Cape Town, S. Africa
I talked about Cape Town in my earlier review of South Africa. A few facts: second-most populous city in South Africa; famous for its harbor and well-known landmarks Table Mountain and Cape Point; National Geographic listed Cape Town as one of the most iconic cities on the planet and "Places of a Lifetime". I loved the feel of this city. Its a major destination for immigrants an expatriates.
Chimayó, New Mexico
Chimayó is located in northern New Mexico - between Sante Fe and Taos - and was founded by Spanish settlers in the 17th century. Its a quiet town known for its talented weavers, red chile, and the Santuario de Chimayó. Chimayó is believed by many to be the site of a miracle which occurred about 200 years ago. Because of this a chapel was built in 1816 called el Santuario de Chimayó. This chapel is the destination of thousands of pilgrims and travellers each year, some hoping to be healed, some just curious, and some hoping to be restored spiritually by the surroundings. Another local establishment, Rancho de Chimayó, has been serving traditional New Mexican dishes since 1965 - and is a favorite of my family. My grandparents celebrated their 50th anniversary here in 1970.
Catalina Island, California
Catalina, or Santa Catalina Island, is located off the coast of Southern California. just 22 miles south-southwest of Los Angeles. Catalina Island is the only island in the Channel Islands chain that has a significant permanent population - city of Avalon and the unincorporated town of Two Harbors. There are several boat companies that provide service to the island, or you can splurge and take a helicopter. The waters around Catalina are home to the Garibaldi, the California State marine fish. My son and I visited here in 1990 and found it to be a beautiful island with many good restaurants and lots of water activities - diving, glass bottom boat tours, etc.
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
Ah, another New Mexico favorite - this time in the southern half of the state. If you ever get the chance ... this is definitely worth the visit. The Caverns were designated as a National Park in 1930. and contain over 80 separate caves. They offer self-guided tours, docent led tours, and expanded cave excursions. One of the more fascinating things about Carlsbad Caverns are the bats. Each night at sunset, between April and October, nearly 1 million Mexican Freetail bats leave the cave in gigantic swarms. This begins with a few bats fluttering out of the natural entrance to the cavern, then, in a matter of minutes, a thick swarm of bats spirals out of the cave into the night sky. The exodus can last 20 minutes or as long as 2.5 hours. Once out of the cave, the mass of bats flies towards the Pecos and Black River valleys. There they begin gorging themselves on moths and other night-flying insects. The return of the bats at sunrise is also fascinating to watch as they hover high above the cave, fold in their wings and plummet into the cave with a buzzing sound.
Cincinnati Zoo, Cincinnati Ohio
I am a fan of a good zoo, and have been to many in my life. But this one has eluded me. The Cincinnati Zoo is ranked among the top in this country, both for visitor appeal and for its conservation programs. Once in Cincinnati for your visit to the zoo, take in a Reds or Bengals game, or visit King's Island amusement park.
Costa Rica
Another location high on my list of places to visit. Here you can ride a zip line through the rainforest canopy, lie on the beach, or scout for the many varieties of butterflies, birds or orchids. From crocodiles and sharks, to turtles and toucans, the wildlife variety is amazing.
Chicago, Illinois
My son, mother and I were here in 2003 for the US Open. It was played at Olympia Fields Country Club, just south of Chicago. While that was an interesting experience, it was the few days after that were even more fun. We spent time in downtown Chicago - from Navy Pier, to Shedd Aquarium, to Soldier Field. Then mom went home and the boy and I headed north to Six Flags Great America. What fun!
Chincoteague Island, VA - Chincoteague ponies
This is another interesting place - more for it's historical event than the location itself. Legend says that the 'chincoteague ponies' arrived on the islands when a Spanish galleon with a cargo of wild mustangs sank off the coast. The surviving animals swam to shore and are the ancestors of today's herds. These wild herds can be seen in numerous locations on both Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. Each year the ponies are herded and swam across the channel for the Chincoteague Pony Swim and Auction.
Corning, NY
There isn't much I recall about Corning, except for the way we got here. I was in junior high, and we were living in Maryland. We'd planned a week-long trip to New York. It was Friday night - the car was packed up, we'd eaten dinner, and the family was sitting around the living room. Suddenly my Dad gets up out of his chair and announces that we are leaving now! So, after some grumbling, we pile into the car and off we go. We drive through the night to Corning New York. We had planned to tour the Corning Glass Factory, but for some reason they weren't open when we arrived - AT 6 AM!!!
Chesapeake Bay
This is the largest estuary in the country. The Bay is approximately 200 miles long, and sits between Maryland and Virginia. What I remember best about the Bay is the fresh blue crab that we could buy along the shore. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is an architectural wonder - its a double span bridge, over 4 miles long.
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