S. was invented by Julius Sturgis in 1860. The baker he worked for thought they wouldn’t sell, so Julius bought his own place, and, as they say, the rest is history.

Following the Sturgis bakery, we took a brief walk around the lovely historic town of Lititz. Members of the Moravian church from Bohemia founded Lititz in 1756, and for much of the first 100 years of its history, only congregation members could own homes in the town. Over the years, buildings of many architectural styles (48!), from colonial and federal to Victorian and Beaux Arts and everything in between. I would have liked more time to explore but C is a bit less enthralled with historic buildings and architecture than I am, it was chilly with a bitter wind that made walking unpleasant, and we we were getting hungry and had lunch plans.

*Lititz Architecture ranges from the Linden Hall School for Girls (left), the oldest girls’ boarding school in the U.S. and the Beaux Arts-style Lititz Springs National Bank (right)*

C and I made a beeline back to Lancaster and its Central Market (the continuously operated public market in America) for lunch. C may not care that much about the historic importance of the market, but she enjoyed the food there enough to personally request we return for some more goodies. We wandered past the stalls doing some “window” shopping before getting sandwiches and a whoopie pie, then nabbed a few seats at one of the few tables on the ground floor. Here we could munch on our food and people watch – where cheerleaders just out of a local competition mingled amongst locals and visitors buying from stalls with fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and meat from Mennonite and Amish farms or grabbing Thai, West African, Spanish, Caribbean, Scandinavian, or Middle Eastern bites. Then, it was back to the hotel for a little rest before the evening’s event.

I built our Lancaster return trip entirely around seeing Riverdance, the Irish dance phenomenon, at the American Musical Theater (AMT). I do not remember when I first saw Riverdance, but it was in the Washington, D.C. area some 20 years ago, and I absolutely loved it. When C and I visited Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, I took her to see the Irish dancing show, and she insisted we see it again on our next visit. I knew she would love Riverdance, so I had to get tickets when I heard they were touring again. Lancaster and its unique AMT seemed the perfect place to see it. The performance was everything I remembered and more; C loved it! I’ll certainly keep the AMT in mind for future shows.

On the last day of our Lancaster County getaway, we drove first to one of the county’s many famous covered bridges so I could do a photoshoot of C. It was chilly and C was grouchy (she is nearly every time I pull out the fancy camera) so we spent only 20 minutes. Our next and final stop was the Turkey Hill Experience in Columbia, PA. I opted for both the interactive experience and the taste lab. For the former, we laughed our way through creating and naming our own ice cream flavor, designing its box, and making a commercial. We also locked ourselves into a mock (but still cold) ice cream freezer and taste-tested several of Turkey Hills’ beverages (for free!). In the taste lab, we were able to create our own ice cream using a very delicious vanilla base and choosing between some 18 flavorings, maybe 20 dry toppings, and some 10 liquid mixes. I went with a birthday cake flavor, topped with peanut butter cups and cookie morsels. I stopped there. With the flavoring, that is! I wish I could have used more self-control when it came to eating!

We packed a whole lot into our second visit to Lancaster County! It really was just what we needed for a mother-daughter getaway.

August 21, 2024 by trs

Two Weeks in Tokyo, Part 5: Ghibli, Odaiba, and Disney

*Love locks and a view of the Rainbow Bridge on a rainy day in Odaiba*

On our seventh day, C and I spent the earlier part of the morning packing up our things and take them over to CZ’s hotel. We were checking out that day, and we wanted to leave our things at the same place for when we came back from our morning adventure: the Ghibli Museum!

Oh yes indeed, we had scored tickets to one of the most exclusive places in town, where the entrance tickets for the entire month sell out in about 15 minutes. The tickets are not expensive, about $7 for adults and $2.75 for kids, but one can only get them through an advance reservation system. The museum sells only 2400 tickets a day, or 600 for each of the four entrance times. We had hoped for the 10 AM entrance, but it was completely sold out when CZ entered the virtual queue so she snagged the 12 PM. We had just the one day and were lucky to get any tickets at all. There are also no photographs allowed inside the museum, making it all the more mysterious.

*The only place where one can take photos is the exterior of the Ghibli Museum*

We had an hour on public transport to get from Roppongi to the museum; first the subway to Shinjuku Station (the world’s second largest station and where in 1999 I got lost), then the train to Mitaka Station, where we grabbed an early lunch, and then a nice 15-minute walk to the park where one finds the Ghibli Museum. The weather was quite warm but the sky a startling blue, which made the museum, with its bright, colorfully-painted walls covered in ivy, stand out all the more. The line outside wasn’t short, but it moved quickly and soon enough we were inside. Though I understand the Studio Ghibli creators simply want their visitors to live in the moment, oh, how I wish we could have taken photographs! The museum is not large, but the rooms, including the beautiful wood lobby and atrium, are brimming with details that demonstrate the whimsy and artistry of the Ghibli animation. It was crowded and we had kids who don’t fancy lingering and reading a lot at museums. We still spent two hours there, but had we had more quiet, CZ and I could probably have spent at least another hour there.

We had another hour back by train to the hotel, then we gathered our things and caught a taxi to our hotel in Odaiba. After settling in a bit, we all headed over to the DiverCity mall. Unfortunately, the weather had turned with a light rain falling. Though it was the rainy season, we had thus far only had rain our first morning a week before. Our luck had run out.

At the mall, we visited the Unko Museum. “Unko” means “poop” and the museum is just another item in the list of the weird and silly things one can find in Japan (this is not to say that America is also not full of the weird and wonderful; it is). The museum is more about the poop emoji and capitalizes on the youth’s penchant for taking social-media-post worthy photos. It reminded me of the place C and I visited with my sister and her family in Amsterdam, the Upside Down Museum, It was kind of stupid and yet also good for an hour of silly fun.

The food court offered us a great spot for dinner before viewing the evening show of the giant Gundam Unicorn statue in front of the mall. The statue was neat but the light show a little long for what it was: the statue lights up and strobes different colors, transforms its helmet, and scenes from the animated show are projected behind it onto the mall building. Maybe it was just fine, but after days of mostly awesome sights and activities, something like this that did not quite hit the mark was a letdown. And the weather was a downer too.

One of our plans for Odaiba had been to spend the evening walking around enjoying the evening lights, including a view of the Rainbow Bridge. The increasingly steady rain put a definite damper on this and when we found the Rainbow Bridge just lit up with regular lights, we learned the colored lights are only for special occasions. Yet, perhaps it was all just fine not to have a good reason to stay out later as we had an early morning wake-up call the next day.

The alarm went off the morning of our eighth day at 4:45 AM. C and I had laid our clothes out the night before so we could just get up and get dressed and meet CZ and Little CZ at 5 AM in the lobby for a taxi over to the Toyosu Fish Market. In another stroke of luck, CZ had one the lottery to be one of the 60-100 people for the special observation tour of the famed tuna auction at the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. Even though I do not eat fish (my only seafood consumption is shrimp) and C often goes into a gag reflex when smelling fish, we were pretty excited about this opportunity.

*Massive tuna bought at auction are prepared for shipping*

Getting to the tuna auction proved a little trickier than expected as the market complex is so large. We arrived just in time to hand over our lottery tickets and join the English tour beginning at 5:30 AM. The auction is quick with most of the choicest fish gone within half an hour. From our special observation deck, we could see a few auctions in progress; the auctioneer standing on a box or a chair, excited motions as he called out prices, quick hand gestures and noting of things on a paper, the ringing of a bell when the price reached. Fish were being moved with large hooked tools, loaded onto wheelbarrows, and hauled away. It was all over by 6:30 AM. I am glad to have had the chance to see it.

*Some of the adorable robots at Miraikan*

After a break for C and I and a nap for CZ and Little CZ, we all headed over to Miraikan or the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. I had high-ish hopes for this museum but overall it was just ok. There are a lot of interactive exhibits and many were quite fun. The robots were by far the best part of the museum. However, it is also a LOT of information and it was overrun by school groups, no doubt a fantastic day trip for students. The movie shown in the large dome theater though was far too long, provided way too much information, and was hard to follow with English dialogue through provided headphones. C completely zonked out and I too may have caught a few zzzzz’s.

*Tokyo Sea Life Park: Cool design, tuna plushies (I have never seen these before but they make perfect sense for Tokyo), and a very cute pufferfish*

C and I then broke off to go to the Tokyo Sea Life Park. I have long had a thing for aquariums and have passed that on to C; we try to visit them wherever good ones are found. CZ is a diver and finds aquariums to be trying. Thus C and I grabbed some lunch and then started our trek to the aquarium. Nearly everything that could go wrong did. Though we were not all that far from the subway, the GPS led on a wildly out of our way direction that was further complicated by the continuing rain. We had to change once because of completely different train company lines and got on the train going the wrong direction. And it was a rapid service train to Tokyo Station, so it whizzed by several stations, taking us further and further from our destination. We got off at our first opportunity to try to grab a taxi. The first driver cancelled on us, probably due to the rain. The second took a while to get to us and then got lost. Apparently, it is is not just foreigners who have trouble finding the Sea Life Park. By the time we finally arrived, we had just over an hour and a half to explore. Though I am not 100% sure it was worth all that trouble, I know I would have been disappointed to miss it while in Tokyo just because it’s one of our things.

We headed back to our Odaiba hotel, reunited with CZ and Little CZ, and then took a taxi to our next destination where we would spend our final days in Japan: Tokyo Disney!

*The gates to the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel*

CZ and I love Disney! We have met up together with the kids in Paris and Florida and C and I had also visited the Disney parks in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and California; Tokyo would be our sixth and final park. This was indeed the icing on the cake for our trip to Tokyo. Wanting to make this trip truly special, CZ had sprung for the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. We had a beautiful family room with two double beds, a trundle bed, and an alcove bed, in a stunningly gorgeous hotel just across from the Disneyland entrance. We also had early entry to the Disneyland park.

We bought tickets for four days at Disney; one day at Disneyland and three at DisneySea. We figured the former had many of the rides we have been on in other parks and the early entry would give us a fighting chance to get to those that were unique. Lucky for us, it worked out that way; we were able to get on all the rides we wanted and to ride the fabulous Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast twice. DisneySea was absolutely amazing! The scale and detail of the park blew us away. DisneySea is not a large park, though the new Fantasy Springs expansion adds to its size, but the design of each area makes it feel larger. I found the Mediterranean Harbor, the Arabian Coast, Mysterious Island, and the mostly subterranean Mermaid Lagoon section for kids absolutely brilliant. The rides Aquatopia, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Peter Pan’s Neverland Adventure were my favorites.

*Highlights of Tokyo Disney–Left: Toy Story alien dessert dumplings; Center: Incredible design vistas; Right: It’s Japan so there has to be vending machines!*

On our final day in Japan, C and I hugged our friends and travel partners CZ and Little CZ farewell. C and I would head to Roppongi for one more night as we flew out of Haneda Airport, while our friends spent a bit more time at the park and then would stay their final night near Narita Airport. Just before we flew to Japan, I found out about a taiko drum performance in Roppongi the night before our departure. I wanted to squeeze in one more cultural event. Drum Tao put on a great show!

Then the next day it was time to leave. Our two weeks in Tokyo had come to an end. From Sumo wrestling to instant noodles; an Imperial Palace and an animation studio; karaoke and pocket monsters; ancient temples and modern sky scrapers; traditional tea in kimonos and a famous amusement park. We had squeezed so much into our time and yet we had run out of time, missing out on many other sights and activities. As we departed, Japan afforded us one last iconic glimpse of the country: Mt Fuji peeking through the clouds just beyond the metropolis.

Sayonara Japan! Until next time.

August 18, 2024 by trs

Two Weeks in Tokyo, Part 4: Japanese Traditions & Pop Culture

*A variety of Japanese masks at Kura Sushi in Asakusa*

On our fifth day in Japan, we were off for a morning adventure in Asakusa. Tucked away on a nondescript side street in the heart of shitamachi or Tokyo’s “low town,” one of the oldest parts of Tokyo, we found MAIKOYA, where we would be making the Japanese confectionary called wagashi. Inside and up a flight of stairs we were welcomed into a traditional world of Japanese tea. We placed our outdoor shoes in a bin and donned slippers, then shuffled into a tatami mat room. There our instructor greeted the four of us and a couple from Germany, told us about wagashi, and demonstrated how to make them. We all followed our instructor’s lead to first make a pretty little sweet that resembled a cross between a flower and a pumpkin and then we were free to make whatever we wanted for our second. I felt rather pleased with my cute turtle. My daughter made a colorful creature she named “Stevie the Mosquito.”

*Left: my handmade wagashi; Right: my preparations for the tea ceremony*

Our instructor had us pack up our wagashi and then ushered us into another room – men to one and women to the other. In our room, we each selected a kimono and then the women got to work dressing us up in them and styling our hair. Putting on a kimono, with several layers of shifts underneath the colorful outermost robe is complicated. But these pros had us dressed and hair elaborately braided and/or pinned up in no time at all. Then we returned to the previous room to learn about the tea ceremony. The instructor again gave us a cultural lesson, beautifully demonstrated the stylized preparation, then let us give our own tea a whirl. Then we enjoyed our flower wagashi with our tea. Afterward, we were free to take photos of ourselves in the kimono in one of the rooms or in their rooftop garden. This activity was one of my favorites from the trip.

We gorged ourselves on sushi and other goodies delivered by conveyor belt at the nearby Kura Sushi and then made our way over to Senso-ji; completed in the year 645, it is Tokyo’s oldest temple. We entered from the western gate, we stopped first to play a few rounds of kingyo-sukui, a traditional Japanese game where one tries to catch goldfish using a paper scoop. It is another vestige of the Edo period, but has become so popular that there is now a National Goldfish Scooping Championship.

*Left: design on the wall of the store where one can find goldfish scooping; right: C below the Kaminarimon gate lantern. I have a photo of myself there 25 years before*

At Senso-ji we took only a short time to marvel at the main hall and five story pagoda. The kids made a beeline for the drawers of fortunes; I pulled a bad fortune which told me “Everything will come out to be bad, so you should be patient.” I think it meant that if one waits long enough even the bad can become good. At least I hope so. We spent the greatest amount at Senso-ji along the Nakimase shopping street between the Hozomon Gate and the Kaminarimon Gate buying ourselves ice cream and good luck figurines.

*Our rickshaw puller takes us through the streets of Asakusa*

After exciting the complex we caught sight of some rickshaw drivers and opted for a spur of the moment 45-minute tour through the streets of Asakusa. These were traditional rickshaws pulled by Japanese men wearing traditional garb, including conal straw hats and split toed (called tabi) booted socks. It was a fun tour; our drivers (runners?) were funny and full of information. The upside is we covered more ground in a shorter amount of time. The downside is we passed sights too quickly and I realized there was far more to see in Asakusa; I could have used an extra day or three just in that neighborhood.

This was already a full day, but we were not done! Our rickshaws dropped us off at the station so we could take the above ground train across the river to the Skytree. CZ and I knew we wanted to visit one of Tokyo’s towers but had not quite settled on Tokyo Tower or Tokyo Skytree. But finding ourselves just across the river in Asakusa and still with energy to burn, the decision seemed an easy one to make. At 634 meters (2,080 feet), the Tokyo Skytree is the world’s tallest tower.

*Daytime and nighttime views from the Tembo Deck of the Tokyo Skytree*

Though it is possible to go as high as 450 meters, we chose to visit only the lower Tembo Deck at 350 meters (1148 feet). CZ had heard that the view was better at the lower deck. And with an already full day, we might only have so much energy left. Our timing was pretty great as we could observe the day turn into night and the lights of the city turn on.

*The Kikyo-mon gate to the Tokyo Imperial Palace*

Our sixth day began with a tour of the Imperial Palace gardens. The Chiyoda Palace has been the seat of the Japanese empire since 1868, but before then the site was used as the palace of the Tokugawa shogunate from 1457, at one point the largest fortress in the world. I wanted to include as many elements of Japanese culture in our Tokyo trip, and I felt a visit to a Japanese castle was a must. Tickets for the 45-minute tour of the inner compound were free, but had to be secured a month in advance. Unfortunately, this tour turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments of the vacation. As we joined the crowds in a main room for a pre-tour briefing, our guide joked that the English tour groups were always the largest. It didn’t mean so much in that room, but once we started to move en masse through the grounds, I realized the joke was not funny at all. We had somewhere between 60 and 80 or more in the group. I had flashbacks to a similarly sized tour group at the Tower of London the summer before. Like then, it was hard to keep one’s interest when constantly jostling for a space closer to the guide; unlike then, our Japanese guide did not have the voice projection of a Beefeater. It was hot and muggy; we couldn’t hear the information, the kids were bored out of their minds, and I was bummed my palace tour plan had turned out so lame. I looked longingly at the small French and Spanish groups. Surely, the Imperial Household Agency could have found another English-speaking guide or two to break up our group?

*C wanted to “Catch them all!” but I limited her to two plushies from the Pokémon Center*

No worries, lunch and a visit to the Pokémon Center cheered us up! My daughter C has been a Pokémon enthusiast since she was six years old. While other kids were memorizing dinosaurs, she poured over her Pokémon encyclopedia, learning the names, types, attacks, and evolutions of every single one. She owns many figurines and plushies, and the Pokémon Center in Tokyo, with its many exclusive items, is like a mecca for those who love Pokémon. She had been saving her allowance and gift money for months for our Japan trip, in a large part for this day. I failed to get us seats in the uber-popular Pokémon Cafe, but I could still get her to plushie heaven.

*The current iteration of the Kabuki-za where we failed to see a performance*

Afterward, CZ and Little CZ returned to their hotel to do some laundry (they had been traveling for two weeks before meeting up with us) and C and I headed to Ginza to see some Kabuki theater. Kabuki is a classical theater art form that has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and a theater has been in Ginza since 1889. Full length performances last about four hours, which can discourage all but the most dedicated theatergoers, but the theater or Kabuki-za, offers tickets for single acts. Unfortunately, despite all the planning that I put into this trip, I had the dates wrong for the performances and the theater was on a week+ hiatus. Another trip fail.

*The Studio Ghibli clock at Nippon TV HQ*

To make up for this, we walked over to the Nippon TV headquarters in the ultramodern Shiodome section of Tokyo to watch the chiming of the massive clock designed by Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki. The copper and steel Steampunk clock is three stories tall and 60-feet wall; in the front it stands on two giant bird-like talons with two additional talons jutting from the clock face. These are just a few of the many small details: there are characters that move and doors that open and even a little elevator that all play out during a 4-minute long performance reminiscent of an animated Studio Ghibli short film.

C and I then returned to our hotel to rest. We had had a busy few days and needed some downtime to prepare for more adventures in Tokyo.

August 14, 2024 by trs

Two Weeks in Tokyo, Part 3: Eating Our Way Through Chinatown and Making Noodles in Yokohama

When I said that we – my daughter C and I and my friend CZ and her son Little CZ – were spending our entire two-week holiday all in Tokyo, I may have stretched the truth just a wee bit. We had this one-day trip to Yokohama. But given the size of Tokyo and the time it took us to get to those locations, Yokohama was for all intents and purposes basically Tokyo.

By now, our fourth day, I had pretty much decided C and I had miraculously avoided jet lag. And, spoil alert, thankfully we had. (And if I did not have witnesses to the fact that C and I did not face plant early in the day our first few days, I might not have believed it either!) The day was blazingly beautiful as we set off on the hour-long train journey. Our first stop was Yokohama’s Chinatown, the largest in Japan.

We weren’t one minute into Chinatown when C and Little CZ spotted a shop displaying tanghulu, the colorful sugar coated fruits on a stick, and by the time I came back from taking a photo of the gate from across the street, they were busy munching away. Afterwards, we made it maybe half a block before we were lured into a fantastic souvenir shop with three or four floors of beautifully displayed items. A good 45 minutes later and several thousands of yen lighter, we re-emerged onto the street. And almost immediately came upon more snacks that called out to us. Little CZ spotted a vendor hand-making Dragon’s Beard candy, a concoction consisting of a floury sugar thread wound together like a small skein of yarn often referred to as Chinese cotton candy but with a lighter, more nutty flavor. Of course we got some. Then the kids needed bubble tea and I found myself wooed by a jian zhu dousha bao or porcupine bun with red bean paste, a deep-fried steamed bun filled with sweet red beans. Sooooo good. We had woefully misjudged the time we would need to explore this area. Unfortunately, we had an appointment to keep, so we had a Chinese lunch (yes, we ate again) and made our way quickly to our next destination: the Cup Noodles Museum.

*Yummy Chinese snacks: on the left the vendor showcases his dragon beard’s candy and on the right are my just-from-the-fryer-and-about-to-be-devoured porcupine buns.*

I expect it might be at least a little weird that we planned our whole Yokohama trip around a visit to a museum dedicated to instant noodles. Or maybe not? After all, Japan is full of weird and wonderful things that attract many a local and tourist alike. Noodles are certainly not a Japan-only phenomena; in fact, the food court in the Cup of Noodles Museum is dedicated to the celebration of noodles from around the world, but ramen is a Japanese word that has stuck and instant noodles were invented in Japan. And my daughter might have a particular love for Japanese ramen, instant and otherwise. After all, she did name her cat Ramen…

First up, we had reserved a 90-minute “Chicken Ramen Factory” experience. The name sounds a bit silly, but it’s basically a noodle making class. We each donned a bright yellow chicken handkerchief on our heads, were instructed to wash our hands thoroughly, and were collected by our chicken ramen teachers to begin our foray into the wonderful world of chicken ramen.

*Cup of Noodles Museum, Yokohama; left: clandestine photo of chicken ramen factory; right: a wall of instant noodles*

For some reason, CZ and I were separated from C and Little CZ. Maybe it was because we were the last to roll into the noodle factory kitchen or maybe the noodle masters like splitting up foreign families? Or, as I mostly suspect, the guardians of the Cup of Noodles cooking operation realize that the foreign kiddos will get the techniques down much faster than their elders. It became fairly apparent soon into the process that the English-speaking noodle coach assigned to CZ and I found our skills wanting. She kept a smile on her face and a bright, chirpy voice, but kept repeating instructions like “Pound the dough more.” or “Turn the handle more faster….No, more faster.” At the next table over, our kids were routinely ahead of us. We were maybe not failing at Chicken Ramen Factory, but we were barely getting by. We also tried to take photos, not knowing this is apparently verboten, further disappointing our chicken ramen guru.

All in all it was a fun activity and our instructor’s frustration with our lack of chicken ramen talent (by her standards!), only made it more fun. At the end we were loaded up with our own handmade chicken ramen package, three other ramen packages, and we got to take home our bright yellow handkerchiefs.

The rest of the museum was a bit of a letdown. It was designed rather like a modern art museum with cavernous rooms with little in them: an all-white plaster (?) rendering of a Cup of Noodles cup with an explosion of artistic white noodles hanging from the ceiling, for example. Still, it was enough for another 30 to 45 minutes before we emerged back on the street.

Across the street, Yokohama Cosmo World, a small amusement park with a giant ferris wheel beckoned to us. We had to check it out. Through attractive from a distance, we did not stay long. The ticket process was more complicated than it could have been: one had to buy paper tickets for each ride, much like what I remember from traveling carnivals in my youth, but we found some machines not working (or we couldn’t figure them out). In the end we road only the pink coaster and decided to pass on the wheel and the air cabin.

*View of Yokohama from a water taxi in the bay*

Instead of just walking to a train station to return to Tokyo, we opted for a 15-minute ride on the water taxi from Shinko Pier to Yokohama Station. In the Yokohama Bay Quarters shopping center we had dinner at Kua’aina, a Hawaiian burger joint, then took the train the hour back to Roppongi where we wrapped up our day with an hour of karaoke in our own private family room. Another successful day in Tokyo!

August 11, 2024 by trs

Two Weeks in Tokyo, Part 2: Sumo, Great Waves, and Harajuku Culture

*C faces off against a sumo wrestler in the ring*

My daughter C and I were up around 5 AM on our second full day in Tokyo. Early, yes, but still far better than I expected so early in a trip half way around the world. I made sure C had some breakfast goodies from a nearby convenience store and I took an early morning of walk over to Tokyo Tower. I returned in good time and we met CZ and Little CZ at the Roppongi metro station where we hopped on a train to the Sumida district.

*One of the several sumo wrestler statues on the street near the famous Kokugikan stadium in Sumida*

We were heading there to take part in a lunch with sumo wrestlers at the Yokozuna Tonkatsu restaurant. The Sumida district is famous for sumo wrestling. Japan’s first sumo tournament was held here in 1768 and the stadium there continues to host three of the six Grand Sumo tournaments held each year. Many professional sumo wrestlers live and train in the area as well.

We had a little over an hour to kill before our lunch and wrestling show began at 11:00, so we walked up to the Kokugikan stadium, where the grand sumo tournaments take place. I was on the hunt for the sumo wrestler statues I had heard dotted the area. I wish I could say the walk was pleasant, but the temperature was quite warm and Sumida district exuded an almost-deserted feel on a Saturday morning, a sharp contrast from the hustle and bustle of Roppongi. The biggest bit of excitement was when I finally found the statues and when two young, but of course very large, sumo wrestlers came into a convenience store where we were buying drinks. Their presence caused a bit of a stir, not only with us but also the Japanese patrons, but they were not particularly friendly.

We arrived just in time for our sumo lunch. The food, a traditional tonkatsu or breaded fried pork cutlet, rice, and miso soup, was not particularly to our liking, but the fact that it is often served to sumo wrestlers and at this restaurant the meal is cooked by retired sumo wrestlers made it more special. However, it was the after lunch entertainment we were here for. During lunch, the restaurant showed a short film on sumo and then brought out two of their retired professional wrestlers to explain the key rules and procedures of the sport and give live demonstrations. Then, we the lunch-goers, had the opportunity to don hilarious suits and step into the ring. My hand shot up first, much to the amusement of my daughter and Little CZ. Following my triumphant (and silly) attempt, they also agreed to get into the ring. All in all, it was great fun.

We stopped next at the museum dedicated to Sumida Hokusai, the Edo-era ukiyo-e or woodblock print artist whose work “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” is one of the most recognizable paintings in the world. Hokusai was born in and lived the majority of his 90 years in the district that now takes his name. We spent about an hour here. Though both C and Little CZ were familiar with the famous Great Wave painting and found some interest in the comic-like woodblock prints of Hokusai and a few of the interactive displays, the museum involved far more reading and staring in wonder at art works than a 10 and 12 year old were prepared to give, especially with so much more to see in do in Tokyo awaiting them. Truth be told, the museum exhibits use up only two floors of the building and CZ and I were also ready to move on to more sightseeing.

The original plan had been for C and I to return to our hotel after the museum; I had been quite sure that by that time we would either be succumbing to jet lag or dangerously close to doing so. Yet again, surprisingly, we were not. With the Sunday weather forecast including rain, we decided to join CZ and Little CZ on a jaunt to preview some of Harajuku’s culture ahead of our planned visit the next day.

*Left: Rainbow grilled cheese; Center: Entrance to Takeshita Street; Right: Plastic models of scrumptious crepes*

We made a beeline to the most famous part of Harajuku, Takeshita Street, where we would find many of the wild, wonderful, and wacky parts of Japanese youth culture. C desperately wanted to check out the fashion stores and quickly disappeared into one, but we dragged her out soon enough to have some snacks. First up were some of Harajuku’s famous crepes that have been filling up customers on Takeshita Street since the 1970s. Unlike French crepes, the Japanese crepes are thinner, crispier, stuffed full of goodies like fresh fruit, whipped cream, syrup, and ice cream, and wrapped up like cones so they can be eaten on the go. Oh my were they good. We followed up the sweet with the savory, chowing down on some breaded rainbow cheese, which was just okay.

*C in front of the Torii gate to Meiji Shrine and a selection of the sake barrels donated to Meiji*

We then spent a good hour in one of the ubiquitous toy capsule stores spending coins like there was no tomorrow. CZ and I found it nearly as addictive as the kids! Then we meandered over to Meiji Jingu, one of the most important Shinto shrines in Tokyo. It is an oasis of green forest in the middle of the world’s most populous city; there are over 100,000 trees of some 230 varieties planted over 170 acres. I wanted some space, tranquility, and more muted colors after the crowded, color explosion of Harajuku. We spent maybe 20 minutes there, but after so many hours of walking, we opted to call it a day. I thought we might get back to Meiji again the following day, but alas, we did not.

It was rainy on Sunday morning. I had forgotten that June was Japan’s wettest month and in all the travel planning had failed to check this key bit of information. Having already covered some of Harajuku the day before though, we had the flexibility for a later start. Off we all went to Shibuya on the bus. We were already getting a good handle on Tokyo’s massive public transportation network and felt, rightly I think, pretty proud of it.

*Great view of the Shibuya Scramble from the Starbucks*

We first stopped at the famous statue of Hachiko, a real dog who waited faithfully each day outside of Shibuya Station even many years after his owner died. It is a beautiful story of loyalty and unconditional love that has made Hachiko one of the most famous dogs in the world, nearly 90 years after he passed away. We then made our way across to the Shibuya Scramble, the famous spot where seven roads converge and traffic lights signal for all pedestrians to cross at the same time. Though there are several vantage points to watch the crossing, we chose the Starbucks. The price of admission to the viewing windows was a green tea latte for myself and a cookie for C.

We leisurely made our way on foot back to Harajuku by way of another lost hour in a toy capsule store and a lovely ramen and tea lunch at a small mom and pop shop. Once again on Takeshita Street, we had a little time for window shopping and people gawking, before arriving at Harry’s Harajuku Terrace for our 2 PM appointment with the hedgehogs, chinchillas, and otters of this animal cafe.

There are many, many, MANY animal cafes to choose from in Tokyo. Initially, C had really wanted to visit a dog cafe with Shiba Inus, but we realized that was far too vanilla a choice from the options available. Should we see owls? Snakes? Fennec Foxes? As we were planning, I sent CZ a message of this particular cafe in Harajuku and within minutes of sending it she called. She didn’t even say hello, only “OTTERS!” And thus our decision was made. Though the hedgehogs were very cute, C and I had had our fair of experience with wild hedgehogs in Malawi, so they were not all that new for us. The chinchillas were adorable, but Harry’s limited the interaction with them. The otters were indeed the stars of the day. In our special interaction period with them (for an extra fee) they could not have given a fig about us; they just wanted their treats and we were merely in the way. But it was still a great experience.

*Today’s purikura turned my daughter into an anime-like character*

After Harry’s, CZ and Little CZ broke off for their own fun while I took my daughter C to the Purikura booths. “Purikura” is short for purinto kurabu (or “print club”), which are very popular photo booths where one can make all sorts of stylized photos. This is *not* the US version of the four poses, four printed photos booths. This is so, SO much more. Purikura had been a big activity when I lived in Japan in the late 1990s. Then though, you or you and a friend or a group of friends would have your photo printed on a variety of backgrounds to make mini stickers to share. Now, I found the photos and editing options are incredibly advanced. We struggled to figure out the process with the Japanese instructions, but C still had a fun time with it.

*Dinner is served! My delicious hamburger steak with grilled miso cream cheese*

Then we were off to meet my friend Koki, who had been my big’s big in my college’s co-ed service fraternity. Since college, Koki and I had met only one other time, around 1998, when I spent two weeks in Tokyo attempting to learn Japanese. Yet, I recognized him immediately. The three of us had dinner at Niku no Mori, a very small traditional counter service restaurant specializing in the very popular Japanese hamburger steak. It is more like an American meatloaf, usually cooked with onion, egg, and panko crumbs, and served over rice. Niku no Mori offered it also with a grilled miso coated slab of cream cheese.

I really enjoyed catching up with Koki over dinner and then he walked with us along Takeshita Street while C did a little Japan-style thrifting. We said goodnight to Koki at the train station and C and I returned to the hotel.

Day 3 in the books and still no real jet lag to speak of…

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