Sumiyoshi Taisha, Osaka, Japan

Japan Recommendations

* Top recommendations Tokyo Gardens/Parks Shibuya, Yoyogi Park https://goo.gl/maps/uN26KEPCHaHbA46E8 Shinjuku, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden https://goo.gl/maps/oGjpuHHUYw4diYJq7 Chuo, Hamarikyu Gardens https://goo.gl/maps/uN26KEPCHaHbA46E8 Chuo, Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Gardens https://goo.gl/maps/G6fyKQ5A4Y9Tr64J8 Ginza, Hotel New Otani Japanese Garden (haven’t been but the garden is open to public): https://goo.gl/maps/UVziN2MocptyKXKz8 Asakasa, Ark Hills – Ark Garden. [https://goo.gl/maps/cFdahWRpkE3eFpdz8… Food *Yamashita Honki Udon – Udon *Godaime Hanayama Udon […]

Petzl Actik Core Headlamp

Petzl Actik Core Headlamp Review

Why We Got a Headlamp When we first brought Kaka home, it was nearing wintertime, so we wound up walking her in the dark alot, using our phones’ flashlight to guide our way. After a Costco run, we found some really affordable Duracell headlamps, thinking it’d be a better alternative and also a useful emergency […]

oyaki

Oyaki Experiment (Part 2)

Welcome back to our Oyaki experiment! Last time we talked about how we had discovered the discrepancy between Japanese All Purpose (AP) flour, called chuurikiko, and American AP flour. The American King Arthur AP flour we used has a higher protein content of 11.7% compared to the 9% typical of Japanese AP flour. In our […]

photo of lights at the Autumn Lights Festival at Gardens at Lake Merritt

8 Hidden Costs of Traveling

As we’re wrapping up the bulk of our planning, I realized that there were a couple of crucial parts of trip planning that caught me by surprise when working on our budget and thought that those would be good to share for those who are also going to start their own adventure. They might be […]

photo of Adrienne scuba diving

PADI Scuba Certification

Ever consider scuba diving? Do it. But carefully consider where you take your certification course, it can make all the difference! We choose Maui because we knew it would be idyllic warm water and the island is renowned for diving. While diving in warm water will require us to later do a cold water conversion, […]