Author Archives: mapwanderer
Lifeguard Tower, Redondo Beach, California, USA
Today was a cool, overcast day, but we still were able to enjoy our time at the beach. The Redondo Beach pier has a lot of shops, restaurants and activities to entertain visitors, defined by an unusual shaped pier where parts of the wooden structure are interconnected unlike the typical long, straight pier. After our […]
Palacio de Cristal, Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid, Spain
Translated as “Park of Pleasant Retreat”, this vast and peaceful park in Madrid really did love up to its name. This photo is of the Palacio del Crystal (Crystal Palace) designed as a greenhouse to feature different exhibits through the years. It was an architectural feat of creating this house from glass and steel and […]
US Presidential Inauguration, Washington, D.C.
It was just a normal day in December when I got a mysterious phone call from a 202 number, so I was hesitant to pick it up. Well, I’m glad I did! Right after the presidential election in November, I had contacted my local congressman to request tickets to the presidential inauguration taking place on […]
Disney’s California Adventure, Anaheim, California
Nestled within the Disney Resort, right next to Disneyland, is Disney’s California Adventure! I went here, not expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s California themed, so there are rides and shows relating to everything from Hollywood to the Golden Gate Bridge to the Paradise Pier (modeled after beach boardwalks such as Santa Monica […]
Globe, Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, California
Ok, so I know this photo isn’t really representative of the Griffith Observatory, but I just LOVE globes and maps. I found this globe at the gift store at the Griffith Observatory, located in the appropriately named Griffith Park. This year is the International Year of Astronomy, celebrating the 400th year since Galileo used a […]
Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois
The “Windy II” is a boat docked at the Navy Pier in Chicago. It’s likely this boat was named after Chicago’s nickname of the “Windy City”, which has a couple of backstories. The first reason is in relation to the weather and it being very windy, but with some research, I discovered that it was […]
Elephant Adventure, Thailand
On our way to Pattaya, Thailand, we stopped by for an Elephant Adventure where we were given the opportunity to ride elephants through the forest and through rivers like this one. This photo is of the man that helped guide our elephant through the charted trail. He even offered to get off the elephant a […]
Isla Mujeres, Mexico
The small island of Isla Mujeres (Island of Women) is located about 8 miles northeast of the picturesque city of Cancun. It was named this because it was once an island dedicated to the Mayan Moon Goddess. We took a short ferry there and spent the day visiting the Turtle Farm, snorkeling, swimming with sharks […]
Silhouettes and Sunset Painting, Los Angeles, California
I’m doing something a little different today. While this is a photo, it is also a photo of a painting I did a few months ago. I used acrylic paints on the canvas and my imagination ended up with this scene of the sun setting, creating a medley of orange, pink and purple colors. I […]
MapWanderer Travels 