sasane

Everyone should go here at least once to see the effects of the atomic bomb. As an American, I felt very awkward being there, but it was a great experience. If only more people would visit and see the relics of that horrible day…
One display is of the letters written to American presidents inviting them to visit…

Might as well go twice…
If you go when the tide is in, you get the beautiful postcard view of the Torii standing in the water. If you go when the tide is out, you can actually walk right up to the Torii and touch it. The day I was there a lot of locals were out there in the mudflat digging for clams, and we were able to walk right up and touch the Torii. Granted, it look much more beautiful from afar, but it was a powerful feeling to lay hands on it.
Nice place, i would love to go back someday…
I have also heard that there is a kayak tour in the area that can take you up close, but I have never seen it. Could just be a rumor…

I grew up around Hampton, and I must admit that it is a pretty tacky beach. NH has less than 20 miles of seacoast, but you would be much better off traveling a little further north to find a nice beach.
By the way, the photo above taken by Snowberry is a good example of the interesting houses you will come across while driving on coastal route 1. The local rumor is that the structure on top of that house is a pool and/or hot-tub, but I have never seen it up close… It is probably just a Widow’s Walk…

What else can I add to what has already been said? Go in the autumn to catch the changing leaves, you won’t regret it…

I spent my freshmen year at Alfred University in tiny little Alfred, NY. Great little party town, not much else to do there though…
The town is basically one main street with the U and the Tech on either side. Come the first snow there is a mean U vs. Tech snowball fight over control of main street…

Is it just me, or does the Paris public transport system seem to strike an awful lot?
The day I arrived in Paris, the train workers went on strike. The bus workers soon after followed, and the taxi drivers couldn’t handle the demand. This wasn’t really a bad thing, as it is really much nicer to walk a city than travel its subways, you see a lot more that way.
I can’t wait to go back again someday and spend the days walking the streets of Paris in search of the perfect crepe…

If you like crowded beaches, this is your place. If not, you are much better off spending your island time over on Koh Phan Yan. There are three islands in the area, and each has its own personality. The quick run-down goes like this:
Koh Samui-crowded, has an airport, a large buddha, and elephants. Not much else to say about it…
Koh Phan Yan- Asian paradise. Quiet island with cheap hidden beaches. Beautiful beaches, good food, not really crowded at all (in 2000).
Koh Tao- Go here to dive and drink, in that order.

Nothing to do but dive…
I was in Koh Tao back in 2000, so it may be worlds different by now, but when I went there was nothing to do but dive. That was a good thing. I ended up extending my stay there and getting additional dive certifications because it was just such a great place to hang out. Diving all day, drinking on the beach at night…
I remember sitting in my cabin on the mountainside over the beach drinking a beer and watching a storm roll in. When it storms out there, it storms good. I would love to go back and dive again someday…
Some of the fish that we saw there for reference…
Barracuda, Blue Spotted Rays, Clownfish, Sea Turtles, Very large Triggerfish, and on the day that I took off… Whale Sharks…

If you must spend a summer in Japan, work your way up to Hokkaido to escape the muggy heat.
I spent a summer up in Niseko about seven years back working as a raft guide in Hirafu. Down river twice, sometimes three times a day, hiking and biking on off days…
I would love to go back up there for a summer again someday…

The oldest Shinto shrine in Japan.
In the month of October, all the shinto gods in Japan visit Izumo Taisha, so in the rest of the country the old name for October translated as “No Gods” month. In Izumo, it was “The Gods are here” month…