Sandra Scott Travels

Seoul is the bustling capital city of South Korea and an excellent gateway city to the rest of South Korea and Asia. The techie, prosperous city has been called “The Miracle on the Han River” due to its transformation from the destruction caused during the Korean War to a thriving city. These are my favorite things to do in Seoul.

Whenever John and I visit a new area we check to see if they have free tours, Global Greeters, culinary experiences and/or chocolate tours. While the culinary experience and chocolate tours are not free they add an interesting facet to our travels. When we were in Boston we signed up for the Back Bay Chocolate tour offered by Boston Chocolate Tours, (www.bostonchocolatetours.com). It is just one of their tours. They also offer shopping that includes chocolate stops and cupcake tours. It is all yummy.

It is so easy to drive by places day after day and not notice what is along the way. In my case it was the 1812 Peace Garden on Oswego’s Leotta-Seaway Trail Park. I knew about the War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden Trail because when John and I were in Batavia we visited theirs. It is only right that there is one in Oswego where so many significant events of the “Forgotten War” took place. Oswego’s was developed in 2003 by City Engineer Anthony a. Loetta, the Jay Saternow family and several community volunteers.

I admit it, I am a museophile. Big or small, art or history, I enjoy all museums, but I favor the small museum. They are usually devoted to one topic so that I can learn all I need to know in an hour or so plus they usually are started by someone with a passion for the item. When John and I were in Nebraska we visited several such museums. The Kregel Windmill Company in Nebraska City was a windmill factory that was turned into a museum. Touch screens facilitate the self-guided tour.

Several years ago, when we were in Honduras, John and I stopped to see a new luxury ecolodge outside of La Ceiba called Las Cascada Lodge. I fell in love with it. It is nestled in the rainforest surrounded by trees and flowers. The rooms, there are only three of them, have a view of the jungle waterfalls. There are several cascading falls each with a small pool at the bottom that is big enough to swim in.

The area around Trujillo, Honduras, is being promoted as the Banana Coast which is much more marketable than the area just to the east called The Mosquito Coast. However, the name “mosquito’ refers to the Native Americans who lived in the area not the insect of which there are many. Trujillo is an interesting place. It is where Christopher Columbus first stepped foot on the mainland of the Americas and where O. Henry hid out while a fugitive from justice.

John and I enjoy visiting places that – to us – seem off the beaten path. The Fox Cities make up the third largest metropolitan area of Wisconsin. The small towns in the Fox Cities area have traditional main streets with a plethora of things to enjoy. Think of it as “life in a slow lane.”