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A small gang of
us drove from Makuhari, Japan (east of Tokyo) to Mt. Fuji in
2001-May. There was not much to see at Mt. Fuji as the climbing
season had not started and the mountain is still covered with
snow.
But, the foothills surrounding Mt. Fuji were still an awesome
site. This photo is taken at the Shiraito-no-taki
falls (which mean "Falls of white strings"). The
water just pours out of the walls of this ravine after having
flowed underground for miles from cracks and crevices
originating in the Mt. Fuji crater and mountain side. |
This juggling photo was taken
during the same trip to Mt. Fuji in 2001-May. I am about half
way up the side of the mountain (as far as you can drive -
smile). The top of Mt. Fuji is partially obscured by cloud
covered. Soon after this picture was taken Mt. Fuji would
become, for some reason, angry with us. Hail, snow, rain, fog
and strong winds would chase us back to our car.
This picture was shot at a 45 degree up angle. |
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Finally! To the top of Mt. Fuji in 2002-Aug.
Here is a shot from the top of Mt. Fuji. Behind me is the crater
(which is very deep and steep). Far behind is a weather station
that is actually perched on the highest point of Mt. Fuji at 3,776 meter (12,388 feet). BTW -
the other thing I collect is sand. I now
have some Mt. Fuji volcanic dust and small rocks. |
Back
in 1998 I taught an HTTP workshop in Tel Aviv. On my last day I
had the chance to take a bus to Jerusalem and see the
sites.
Here I am juggling in the Western
Wall plaza. Here is where the Jewish faithful come to pray. |
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Same trip to
Jerusalem in 1998. Behind me is the Dome of the Rock. Inside the
Dome of the Rock is the rock that Abraham came so near to
offering his son Isaac. On this rock an angel threatened
Jerusalem and David persuaded him to spare the city. And, on
this rock Muhammad ascended to heaven. The rock tried to follow
him and it took the strength of the angel Gabriel to hold it
down. To this day you can see the prints of Gabriel's grip. |
In
1995 I was teaching in Beijing with Yessong, a Korean coleague
of mine. Just north of the city is the Great Wall. It is over
7,300 kilometers (4400 miles). At this location it is quite
impressive although I hear that other portions of the Great Wall
are only the "Great Pile of Rocks" (smile).
As Yessong was taking my picture that little boy slid along the
railing for a picture too. Then, dad slides in from the other
side. Yessong kept on snapping the camera. |
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In the spring of 1999 I traveled
with my family to Egypt. We flew into Cairo and hired some
camels to take us to the pyramids at Giza. We rode the camels
through the dusty streets of Cairo, snaking our way between the
Christian cemetary and the bluff where Napolean's troops took
the shot at the Sphinx, and out into the Sahara desert for this
shot.
We then rode down to the pyramids for a closer look and a tour
inside.
The temperature that day must have been at least a hundred and ten (F)...
but it was a dry heat... (smile) |
| 2004
- In the Mississippi river town of Fountain in west Wisconsin
lies a rock that rolled right into into a lady's bedroom.
Luckily she was in the kitchen at the time. Some enterprising
individual bought the home (with the rock still there) and
turned it into a museam. They call it "Rock
in the House" - which is a play on words based upon
another western Wisconsin landmark called the "House
on the Rock". |
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Chicago.
Here is a 2004 picture of the windy city from North Beach. The
John Handcock building is in the background just over my right
shoulder and it looks like the Sears tower is peeking over past
my left shoulder. Soon after this shot was taken we were chased
off the beach by a rain storm. |
| Here
is a 2004 shot of me juggling with the 1880s Sherwood
Point lighthouse in the background. This lighthouse marks
the entrance to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. I have seen this
lighthouse many times from the water - this is only the second
time by land -via bicycle. |
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Ahh, Port Washington,
Wisconsin, 2004. Here I am juggling in front of the 1935
art-deco styled harbor
light that graces the entrance to the main harbor. You can
see that the breakwater is wet from the waves that have broken
over the top on this windy day - a north blow. This photo was
taken during the 40th annual Fish
Day celebration.
You can see clearly in this picture the trick of 3-ball
juggling. The juggler "simply" holds two balls while
waiting for the third to rise and fall through an graceful arc.
You toss, wait, toss, wait... Try it, it is easy! (smile) |
Here
is an early spring 2005 picture of Cocoa Beach, Florida. I was
on vacation from the north - trying to catch some warmth down
south. I was successful this day.
Off the shore we saw surfers (see the pic), dolphins, pelicans,
and a long-legged crane. Not the normal kinds of things one
would expect in Minnesota
in the winter.. |
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2005 March,
Nassau, Bahamas. Behind me is the tower that graces the harbor
area where all the cruise ships dock.
The weather was, ahh, not so great. About 70, windy, overcast,
and some drizzle in the morning. Chilly. Just a couple of days
later we where back in Minnesota with 50 degrees and sun. Why is
a 50 degree spring day in Minnesota always feel like the warmest
day of the year? |
That,
is a "Texan" a WW II era plane that was used to train
thousands of pilots.
As a Christmas gift my brother Kirby gave me a flight on one of these babies.
This is a shot of me before my flight - while I was still
smiling...
I sat in the front, the pilot in the back. He takes off and
lands - but you get to fly the plane in between. I have never
flown a plane before and this was an awesome experience. I did
rolls, barrel rolls, split-s, and loop-the-loops. Awesome.
And, yes, I was all smiles when done! |
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This is the Disneyworld in Orlando,
Florida, USA. Here I am doing a little 3-ball in front of
Cinderella's Castle 2005Dec.
The bronze statues over my left shoulder are Walt Disney and
Mickey Mouse. This is one of the "Kodak photo spots"
at the park. This basically means I had to wait in line with all
the other tourists then jump in quick to get my picture taken
before the crowd beats you away. Not a good time for a dropped
ball.
I have been to the Magic Kingdom many times in my life. My mom
was born in Florida and just about every year we would drive
down from Wisconsin to visit relatives. While there... we would
drive up to Orlando for a day at the park. Still, I love it. I
have kids now... all the more fun to show them around. |
Same trip to Florida
in 2005Dec. Here I am juggling in front of the business end of a
Saturn V rocket at the Kennedy
Space Center, Florida.
Wow.
There is nothing as awesome as the Saturn V. This was the
colossal beast that took humans to the moon and back again. I
just just a kid (seven years old in 1969) when Neil A. Armstrong
first stepped on to the surface of the moon. I still remember
the grainy black and white images on our TV of that historic
event.
|
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Here I am juggling at the Cabela's near Owatonna,
Minnesota. Cabela's is a hunting, fishing, and sporting
mega-store. Basically, if it is in camouflage or can be used to
kill or cook an animal - Cabela's has it.
So, why would I have my picture taken at a store? Well, I have
heard that this Cabela's is Minnesota's second most popular
tourist destination. They have huge wildlife displays spread
throughout the store and a fresh water aquarium making it very
interesting for the kids.
Apparently the number one tourist destination is the Mall of
America. Go figure. |
Back to Makuhari
Japan in 2006Mar. I am here teaching a variety of networking,
encryption, and security topics in an ITSO conference focused
on the newly announced V5R4 of i5/OS and the System i5 from IBM.
On our last full night our Japanese colleagues took us out to a
local eatery and watering hole. Here I am juggling. What more
can be said? |
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Here on a 2006 trip to the
Hawiian island of Oahu. My wife and I had our honeymoon in
Hawaii exactly 14 years ago. At that time we promised to get
back to the islands every five years. This was our first trip
back sans enfants - better late than never!
Here is one of our favorite spots for some snorkeling - Hanauma
Bay. To get there from Waikiki take the 22 bus. Closed
Tuesdays. If you do not have your own gear they will rent it on
the beach.
There is a reef that protects about one forth of the bay for the
beginners. Travel through the cable channel (ask the staff) out
to the open bay for some excellent deep sea sites.
On this trip to Hanauma Bay I saw many, many fish of all sorts
of sizes and colors. One additional cool thing that I saw was a
large sea turtle that was hanging out in an underwater cave.
Behind me is the rock outcropping they call the Baboon Face.
And, look at my face and you can see what they call snorkle-face
(smile)! |
Same
2006 trip to the Hawiian island of Oahu.
Here I am on the north shore. This is the place for the really
big waves at the Bonzai Pipeline (Ehukai Beach Park). Behind me
is a small one.
For the rest of us - there is Waikiki - were I actually took
surfing lessons. They teach you the basics like how to get up
and stand. Then, take you out to the surf. With some voice
direction and a bit of a push to get you started... you find
yourself catching every wave. I surfed by myself on other days
too... but still not ready for Bonzai! |
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Behind the guy tossing the
balls with a behind the back pass are three historic sites that
you can find at Pearl Harbor. Just behind me is the WW II
submarine the USS Bowfin.
Behind the stern of the Bowfin is the USS Arizona Memorial. Here
on the morning of December 7th, 1941 over a thousand men died
with many still interred within.
And, just over my left hand is the USS Missouri BB. It was
on board the "Big Mo" that the USA accepted the
unconditional surrender of the Japanese at the end
of World War II in the Pacific. |
Same
2006 trip to the Hawiian island of Oahu and Pearl Harbor. Here I
am doing the three ball in front of the number one turret on the
USS
battleship Missouri.
The Missouri and her men served in three wars - WW II, Korea,
and the Persian Gulf War. Each of the nine 16 inch primary guns
on the Iowa class battleship could lob a two-ton shell some 38.7
kilometers (23.2 miles). |
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Ahh, some three ball on the
beach at Waikiki, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. The famous Diamond
Head volcanic crater can be seen in the background. The
beach is nice - but during busy times such as spring break it
can can get very crowded.
I am doing an outside throw on the beach while being bathed in
the amber rays of the setting sun. Of course, my red completion
comes more from the day of surfing and sun(burn) than the
setting sun! |
Now,
turn around and take a look at the sunset on the beach at
Waikiki, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. Hmm, sunny and in the 80
degrees F. Now, let us compare that 2006 March weather to
Rochester Minnesota - 34 degrees F.
So, why do we live in Rochester Minnesota (smile)? Ahh, yes, for
the "change of seasons!" In my mind... the seasons
would not have to change if they always were in the 80s! (smile) |
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This is the Waimea
Valley and waterfall. You will find this waterfalls on the
north side of Oahu. To get there you hang a southeast at Waimea
Bay at the North shore of Oahu. Stop at the Waimea
Valley Audubon Center and pay a few bucks for the hike.
Bring your swim suit as you can swim in the cool waters in the
pool below the waterfalls. It is tradition to swim over to the
falls and enjoy the water cascading over your body.
Well, we had a lot of rain by this time and while I did go for a
swim in the cool waters of the pool but I did not even think to
sit under the falls. In fact the water was flowing so quickly I
could not even swim to the falls as the current was too strong. |
In
2006Jul my family and I took a driving trip around Lake Michigan,
the fifth largest fresh water lake in the world. Here I am
juggling in front of the MacArthur Lock, one of four of the Soo
Locks of Sault Saint Marie. The Soo Locks are the busiest in
North America - handling more than 11,000 vessels carrying up to
90 million tons of cargo per year between Lakes Superior and
Huron.
In the background you can see the span of the International
Bridge that joins Canada and the USA. For 3.00 USD round trip we
crossed over to Canada for supper and gave the kids another
country "notch". |
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Behind me is the Mackinac Bridge that
connects the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan with the lower
peninsula. This 5 mile long bridge crosses the Straits
of Mackinac which is the divide between Lake Michigan and
Huron. Date: 2006Jul.
Another very interesting day trip is to Mackinac Island (take a
ferry from St. Ignace in the UP). This is a very bohemian place
- with no moterized vehicles. Everybody gets around by horse and
bicycle. It is like stepping back in time.
Q: What do the Yoopers (people who live in the UP) call the
people that live below the Mackinac Bridge? A: Trolls! |
Kitch-iti-kipi
(or Big Spring) is a really cool state park in the Upper
Penisula of Michigan. Some 10,000 gallons per minute of fresh
water bubble out of springs at the bottom of a 40 foot lake. The
water is so clean that you can clearly see the bottom and the
slowly swimming trout that inhabit the lake.
This 2006Jul photo is taken from within a hand cranked raft that
allows you to clearly see the botton and all the bubbling
action. This is a nice diversion off of US highway 2 which runs
along the north shore of Lake Michigan. |
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While visiting good friends
in Detroit Michigan during the summer of 2006 we were looking
for something fun to do with the the kids one evening. Somebody
mentioned Marvin's Marvelous
Mechanical Museum. Well, I almost fell out of my chair - as
I had relied upon Marvin's tips for fixing
electro-mechanican machines - such as my shuffle bowl and pinball machines.
Well, back to Marvin's. For somebody who grew up playing all
sorts of coin operated games (10 cents a play, 3 for a quarter)
it was a real treat for me. Ahh, yes, but this was for the kids
- don't you know! And, yes, they enjoyed it too!
The place was actually much smaller than I expected. If you goto
Marvin's web site you will soon notice that he collects coin
operated machines. This relatively small building held only a
small percentage of the quantity that my mind had pictured.
All in all, a worthwhile visit. Thanks Marvin! |
Here
I am showing off at the 2006 Minnesota State Fair
with a little pass behind the back. The shot behind me is the
midway, of course, where the wife, kids and I tried our best to
keep all sorts of "fair food" in our stomachs.
Our favorite part of the fair probably was the Birthing Center -
where they have a building full of mother critters in various
stages of the process.
Another cool thing was a demonstration of sheep dog hearding.
All in all, the great Minnesota get-together was a great day. |
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Summer of 2006 finds our
intreped juggler (smile) at the Wisconsin Dells, in, ahh,
Wisconsin. The Dells are a place of scenic beauty. Here the
Wisconsin River cuts through sandstone leaving behind some very
interesting formations. The best way to see all that the land
and water has to offer - is a ride on a World War II "Duck".
The unique vehicles are officially called D.U.K.W.s – which is a
military code representing characteristics of the vehicle. (D =
1942 , U = amphibian, K = front-wheel drive, W = rear-wheel
drive). Nevertheless, American GIs decided the name “Duck” was a
perfect fit. (Source) |
In
2006 Brian R. Smith made his third trip to Colombia to teach at
a technical conference for the IBM System i. Here I am in the
historic city of Cartegena.
Cartegena was one place that the Pirates of the Caribbean really
wanted to sack - as this is where the Spanish loaded up ships
with gold from the new world. This is at the entrance to the San
Felipe de Barajas Fortresses - which protected the old
walled city from a land attack and bombardment.
This fortress is honeycombed with tunnels so the Spanish could
move men and machines from place to place. |
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Same trip to Colombia and
Cartegena in 2006. Here we look out of one of the battlements of
the San
Felipe de Barajas Fortress.
Behind me is the white Pie de la Popa on one of the highest
hills overlooking Cartegena. Inside the Pie de la Popa (means
"foot of the stern" of a ship - due to the visual
appearance of the hill and the buildings) is a nice museum of
Cartegena history. From there you have a fantastic view of the
entire city.
The temp was well into the 90s F this day. True story - the
first time I was in Colombia during the winter it was also in
the high 90s in Medellin. I ask "How warm does it get in
the summer?" - the answer was blank stares... as Colombia
is so close to the equator that it is the same temperature all
the time. Winter is when it tends to rain a bit more. Hmm, how
"northern hemisphere of me"...
|
Same
trip to Colombia in 2006 - this time about a two hour drive
outside of Medellin to a rock called the Piedra
Del Penol. This amazing rock sticks up in the middle of
rolling hills. The owner of the rock built the stairway in a
crevasse that works its way up the side to the top. You pay a
few bucks to park and a few more to climb up (climbing down is
free - smile). The view from the top is very impressive.
The picture in the picture is a shot of me where the stairway
starts. The wall is vertical. Very impressive. |
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Here is a tourist in Medellin, Colombia's second largest
city - home to about 2 million people. The city is nicknamed the
"City of eternal spring" - as the weather is temporate
year around - and is indeed very beautiful. The city is ringed by mountains.
One of the best views of Medellin is from a small hill in middle of the city. It is called "Cerro Nutibara" (the word Cerro is small hill and Nutibara is the name of the Indian Chief that ruled the valley). This hill also has a replica of an old colonial town called Pueblito Paisa. It has lovely wooden carved balconies, a small church, and a lot of handicraft shops.
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That is Las Vegas, Nevada in the background behind me. This was taken while on vacation visiting my brother and his family that live in Las Vegas during the holidays of 2006. Yes, people actually live there (smile).
I am standing on Lone Mountain - which is on the western edge of the city. It is an excellent climb and it gives you a commanding view of the entire valley on bright sunny days. And since Las Vegas is in the middle of a desert - bright sunny days are about all you have! The best side of Lone
Mountain to climb is the west side just off of Vegas Vista Trail (road). |
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 | During the same trip to Las Vegas in 2006-Dec we did the tourist thing and walked around the strip. behind me is a garden that is in the middle of the Flamingo hotel and casino. Entrance is free - and is a nice little respit from all the other noise and lights. |
2006-Dec: Not that we visited the hotel or casino... but behind me is the Paris hotel and casino - complete with their 1/2 scale replica of the (real) Eiffel Tower in the (real) Paris, France. I have been to the (real) Paris many times, but not with my juggling balls and a camera at the same time.
Las Vegas - what a crazy place!
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 | In 2007-Jan we drove from Las Vegas to Seal Beach California to visit with my aunt and two of my cousins. We could not drive 2500 miles from Minnesota and not hang out on Sunset Beach that was just five miles more. The weather was nice - low 70s F... but the water was cold. Still, we played in the sand and water.
That is Catalina island in the background off the California coast.
|
In eastern California is a pair of USA National Parks called Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Right near the south entrance to Sequoia is Tunnel Rock. This huge boulder of granite forms a tunnel so big that you can drive a car through it - literally. You can see that I am standing on an old road bed. The road actually used to go under the Tunnel rock. Now, you must bypass the tunnel.
To give you a feel for the size of the rock you can see me on top of the Tunnel Rock in the insert picture. I am juggling there too - careful not to drop as the ball (or me too!) would have quite a fall. |
 |
 | Of course, the main attraction in the Sequoia National Park are the giant sequioa trees - the largest trees on earth.
Sure, the redwoods are taller - but by shear volume the sequoias are the largest. The General Sherman sequoia tree (not pictured) in Giant Forest holds the title as the largest living specimen on earth. It is 275 feet (83 m) tall with a massive trunk 36.5 feet (11.1 m) in diameter and 109 feet (33 m) in circumference at the base.
Not often that you can say that you juggled inside a tree!
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| Still in the Sequoia National Park, this juggler is doing the three-ball in front of Hospital Rock. This is a large granite boulder that time and water has caused to split. This site was once home to nearly 500 Native Americans belonging to the Potwisha sub-group of the Monache, or Western Mono, Indians. On the flat side of Hospital Rock you can still see ancient rock paintings, or pictographs. |
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 | In 2007-Jan We drove out of Sequioa National Park (see the above) and headed north to find Yosemite National Park. We made it to the end of the road right around sunset. You can see the colors drawn out of the sunset on the face of El Capitan in the background. Also, over the juggler's right shoulder is Yosemite Falls. This falls is almost entirely driven by melting snow fall - so by mid-summer or mid-winter the falls can be silent. |
Here is our juggler at the Petrified Forest in Arizona (USA). With one of the world's largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood, multi-hued badlands of the Painted Desert, historic structures,
archeological sites, and displays of 225 million year old fossils, this is a surprising land of scenic wonders and fascinating science (source: http://www.nps.gov/pefo/) If you are traveling east or west bound on I-80 through northern Arizona - this National Park is a one of the must stop places. |
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 | Lookout! It is the Titanic! (smile)
No, I just find myself in Branson, Missouri. We visited with my Dad and his wife for a day and a night. They have a time share in the area.
Not much to say about Branson, really. It is a tourist mecca that largely grew up on country and western themed entertainment.
Behind me is an example of some of the attractions that you will find in Branson. This happens to be the Branson Titanic museam. Inside are artifacts and the history of the Titanic.
Say, if you have read this far - wow, that is great. I just want to point out to jugglers and future jugglers alike - notice in all the pictures I am looking at the camera. Normally, the juggler will keep their focus on the plane that the balls are travelling in and will not be looking at some point in the distance. My right hand is way out of focus to me and - and I actually end up dropping that ball. Luckily the camera has a short memory.
|
Here I am juggling on the
Mississippi River just a bit downstream from Wabasha Minnesota. That is our small log cabin behind my left shoulder.
I usually researve temperatures of around zero degrees Fahrenheit (-18 Celcius) for the term "cold". On this sunny and beautiful February day in south eastern Minnesota we had a high temperature of around -15 degrees Fahrenheit (-26 Celcius). And, a good strong wind to boot.
It was cold.
But, if you dress right - you can stay out quite some time and play. One of the interesting things we saw on this day were small fish frozen into the ice - about six inches down. We think they died (lack of oxygen?) and floated up to eventually be frozen solid. Very strange. |
 |
 | In the summer of 2007 I took a trip with my family to Alaska - the 49th state in the USA. When you goto Alaska - expect to travel long distances as it is as big as a country or continent.
On this trip we took three planes, then a boat, then a train, then boat to get onto another boat. Then, a train, to take us where we could rent a car - which we used to travel around the places you could not get to via boat, train or plane. On the last day we dropped off the car in Anchorage and flew back to home - on a plane, of course.
Here I am juggling near Juneau (the capital of Alaska) on top of Mt. Roberts. To get to the top of the mountain we took a cable car. Wonderful sights await on a clear day (which it was). This is a Tlingit (native American) carving in a tree. |
After visiting Juneau for just half a day we took a fast (it travels at 38 MPH) ferry up the inland waterway to Skagway in a bit over 2 hours.
Skagway is the one of the jumping off points for the gold rush days of 1898 to 1899. Lots of interesting stories of the miners of '98. Here miners would risk gamblers, thieves, thugs, and robber baron prices to buy enough equipement to start on the 500 plus mile journey into the Yukon and the gold fields. 100,000 landed in Skagway. 30,000 made it to the Yukon. 1000 found gold. 100 made it rich. Not very good odds.
I would highly recommend a ride on the White Pass Railroad that claws a route up the sides of mountains largely following the same paths that the miners of '98 did.
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 | Still in Skagway. To the south west of town, past the airport is a foot bridge and some really nice short hikes. This shot is off a point along that hike. Rugged granite and connifers abound in this area.
Skagway is one of the stopping points for the lastest "gold rush" - that of the cruise ship. Four were in town while we were there. I highly recommend this hike if only to escape the crouds and tourist shops.
Notice the snow on the mountain tops here in June. This part of Alaska receives a lot of precipitation both in the form of rain in the summer and snow in the winter. So much snow (Juneau had 198 inches laster winter we were told) that it tends to stay around on the lower mountains well into "summer".
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Still in Alaska and back onto a ferry that took us from Juneau to Whittier (in the Kenai pennisula).
The ferry ride takes two nights with just one stop on the long journey - to a small fishing hamlet named Yakukit. We had just an hour to walk off and see the sights. A beautiful place - natural beauty. We spent most of our time greeting dogs and being greeted by the same.
Bald eagles are like sparrows in Alaska. But, we ran across some yearlings and adults perched in tree branches that made for some good photographs.
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 | After arriving by ferry from Juneau at Whittier Alaska, we climbed on another boat - this time to take a day cruise in the Prince William Sound. This is a tremendously beautiful body of ocean water surrounded by high mountains and fed by dozens of glaciers. One of the cool things we saw was a glacier "calving" by breaking off a huge chunk that then crashes into the water.
On this trip we saw orcas, sea otters, and sea lions. This, of course, was the best part of the trip for the kids.
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During a little break in the action in Whittier (hint: there is no action - smile) Alaska the kids and I climbed away from the town and found where the melting ice and snow cap came rushing down a steam. I am not sure of the name of the stream - but it was flush with glacier/ice melt. How can I tell? The grey color to the water is a dead give-away.
I cropped this shot but I am sitting on a rock right in the middle of the torrent. One small mistake and one of my balls would be floating in Prince William Sound today!
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 | Here is our intrepid juggler standing next to the Exit glacier in the Kenai pennisula of Alaska, near Seward. This is the only glacier you can drive too in the massive Kenai Fjords National Park.
After a nice hike you can get to within a snowballs's throw of the Exit Glacier. It was very warm that day - but you could feel the cool air coming off the glacier which was very refreshing after the (mostly uphill) hike.
The only problem was the massive run off had washed away parts of the trail. It took long running hops and skips to get across - and even with that you would have a wet foot or two. |
Here I am juggling on the Matanuska glacier which is about a two hour drive north east of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway. If you have been following from top down you will notice that we keep getting closer and closer to these glaciers - until finally we get to climb on one!
The access to this glacier is over a private land and bridge. So, you pay a bit for the honor to juggle on this glacier.
This is summer - so the glacier is melting. We found rivers of ice cold water pouring into crevasses that must flow underneath the glacier. Cool! |
 |
 | Mount McKinley, the highest point in North America, is off in the distance just to your left of the juggling balls. This is my second time to Alaska but only my first time seeing this mountain. It, like most mountains, is ususally covered with clouds. In fact, after we took this little diversion by the time we drove to Denali National Park McKinley was obscured with clouds and we never saw it again.
An interesting excursion that we took was off-road jeeps through rutty, muddy, and boggy trails. My claim to fame was getting my jeep stuck not just once, but twice. The second time so bad - we had to abandon the vehicle! Wahoo!
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| Largest freestanding Santa Clause found in North Pole, Alaska near Fairbanks. Tourist trap. Do not go. Stay away. |
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 | Behind me is a portion of the trans-Alaskan
Pipeline (or Alyeska Pipeline). The main Trans-Alaska Pipeline runs north to south, almost 800 miles (1,300 km), from the Arctic Ocean at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to the Gulf of Alaska at Valdez, Alaska.
When I was growing up the shear size and complexity of the engineering challenge is what intrigued me. Just proving that with enough money anything is possible! |
Behind the rock juggler (hey, you cannot have pretty juggling balls every place you go!) is the Minnehaha Falls found in Minnehaha
Falls Park in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minnehaha Creek flows from Lake Minnetonka some 22 miles (35 km) to crash over this waterfall before joining the Mississippi river. You could not make up this stuff if you tried (tongue-in-cheek).
The Minnehaha Falls is a very nice falls. Some 53 feet high with a good volume of water.
Mne (the origin of the English Minne) is the Native American Dakota tribe's word for water. |
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In 2008 I went on a business trip to the
Washington DC, USA area. At the end of my business - I took in some of the sights. Here I am juggling at the Smithsonian National Air and Space
Museum.
Behind me is the
Apollo 11 command module named Columbia". This is the only part of the entire Saturn V spacecraft that came back with Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins from the first human trip to the moon. The year was 1969 - I was seven at the time and did not yet know how to juggle.
But, I sure remember watching the grainy black and white video of the "giant step for mankind" on our TV at home. It was a very exciting time!
The Smithsonian is a must see. Spend the entire day - and you will just scratch the surface.
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| On the mall in Washington DC, USA this juggler has the USA Capitol building in the background. |
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 | Turn around... and the Washington Monument raises up 555’ 5 1/8” tall, and offers views in excess of thirty miles. |
Another business trip to Cancun Mexico. I was teaching at a conference at an all-inclusive resort by the name of Moon Palace. This time I brought my family with me for some fun in the sun. The kids - became very spoiled with all you can eat ice cream and soft drinks.
Now that I have done the all inclusive bit... I would most likely not do it again. I do not think it is worth the money. I have a friend that goes to the beach every year and just opens up an account at a local store - the kids can have all they want too. Same thing - for one tenth the price. |
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 | Here I am juggling rocks (three of anything!) at the Cana
Island lighthouse on the Lake Michigan coast of Door County Wisconsin. The Cana Island lighthouse was commissioned in 1869. A very traditional looking lighthouse for Lake Michigan.
Door County has many lighthouses that are varied in style and history. I nice place to visit for a few hours.
Interesting fact: Cana Island lighthouse is in fact, not on an island. Well, it used to be - when it got its name. But over the years the shallows that leads to the lighthouse filled in and the lake is at a relatively low level. You walk to the "island" across this rock causeway. |
Still in Door County Wisconsin. This time for some juggling at Cave
Point County Park located within the Whitefish
Dunes State Park.
This is the
one of the most picturesque parks in the world. The limestone bluffs have been carved by the wave action of Lake Michigan over the years forming caves down at the water level.
This park is nice to visit any time. The best time is when you have strong gails from the east or southeast sending in huge breakers. They come in crashing into the caves and creating huge "booms" as they do. You can feel the earth shake under your feet. Too cool.
On this summer day in 2008Jul - nothing but sun and calm. Still, wonderful to hike around and take in the sites.
You can see by the little insert in the lower right I am actually way above the water.
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 | Where in the world will you find goats on the roof of a restaurant? Well, this must be the famous Al Johnson's Swedish restaurant right on the main drag in in Sister Bay, Wisconsin.
Yes, juggling keys! Three of anything! |
Here is the Traveling Juggler in Costa Rica! I was teaching at another conference for a large multi-national corporation (IBM). I love my job.
This is the Los
Suenos Marriott Ocean Golf Resort
located on the Playa Herradura. This beach is not too spectacular - but the entire area is.
This area is all tropical rain forest - so rainy with lots of humidity and heat. |
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 | I really like going to plays. I would not make a very good critic... as I genually like most all plays that I have seen.
Anyway, one of our favorite playhouses in our area is the Chanhassen Dinner
Theater up near the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
This particular play was very good. A nice mix of music, original lyricks, dancing and comedy.
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| Where is the USA's largest mall? Well, in Minnesota, of course! This traveling juggler happens to be in the center of the Mall of America where there is an amusement park. All indoors, of course! |
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 | Another great stop in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota is the Science Museam of Minnesota. We love taking the kids there about once a year to take in all the exhibits. so much to do and see - we did not even see it all in one day.
Here I am juggling behind a large water filled glass sphere. Ahh, some silly lesson about the refraction of light... but I was not paying attension!
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