July 2019

My parents enjoyed meeting Jonathan and Evan while catching up with Lee and Matt; Krog Street Market is a modern take on the food court with lots of upscale, diverse eateries

Lee joined us at the BBT Atlanta Open tennis tournament; we had a gorgeous day but we were less than impressed with the caliber of play and organization of the tournament

Tallulah Gorge State Park (GA) lies near where the borders of NC, SC and GA come together; the major attractions of the gorge are the six waterfalls known as the Tallulah Falls, which cause the Tallulah River to drop 500 feet over one mile

Tallulah Gorge State Park was very well-maintained with a modern information center and admission was only a $5 parking fee; there are campgrounds and several hiking trails making the park an excellent weekend trip from Atlanta

Hurricane Falls at the base of the gorge requires walking down 500+ steps (and then going back up 500+ steps!); the 1971 movie Deliverance was filmed in Tallulah Gorge

Tempesta Falls at Tallulah Gorge State Park; large releases of water from the nearby dam are typically scheduled for kayaking and whitewater rafting on the first two weekends of April and the first three weekends of November

We lucked out with perfect weather to attend the BBT Atlanta Open; traffic throughout the city and the high cost of everything convinced my parents that Atlanta is a city for the young and affluent

The BBT Atlanta Open is played at Atlantic Station in midtown with easy parking but only 2 courts; we enjoyed the doubles more than the singles but seating was very limited on the grandstand court

I was really impressed by the temporary art exhibition at the CDC Museum; the artists used ingenuous interpretations to bring science and art together

AIDS was first recognized by the CDC in 1981 and today there are roughly 40 million people worldwide infected; as of 2016 about 675,000 people have died of HIV/AIDS in the US since the beginning of the HIV epidemic

It sure looks like living in the Southeast is not healthy; we need to exercise more, eat healthier, possess fewer guns and become better educated

One artist created lace doilies in the shape of different viruses (this doily is HIV); the CDC Museum’s mission is to educate visitors about the value of prevention–based public health, while presenting CDC’s rich heritage and vast accomplishments

My parents remembered the polio epidemic of the late 1940s and early 1950s where an average of 35,000 people per year were crippled; the last US case of polio was in 1979 thanks to vaccinations

The CDC Museum was free but required going through a challenging gauntlet of security procedures; the CDC selected Atlanta as its home initially because the south was the region with the largest number of malaria cases

This transmission electron microscope was purchased in 1985 to study the HIV virus; over the next 20 years, scientists used it to study emerging pathogens such as hantavirus, SARS and Nipah virus

This temporary art exhibition runs through the end of August; the museum is only open Monday through Friday

For 15 years, the CDC ran the Tuskegee syphilis experiment which lasted from 1932 to 1972; African American men (nearly 400 of whom had syphilis) were studied but the disease was left untreated and they never gave their consent to be research subjects

Thanks to the success of vaccination, the last natural outbreak of smallpox in the US occurred in 1949; in 1980, the World Health Assembly declared smallpox eradicated, and no cases of naturally occurring smallpox have happened since

It's easy to see the impact of the CDC as Americans now live longer and are less likely to die of infectious diseases; the NRA has actively fought the CDC in its efforts to study gun violence

After dinner, our group went to a nearby ice cream shop on the Atlanta Beltline; tons of young people were enjoying the nice evening and patronizing the upscale restaurants, bars and shops

The Itsukushima shrine is one of Japan's most popular tourist attractions; it's noted for its dramatic floating gate, or torii, on the outskirts of the shrine

Lining the steps to Daishoin Temple are 500+ rakan statues, each with a unique facial expression; each statue represents a Buddhist monk who was an actual disciple of Shaka (Buddha)

The Five-storied Pagoda was originally constructed in 1407, and restored in 1533; the main deity enshrined here is the Buddha of Medicine

The tame deer on Miyajima are famous and do their best to ignore all of the crazy tourists; we were lucky to see the torii gate here since it is now undergoing a lengthy restoration

The main street featured lots of gift shops and eateries; the crowds may look overwhelming but the ferry line moved quickly and it was easy to escape the masses by heading away from Itsukushima Shrine

This was my favorite jizo statue on Miyajima!; the practice of dressing Jizo statues is related to accruing merit for the afterlife, a common theme in Buddhism

The holy fire which Kobo Daishi used as part of his religious training is burning even now after about 1200 years in Reikado Hall; it was also used as the pilot light for the Flame of Peace in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Daisho-in Temple is famous for maple trees and their autumn colors; there is a flame here which is said to have been burning since its foundation 1200+ years ago

Miyajima is considered one of Japan's three most scenic spots; one of the island's delicacies is broiled conger eel on top of rice (yum!)

After hiking to the top of Mt. Misen, this beach sure looked inviting!; the hike up the 550 m mountain was a great escape from the crowds down at sea level

These small clay buddhas have been left as offerings at the main hall atop Mt.Misen; pretty much everyone we passed on the hike enthusiastically said konnichiwa (hello, in Japanese) to us

Daishoin is the most distinguished temple on Miyajima Island; countless worshipers come and pray asking for contentment in their daily lives, good health and longevity

Taira no Kiyomori statue; he established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan in the 1100s

Miyajima Island is just a 10 minute ferry ride across Hiroshima Bay; there are about 2000 people that live on the 12 sq mile island

Daisho-in Temple lies at the foot of Mt. Misen; the day trip to Miyajima was one of the highlights of my Japanese tour

The boulders on top of Mt. Misen add to the mountain's mysticism; the hike up took about 90 minutes while those on the tour taking the cable car arrived about the same time due to the long line

Itsukushima Shrine was first built in the latter half of the sixth century; it is a revered site in Japan and a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Miyajima's maple trees are renowned throughout Japan and blanket the island in crimson in the autumn; because the island is seen as sacred, trees may not be cut for lumber

The island of Miyajima itself is considered to be a god by Buddhists, which is why the Itsukushima Shrine was built on the outskirts of the island; the large tidal range allowed visitors to walk out to the so-called floating torii gate

There are traditional Japanese inns on the island so I'd recommend spending a night on the island and being first to visit Itsukushima Shrine when it opens at 6am

Miyajima's specialty is oysters with the annual oyster festival the second weekend of February; there are a myriad of other festivals scattered across the calendar including a big fireworks show in August

1915 Ford Model T; it took only 93 minutes to assemble a Model T; the 10 gallon fuel tank is located under the front seat (whose bright idea was that!)

1957 Cadillac Eldorado; this car cost $13,074 new which was more than a Bentley or Rolls Royce Silver Cloud at the time

1928 Pontiac Sedan; this model debuted at the 1926 NY Auto Show and was an instant success with 1928 sales hitting 210,890

1950 MG TD; these models have no fuel gauge but a green light comes on when the tank is down to 3 gallons

1929 Chevrolet Sedan; Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was a Swiss-born American race car driver and auto engineer who was one of the six founders of the company

1929 Ford Model A; this model was the first American car to have safety glass in the windshield

1927 REO Flying Cloud; in 1923, REO introduced the Motor Pullman Car which had a drop-down sleeping extension, refrigerator and built-in gas range!

1928 Chandler Sedan; 1928 was the last year of Chandler production as the company went bankrupt

1916 Overland Touring; in 1909 there were more than 300 automobile manufacturers in the US

1959 Edsel Corsair; Henry Ford II, then-president of Ford and son of Edsel Ford was against using his father's name for the car but relented when market research showed the name to be popular

1932 Chevrolet Coupe; this car has mechanical brakes which could be unpredictable with Chevrolet not introducing more reliable hydraulic brakes until 1936

This 2 horse surrey was owned by Dr. Grove who owned the Grove Park Inn; his favorite drive was on Sunset Mountain above the inn and we'll testify that the roads haven't improved since Dr. Grove's journeys

1926 Cadillac Sedan; this car's list price was $4566 while the average household income in 1926 was only $2010

1922 American LaFrance Fire Truck; this fire truck served for 40 years; Asheville is the first known NC city to buy motorized fire trucks (1911)

1927 LaSalle Phaeton; on June 20, 1927 a LaSalle averaged 95.2 mph over 952 miles while the average winning speed at the Indy 500 that year was 97.5 mph

This Runabout is essentially a buggy without a top; this general purpose vehicle offered rubber tires for quieter and easier riding

1955 Cadillac Sedan; Elvis bought one of these and had it painted pink for his mother Gladys although she never had a driver's license

1940 Buick Century; the Century was capable of sustained speeds of 100 mph hence the name

1940 Packard Coupe; in 1921, Warren Harding became the first US president to arrive at his inauguration in an automobile, a Twin Six Packard

1925 Dodge Touring; John and Horace Dodge started by selling bicycles in 1896 before turning to cars (Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928)

The huge Buddha statue at Bongeunsa Temple contrasts with the modern buildings surrounding it; just 30 years ago rice patties and farmers surrounded the temple

The buildings on the floating islands have glass façades, creating a large undulating palette as the LED lights are constantly changing; this fantastic light show appears on a building that hosts concerts, fashion shows and nightclubs

Namdaemun Market consists of many square blocks which each typically sell just one type of good; you could go to the block selling glasses, for example, where all the competitors are together but I detected price collusion too

The first Gothic cathedral in Korea, Myeong-dong has symbolized Korean Catholicism for 120+ years; in 2014, Pope Francis presided over mass at this most iconic of Korean cathedrals

Namsan Park is home to many tourist attractions including the National Theater of Korea, Botanical Garden, Namsam Seoul Tower, old city walls and Palgakjeong Pavilion

The Seoul City Walls, built in 1396, stretched 18.6 km along the ridge of Seoul's four inner mountains, Baegaksan, Naksan, Namsan, and Inwangsan; a 12 km stretch of the impressive, 8 m high wall remains

This is the view from the N Seoul Tower which is the highest point in Seoul; you are supposed to be able to see the entire city but, due to pollution, you actually can't see very far at all

Couples have put thousands of locks around the observation decks at N Seoul Tower; you can elect to walk up the mountain or take an aerial tramway (built in 1962, it is Korea's oldest)

Parking must be very expensive in Seoul (you would not want to drive here!); this very vertical parking garage must really pack them in!

Our tour group had 10 millennials who were fans of K pop; they even went to a fan store and bought lots of merchandise

Sungnyemun Gate is the oldest and largest of the remaining gates in the ancient Seoul city walls; completed in 1398, it has been designated as Korea National Treasure number one

Surprisingly, the tourist destinations in Korea often had no signage in English, even at UNESCO World Heritage SItes; we never saw any homeless people or beggars

Streetcars began operating in Seoul in 1899; this is one of the last 2 two surviving models that ran for 38 years before streetcars were retired in 1968

The Seoul Museum of Art had an exhibit with David Hockney works from the Tate; there just wasn’t enough time to see everything

This was my favorite piece at the Seoul Contemporary Art Museum; it is made of pots, pans, skillets and other kitchenware

Bukchon Hanok Village is a neighborhood that was popular with the aristocracy of the Josean dynasty; with tons of tourists on your doorstep I'm surprised anyone would want to live here

1856 funeral bier at the National Folk Museum; a village would typically have one bier which was used to carry bodies to a burial site, carried by 10-12 pallbearers

The National Folk Museum is on the grounds of the Gyeongbokgung Palace; the museum focuses on Korean ways of life long since gone like weaving, farming and fishing

Jogyesa Temple is the only major Buddhist temple in the center of Seoul; it's not that impressive but is convenient and especially colorful during Buddha's birthday celebrations

Insadong is Seoul's leading street for art galleries, book stores, traditional tea houses and crafts shops; in 2015, Seoul was rated Asia's most livable city with the second highest quality of life globally

Yoido Full Gospel Church is the largest Pentecostal Christian congregation in the world with 800,000 members; the building seats 12,000 with overflow sent to nearby buildings

The subways were often packed despite the city having 300+ stations; the subway was easier to navigate than the bus system since the subways at least had some English signage

Bongeunsa, rebuilt after a 1939 fire, is known for its temple stay program where visitors can lead the lives of monks and spend the night; the Buddhist temple, founded in 794, sits across from Korea's largest exhibition venue and convention center

The National Assembly is the 300 member (you must be at least 30 years old to serve), unicameral, national legislature of South Korea; the building, Korea's version of our Capitol, was built in 1975

At the 21st Century Museum I found one of the few cherry trees still blooming in Kanazawa; since the museum offers free admission, it took people about an hour to get in

The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art is known for having art that visitors can touch or sit on; we used a bus day pass to get around the city although the waits were sometimes long

Ishikawamon Gate, built in 1788, is one of the few remaining original structures at Kanazawa Castle; the gate connects the castle to Kenrokuen Garden

I actually joined the group for dinner the first night we were all together; the Japanese sat on the floor but the restaurant had chairs for tourists

Ninja Temple, named because of its deceptive defenses, has 29 staircases and 23 rooms; featured are ways to fool the enemy such as hidden rooms, completely unexpected and reversible trap-like doors, secret tunnels and escape pits

I was surprised at how large an area Kanazawa Castle occupies; after repeated fires, little remained of the original castle but it has been largely rebuilt using traditional architectural methods

The eastern portion of Kanazawa is dominated by the stunning Japanese Alps; it is not ironic then that sister cities include Buffalo, NY and Irkutsk, Russia

Such a cool welcome fountain at the train station; Kanazawa lies on the Sea of Japan on the west side of Honshu with a population of roughly 470,000

We visited the Omicho Market which is the most popular in town; the signs weren't in English so I had no idea what most items were (or what people did with them!)

Bathrooms in Japan have fancy toilets that made me nervous about just finding the flush button; I've seen very few Japanese people smoking and, even outside, there are often designated smoking areas

This is Kanazawa's famous Geisha district which is packed at night; the latticed wooden facades and second floor reception rooms are characteristic of tea house buildings at the end of the Edo period

Kanazawa is famous for its intricate gold leaf work (the city produces 99% of Japan's total); the tradition of Kanazawa gold leaf work goes back 400+ years

The Nagamachi Samurai District is the only remaining samurai district that has been preserved; this area is where middle-class samurai families lived

This garden retains the atmosphere of the feudal period; much of Kanazawa's considerable architectural heritage has been preserved because it wasn't bombed during WW2

Kanazawa, like every Japanese city so far, has had very helpful, tourist-friendly maps in English; they give you transit information as well as details on the main sights to visit

Kanazawa Castle was the headquarters of the Maeda clan for 14 generations (they ruled this region in feudal times) until the arrival of imperial rule in 1871

The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art is adjacent to the castle and garden; I wanted to go inside (it was free!) but the wait was too long

Stones are used to hold down shingles on traditional Japanese houses; the stones also break up the snow and ice when the temperature warms up in springtime

I'd love to see how this intricate gold leaf work is done; Kanazawa is famous for tea with gold flakes, which is considered by the Japanese people to be good for health and vitality (they even had gold leaf ice cream too!)

There's something hypnotic about seeing the cherry trees in blossom; along with the chrysanthemum, the cherry blossom is considered the national flower of Japan

To supply drinking water for Kanazawa Castle, a series of canals nearly 15kms long (built from 1583-1630), was connected to the moat system