The High One, Alaska

One major source of pride for Alaskans is that North America's tallest summit is located near the south central heart of our non-continental state.  On clear days, the mountain can be seen from Anchorage rising from the northern horizon.  It's a lucky day when you can spy The High One, something that is usually put down as one's Facebook or Twitter status.

The Summit, Mount Denali, Alaska

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This is the view from 11,200 meters (37,000 feet).  The summit rises 6,134 m (20,320 ft) above the surrounding Denali National Park and Reserve.  From the air, the mountain is massive.  The captain addresses the comm and announces the arrival of the granite pluton, to the delight of passengers.  It surpasses the view from the window.  I've seen many airplane views, yet this one located so close to home base never ceases to amaze.

DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM, London

Any time a film wants to establish that the locale is truly London, all the director has to include is a shot of the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster. The same could be said for a traveler wishing to convey the location of one's holiday.

Big Ben, Palace of Westminster, London

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It's a bit of a misnomer that the clock, clock tower, or even the attached Houses of Parliament are labeled 'Big Ben.'  In fact, the source of the nickname is...

A bell.  The Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster is supposedly named after either civil engineer Benjamin Hall, 1st Baron Llanover (who oversaw the installation of said bell) or boxing heavyweight champion Ben Caunt (a bare-knuckle boxer).

Yes, it is cliché to have a photo with, just as La Tour Eiffel or Il Colosseo for Paris and Rome.  Yet, as one exits the Jubilee Line at Westminster from the Tube, the famous tower dominates the sky over the underground entrance.  As the world's largest chiming four-faced clock tower that just celebrated its 150th anniversary shortly before this photo was taken, I say cheers!

Kihei, Maui

One year ago I was flying first class on Alaska Airlines for a week with my little sister Maria and Olive's family for a pre-school break to Maui.  Olive's dad's boss owns a condo right off South Kihei Road, with easy access to Kamaole Beach II.  I had previously spent three Christmas holidays on Maui, but always in Lahaina.  Kihei is located on the south side of Maui, with hardly any precipitation being on the leeward side of the Haleakalā summit.

Condo pool, Kihei, Maui

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It was a bit windy, but humid and hot enough to enjoy the closing of our summer.  Having a local swimming pool was also fantastic, as it was easy to bring along a towel to lay out on and snorkel gear to practice for the ocean.

As you can see, I was pleased.  Also, a little bit special.  Must have been the rum.

Stone Woman, Belize

I like climbing objects or ascending skyscrapers. The feeling of accomplishment standing atop a precipice and drinking in the surroundings is astounding.  I stand at the edge when most people hold back.

Top of El Castillo, Xunatunich, Belize

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The second tallest structure in the country of Belize, El Castillo is a pyramid around 40 meters (130 feet) above the square mile Mayan site core. From the summit, one can view the lush countryside of Guatemala to the west and Belize to the east.  Climbing the Castle involved well-worn stairs (constructed in three stages from 700 - 900 A.D.) barely wide enough for two feet to stand on.  There were no guard rails nor any glass to protect from the elements.  It was the most freeing feeling.

Until my mother shouted for me to step back, SO HELP ME Dios mío ¿Por qué es mijo tan tonto?  She always knows how to bring me back from the ledge.  Or rather, how to crush my independence.

Ville de lumière, Paris

Again the internet connection around The Palace has been a downright red-headed stepchild.  It acts as though we do not pay the bill in a timely manner and lock it in the crawlspace with the local orphans to be gnawed on by the local shrew population.  It's becoming very exhausting to unplug the router for five minutes, ding the wireless connection from the laptop, and sacrifice a dead chicken killed under a new moon with a pure silver scythe on a funeral pyre built from centaur tail hairs.  Do you know how hard it is to track down centaurs in the Forbidden Forest?

So to center myself, or unlock my chi, or feng shui my chakra, I've been staring at this lovely view and imagining the sun bearing down on my face.

View from Notre Dame, Paris, France

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I truly love any city with an underground transportation system.  Although I've navigated a vehicle from Lisbon to Morocco, the ease of a subway or the like reduces my stress factor by 60 percent.  On this holiday to Paris, I was able to show my little sister all the iconic landmarks she wanted to see in eight hours.  I accredit this success to the Métro and RER.

This photo faces southwest Paris from the top of Notre Dame de Paris.  It was a perfect day, the temperature hovered around 25C (75F) well into the evening, and only a few clouds languished across the sky.  I took pleasure in showing Maria the landmarks from the towers.

PS: I showed this photo to a few coworkers and one mentioned he had seen it before, pulling out his copy of Frommer's Guide to Paris.  It's also on their website, but I think mine has a little more pizazz.

Team America World Police

Scene: Rehashing the previous night's events of barhopping.

Roommate Ivor: "Do you remember dancing around in just your unders?"

Me: "You mean my boxers?  You know, in some parts of the world those are considered shorts."

Ivor: "Well, this ain't Europe, this here 'Merica!"

Me: "Thank you, George W."

Camel Cupcakes, Chiba

The reason I started reading blogs again was because I stumbled upon the Bloggie Awards 2009.  Under the Travel section was one with an unusual name: Camels and Chocolate.

The writing was compelling and the photos fantastic.  Here was a fellow world traveler who decided to share her experiences, and I immediately read the whole website in one sitting.  Kristin Luna had the dream job, traveling and documenting every step of the way.  Camels and Chocolate was honored as the best travel blog in 2009 and 2010, which is well deserved.

I first commented when she posted a questionnaire about her readers.  Great way to get to know who was reading her blog.  I brought up the story of how my mother would see Kristin's site when I visited my parents' house, and how she could ask if I was 'visiting that camel cupcake site again.'  I thought it was hilarious.  So did Kristin when she read it, and we exchanged a few emails.  I told her advice on how to enjoy Ibiza without the club scene, and we bonded over the FIFA World Cup.

In her latest post about her amazing wedding, there was a shout out for Camel Cupcakes.  I felt honored and delighted that an offhand observation my mother had about a pink website stuck.  So as such, I have a photo that I think Kristin would enjoy.

Arabian Coast, Tokyo DisneySea, Chiba, Japan

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Here's to Camel Cupcakes, mighty delicious and maybe a little sandy.