Travel - Lili on the Loose

2 02, 2019

Souvenir Saturday: Petrified Wood

By Lili|February 2nd, 2019|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2016, California, I left my heart in San Francisco, Napa Valley, North America, Petrified Forest, petrified wood, San Francisco, USA|0 Comments

Christmas 2016 I spent with my parents while visiting San Francisco and Napa Valley. One day we went on a few wine tastings, and on the way I was excited that our GPS told us we were on "Petrified Forest Road". I quickly googled and found an actual petrified forest was coming up. I begged my parents to stop, and they gave me about 20 minutes to explore it. I was so excited I could have spent all afternoon, but to commemorate this I bought a $55 petrified wood specimen. This one is unique in that some quartz crystal got in,

1 02, 2019

Foggy Venice

By Lili|February 1st, 2019|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Photography, Travel|Tags: 2006, All in the family 2005/2006, All in the family Italy 2005/2006, Christmas, Europe, Gondola, Gondola Ride, gondolier, Italy, New Year's Day, New Years Eve, Photo Friday, ride, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Venice, Venice Lagoon|0 Comments

One New Year's Day years ago I took a snowy, foggy, gondola ride in Venice, Italy. It was an otherworldly experience to be out on the water. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.

28 01, 2019

Museum Monday: Giganotosaurus

By Lili|January 28th, 2019|Categories: Dinosaurs, Museums, Travel|Tags: Colorado, Cretaceous, Cretaceous period, Denver, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Dinosaur, DMNS, fossil, North America, Ultimate Dinosaurs, USA|0 Comments

One of the largest carnivores, matching T-Rex for size is the Giganotosaurus. He was easily the largest fossil at this exhibit a few years ago at the Denver Museum. Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.

24 01, 2019

Deep Boarding/Coral Surfing/Aqua Boarding in Bocas Del Toro

By Lili|January 24th, 2019|Categories: Activities, Travel|Tags: 2017, Aqua Boarding, Beach Hopping 2017, Bocas del Toro, Bocas Town, Central America, Coral Surfing, Deep Boarding, G Adventures, ocean, Panama, shark, Travel Thursday|0 Comments

Ever want to fly and spin through the water like a dolphin or swim with fishes like a mermaid? Then you should head to Bocas Del Toro Panama to try this activity out! I've heard this sport called a few different things. My tour company called it "Aqua Boarding", while I've seen others refer to it as "Deep Boarding". But when I first heard of it, it was called "Coral Surfing" by one of my favorite bloggers Alex in Wanderland. Essentially, you are pulled from a boat. But instead of a water ski device, you have a board, and you

21 01, 2019

Travel Missteps: When Walking the Walk is Painful

By Lili|January 21st, 2019|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2008, Alamo Square, ankle, Cable Car, California, Good Food in San Francisco, Lombard Street, North America, Painted Ladies, Postcard Row, San Francisco, USA|0 Comments

It's 2019, and I injured my ankle in late December of last year. As I start yet another round of physical therapy it reminds me of my first trip to San Francisco back in 2008, around 6 months after ankle surgery. I had been in a cast for months and then physical therapy after that. Everyone said I'd be ready for the San Francisco trip, but it was rough. All the walking up and down steep hills killed me with each step. And sadly that is what I remember most from this trip. Struggling to keep up with my family.

19 01, 2019

Souvenir Saturday: Money, Money, Money

By Lili|January 19th, 2019|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2011, collection, Girl’s Weekend, Las Vegas, Nevada, North America, snow globe, USA|0 Comments

Years ago I did a Girl's Trip to Las Vegas. I remember we hit up every casino for whatever their "Player's Card" free stuff was. On Freemont Street, at Binion's I won a printed photo of myself "licking" a million dollar pile of money because I panicked and couldn't think of a good pose. Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.

14 01, 2019

Museum Monday: Zed the Mammoth

By Lili|January 14th, 2019|Categories: Museums, Travel|Tags: 2018, California, Classical California, Columbian mammoth, ice age, La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles, mammoth, North America, Page Museum, Tar Pits, USA|0 Comments

Meet Zed. This ice-age Columbian mammoth is massive and was around 47-51 years old when he died (usual life expectancy was likely 60.) He was found at the Rancho La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles back in 2006 when the LA County Museum of Art was expanding and building a new parking garage. He likely died while wandering into a stream to drink water, unaware of the danger lurking below the surface. He ultimately became stuck and died of exhaustion or starvation. Luckily for us, scavengers didn't go after his bones, and he likely was quickly covered up. He is

7 01, 2019

Travel Missteps: Meow Wolf Dreams

By Lili|January 7th, 2019|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2017, House of Eternal Returns, Meow Wolf, New Mexico, North America, Santa Fe, sleepwalking, the Charter, USA|0 Comments

One Christmas Eve in 2017 I found myself overwhelmed by the spectacular immersive art exhibit called Meow Wolf, House of Eternal Returns. It's hard to describe. You start by being told the Charter, a sort of government organization investigating a family and their home due to portals to other worlds that have opened up in their home. As you wander the exhibits Charter minders and lab assistants monitor you. I explored this place for hours. There are no maps or instructions, you just wander around. Maybe you hit a wall and it makes music. Press a button and lights change. Duck under a

5 01, 2019

Souvenir Saturday: St John Clay Works Necklace

By Lili|January 5th, 2019|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2011, Caribbean, clay, Clay works, handmade, jewelry, Maho Bay Camps, necklace, pottery, St. John, St. John 2011, USVI|0 Comments

I've written before on the handmade pots I made on my various trips to St. John, but wanted to share one other item I got from the Maho Bay Clay Works. This lovely clay necklace wasn't made by me, but I got as a lovely reminder of my time in St. John. Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.

3 01, 2019

Changes in Hotel Security Policies

By Lili|January 3rd, 2019|Categories: Travel, Travel News|Tags: 2017, Anaheim, California, Charlotte, Fantasy Lands 2017, hotel, housekeeping, New Mexico, North Carolina, Santa Fe, security, Travel Thursday|0 Comments

In December 2017, I did a lot of traveling. Anaheim, Charlotte, and Santa Fe. One common theme I found was the new security systems in place in the wake of October 2017's Las Vegas Shooter situation. Now, in many hotels staff are required to enter hotel rooms once a day, regardless of the guest's wishes. It started at the Hilton Anaheim. I had spent the day before at Disneyland, and so was gone all day. That day I was going to be working from my hotel room for most of the day, before heading off to a client meeting. I