Travel
Crossing the border between Honduras and Guatemala. We were visiting the Mayan ruins at Copan, Honduras.
One of the street markets in Antigua, Guatemala
My teacher and I in a Spanish Language school in Antigua, Guatemala
Pyramid in the Mayan capital of Tikal
Crusader castle in Turkey. Appears in my book SHADOW OF THE DAGGER.
The Topkapi Palace in Istanbul was the home of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire
Ephesus was the principal Roman city in Asia Minor -modern day Turkey
London, the Thames, and Big Ben are must-see sights in England's capital.
Westminster Abbey - site of coronations and royal weddings, and funerals
Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain in southwest England
William Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon
Hadrian's Wall separated the Romans from the Picts, near the present-day border between England and Scotland.
Ireland - Blarney Castle - the Blarney Stone is at the top of the castle.
After climbing to the top, I kissed the Blarney Stone
The horse-drawn cart is the best way to experience beautiful Kerry, Ireland.
The Eiffel Tower gives a great view of Paris and Mont Matre. At night, you can see why it is called 'The City of Lights.'
Notre Dame Cathedral is the center of Paris and of France
The Palace at Versailles - just outside Paris
One of the restaurants in the Latin Quarter, Paris
The Trevi Fountain in Rome. I threw in my 3 coins, and my wish did come true.
The Spanish Stairs in Rome. The poet, John Keats, lived in an apartment in the building on the right.
The Coliseum in Rome
The Grand Canal in Venice
Pisa, Italy
Portofino, Italy
Germany - Our B&B in Rothenburg ob der Tauber was over 500 years old.
We celebrated an anniversary (June 11) at King Ludwig's fairy tale castle at Neuschwanstein in Germany.
Lunch at the Hofbräuhaus in Munich
The 'Eagle's Nest', Hitler's Alpine retreat
Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head
The Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu
The Hale Koa is the Army's beautiful hotel on Waikiki Beach.
Sailing off of Diamond Head
The Great Wall of China
The Forbidden City, Beijing
Imperial Summer Palace, Beijing
Riding a camel in the Australian Outback
Ayers Rock, Australia
Bondi Beach near Sydney, Australia
Sydney Opera House, Australia
The koalas really are as cuddly as they look.
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
The 'Hanoi Hilton' prison in Hanoi. John McCain and other American POWs spent years in this prison.
Rice farmers and water buffalo, Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh mausoleum in Hanoi
Drying rice on Highway 1 near Hue, Vietnam
Marble Mountain in Da Nang. Larry was stationed there during the Vietnam War.
Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto, Japan
Inside the Korean royal palace in Seoul
Nam Dae Mun Market in Seoul
Gate to the Royal Palace in Seoul, Korea
The 9 subway lines in Seoul are the best way to get around the city.
Korean Folk Village
Palace guards in traditional military uniforms.
Panmunjom is in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. The white building is in North Korea.
We met this bagpiper in the Scottish Highlands. I thought his kilted military uniform was most impressive. We were thrilled by his bagpipe playing.
In the Scottish Highlands, we saw many of the cuddly-looking Highland Cows.
Eilean Donan Castle at Dornie, Kyle of Lochalsh, was a major attraction on our way to the Isle of Skye.
Granada, Spain - The Alhambra was the home of Washington Irving in 1829 and inspired one of his most colorful books.
In our hotel in Toledo. We were across the street from the Alcazar of Toledo, the palace of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
Tangier, Morocco. We enjoyed a wonderful, traditional lunch in the Kasbah in Tangier.
These Moroccan snake handlers appeared fearless when handling the venomous vipers. Not my cup of tea.
Every fan of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade will recognize this tomb at Petra in southern Jordan.
Israel - This well at the gate of the ancient city of Beersheba is believed to be the well where Abraham made a treaty with Abimelech in Genesis 21:25-33.
This mountain-top fortress at Masada held out for a 3-year siege by the Roman Sixth Legion under the leadership of the Zealots led by Eleazar Ben-Yair. Just standing in the fortress brought chills to my spine.
Cruising the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus fished with his disciples and began his earthly ministry, was an awesome experience.
The Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus spent the last evening praying before his trial and crucifixion.
The Wailing Wall or the Western Wall is the only remaining structure of the Temple in Jerusalem, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
The Garden Tomb near the site of Golgotha is believed by many to be the tomb where Jesus was buried after his crucifixion and from which He arose on Easter Sunday.
The Alaska Highway crosses from Yukon Territory, Canada, into Alaska in the midst of a vast, beautiful mountain range.
Denali (Mount McKinley) was shrouded in clouds during the three days we were there, but we got breathtaking views from this twin-engine airplane.
Denali is the tallest mountain in the Western Hemisphere.
Boating on a glacier lake near Anchorage, Alaska
The Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, Alaska, is over 13 miles long.
Amsterdam is a city of canals and bridges. This was right next to our hotel.
Amsterdam, Holland. Bicycles seem to outnumber people.
Inside the Van Gogh Museum. In this art museum and the Riksmuseum, we saw art by the Dutch Masters that we had only seen in books. Rembrandt was one of my favorites.
This windmill at Zaanse Schans is over 400 years old and still operates - a marvel of engineering.
The cheeses we sampled at this cheese factory in Volendam were scrumptious.
Wooden shoes made in this factory are still worn daily by a large percentage of the Dutch people. They are especially favored by Dutch farmers when working in the soggy fields.
Walking the streets of Tallinn, the beautiful capital city of Estonia, was like taking a giant step back in time. The well-preserved medieval architecture of Tallinn reflects the pride the Estonians have in preserving their culture.
The Peterhof Palace was designed by the Russian Tsar, Peter the Great, to rival Versailles and the opulent palaces of Europe.
The Peterhof was completed by the Russian Empress, Catherine the Great, and showcases the craftsmanship of Russian and European artisans.
The fountains at the Peterhof Palace flow into the Gulf of Finland - seen in the background.
All the Russian Romanov Tsars from Peter the Great to Nicholas II are entombed in the ornate Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg.
The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was fatally wounded in 1881. It was financed by the imperial family.
The sailing ships in the harbor of Stockholm are reflective of the Viking history of the Swedes.
The City Hall in Stockholm, Sweden, hosts the formal dinner for the Nobel Prize winners.
The bronze Little Mermaid statue in the harbor of Copenhagen, Denmark, is a major must-see for tourists as well as the Danes.
Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark, built in the early 1600s, is the home of the Danish crown jewels.
Voyager of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, is behind me in the harbor of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI. We visited seven islands in the Caribbean from Puerto Rico to Barbados. Each island has its own flavor reflecting influences from Spain, Britain, France, Denmark, and African cultures.
Magens Bay on the north side of St. Thomas, USVI, is a popular swimming beach and only a few hours' flight from the snow in north Texas!
Marigot Harbor on the French side of Saint-Martin. The island is in two countries. The French side (north) speaks French and English, and the south side is named Sint Maarten and speaks Dutch and English. Both sides reflect the culture of their mother countries as well as their African heritages.
Our visit to St. Kitts also gave us the opportunity to tour Nevis, the other island that makes up this small country. Although King Charles III is recognized as the constitutional monarch, the island federation is self-governing, but the King does have executive authority, and his approval is required for all actions of the island's Parliament. The country has the Atlantic on its eastern beaches and the Caribbean Sea washing its western beaches. The scenery was beautiful.
At the left of this photo, near the southern end of Saint Kitts, you can see the Atlantic Ocean, and on the right is the Caribbean Sea. Nevis is in the background behind our heads.
Enjoying watching the sunset from the veranda of our hotel, Sheraton Old San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico, overlooking the harbor.
Celebrating St. Valentine's Day at a restaurant on Luquillo Beach in Puerto Rico.
Hiking in El Yunque National Rain Forest, Puerto Rico, offered incredible views of tropical birds, wildlife, foliage, rivers, and waterfalls.