whooshing

... was in May of 2004. It was windy but warm. The island is small so a week is plenty. Be sure to check out the pirate history and all the little tourist trap shops. The lighthouse is not worth the time but the historical museum is. View the video and learn the local dialect. If you are going to be on the beach, take a wind break/shelter. The best beach for shell collecting. The place is over run with whole shells. Add extra time for the ferry and check the schedules before you go.

Definitely go here during the tulip blooming season. You will see tulips you didn’t even know existed. A beautiful place to walk, too.

... was in 1981 where my second child was born. I lived here in a duplex. It was a nice place to live with good services. I didn’t know a castle was close by but I did stay at the Royal Victoria & Bull Hotel for a couple days on my way to Jeddah. Mostly I visited London for the museums and art galleries. Living here as a young mother with two children sort of limited my time and reach. If you go here take the train. It isn’t worth driving around. Taxis are another option.

Richmond is not an easy city to get to know. But it’s worth it. Wild places along the river, Carytown exotics, downtown restaurants, the canal district, Maymont park and the totally awesome Maymont House are all worth exploring. In fact, the Maymont House is worth the trip alone. If you liked the castles of Ludwig the 16th you will love this house. Kept in it’s pristine state it’s a local castle full of customized beauty. Breathtaking.

... was in 1983. I lived here from 1981-83 and gave birth to my daughter. I highly recommend the Souk, especially the gold souk (if it’s still there) but wear an abbiyah (if you are a woman) it’s just a lot easier. And bargain. Offer half of the asking price and go from there. Got some lovely things, especially fabric. Go between October and March. Avoid the month of Ramadan. Drive along the Corniche and check out all the modern art. Try to find a villa with open gates and see if you can get into the Majlis. Or look for the lights of a wedding and be a guest. There’s also the camel market where I saw camels being loaded into a pick up truck. Gas is like water and water is like gold.

I graduated from college with a BA from Brigham Young University in 1974. I went back to Provo a year later, met my ex-husband, got married and had my first child here in 1979. It’s a university town with nothing else to really offer. Well, except Rock Canyon which is a good place to picnic in the summer and snowshoe in the winter. But there are other canyons just as good in other places. Unless you go to school here or know someone who does, it’s not worth the trip.

I lived here during my high school years. It has great access to services and is close to Washington DC and it’s great galleries. Otherwise, it’s just an expensive burb which is now a way station on the Beltway. Not really a touristy place at all.

... was in 1958, the year it became a state. I remember a big flag on an office building. I remember puff balls in the forest, a bear rug and a half-built cabin. I remember a trailer park, a big pit of ashes at the end of the street where I burned my ankle and using a flashlight to find the bus stop in the morning. I also remember lots of snow and mud. I had my first watermelon here at a park where you could see glaciers.

Was when I graduated from Kindergarten. Oops. Actually I stopped by after living in Alaska on my way to Maryland to start the second grade. So no useful memories there except for the view of my old home at 26366 Academy in Roseville which may not even really be Detroit. Oh, and I was there briefly the year my brother married the singer of his band. Must have been the 70’s. I was born in Detroit.

The best people. The best weather. But you should live here, not just visit.