Tom's Notebook

Ghost Ranch in New Mexico (2016)

Travel with Tom and Priscilla to explore the mysterious Ghost Ranch Ghost Ranch was located in Abiquiu, and was owned by the Presbyterian Church who ran it as an education and retreat center. We had chanced upon this obscure place while looking into popular hiking trails in the state. Interestingly, Georgia O’Keefe had lived here,…
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Bandelier National Monument – New Mexico (2016)

Day 3 in New Mexico – Bandelier National Monument Bandelier National Monument was about an hour drive away from Santa Fe, and was highly ranked on the list of places to visit in New Mexico. It was an ancient site dating back over 11,000 years, where the Ancestral Pueblo people carved dwellings into the rocky…
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Tent Rocks National Monument – New Mexico (2016)

Tent Rocks was a national monument with unique conical rock formations. We saw pictures online that piqued our curiosity, and right away, we knew we had to hike the trails no matter how tough it was going to be. Tent Rocks was also conveniently located between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, making it a good detour…
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Albuquerque, New Mexico (2016)

Travel to New Mexico with Tom and Priscilla New Mexico was a spur of the moment trip. A friend who had visited a year ago came back with gleaming eyes and charming description of her time there. The excitement was so contagious that a year later, we found ourselves on a plane heading for Albuquerque.…
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Pondicherry, India – City of Amazing Colors (2015)

Travel with Tom and Priscilla to Pondicherry India We had an amazing afternoon in Pondicherry as our final stop on our voyage South in India. The city has a uniquely European and cosmopolitan feel with an abundance of history tucked in every corner. Take a walk through the town with us as we explore Pondicherry!…
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A Night at the Dune Eco Village Resort near Pondicherry, India (2015)

Priscilla had found the Eco Village Resort as a pretty well rated place to stay, but at $40 bucks a night, I was let’s just say a bit skeptical… Wow was I wrong! This is true paradise that feels as if you have been dropped onto another planet of beauty and lifestyle. To find the…
Read more: A Night at the Dune Eco Village Resort near Pondicherry, India (2015)
Mahabalipuram Underwater City, India (2015)

Driving in India is always an adventure and the first few minutes in the car will surely confirm that you are not in Illinois anymore. Our friends Anusha and Barath had arranged for a driver for us and for good reason, because the Indian style of driving is absolutely best left to the professionals. Once…
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Chennai, India – Street Photos and Videos (2015)

We went to the faraway place called India… It is a completely different world for this Midwestern boy. We visited in 2015 to attend a friend’s wedding in Chennai and then had a few days for exploring. The weather proved to be quite challenging during our visit with torrential downpours and flooding. When Chennai floods,…
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First Snow in Buffalo Grove – Pictures with Tom (2016)

In Chicago it snows. Winter has always been the most dreaded season for us. The harsh cold wind that pierces through even the thickest and toughest of winter coats, the sharp air that sucks the moisture out of everything and anything, and just the sheer coldness that drives us to hide in our insulated dwellings,…
Read more: First Snow in Buffalo Grove – Pictures with Tom (2016)
Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan (2016)

With the first real summer holiday coming up fast, we wanted to find a spot to camp outdoors at a drive-able distance from Chicago… So we were off to Tahquamenon located on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. And you ask why the UP of Michigan of all places to visit? Well we haven’t been there…
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