Paradise Near Seattle: Whidbey Island
Galleries
Dallas Smith's Blog
More Alaska Photos
October, 2013
As we traveled across the Denali Highway, the 105 mile dirt road through this incredible wilderness, with higher elevation came fresh snow.
Caritas = Caring Science
and Autumn Images of the South
It has been said that the American healthcare system is not about health, nor is it a system. Rather, it has been described as a pyramid scheme run by insurance companies with government collaboration, in which exorbitant premiums are collected from those who can afford to pay. Profits are maximized by simply paying out less in benefits than what is collected in premiums. The sicker the American population is, the more profits can be made by the insurance companies. Care is withheld from the uninsured...
Reflections on My Travel Affinity & Why Beliefs Don't Matter
Why do I like to travel? Maybe it started with the fact that my parents took me to see many of the country's national parks before I was twelve. I've told many friends that the single most life-changing thing I ever did was to leave the security of Columbus, Georgia at age twenty and enroll at the university in Kiel, Germany. I didn't know where I was going when I made that move, but I did know what I was getting away from—the prospect of a constricted life in Columbus, Georgia. . .
International nurses in Jerusalem, Israel
Susan speaking at Israel’s first International Nursing Conference was the original reason for Susan and me making what expanded to be a month-long tourist trip to Istanbul, Jordan, and Israel. Having visited Israel once before, I wanted to visit some new places, as long as we were going to travel so far, halfway around the world. The International Nursing Conference turned out to be a fantastic conclusion to a fantastic trip. . .
Entering Israel from Jordan
The difference between the Israeli and Jordanian sides of the Jordan Valley is striking. The Jordan side has relatively poor villages surrounded by fields of vegetables, fruits, and olive trees. The Israeli side looks more like California’s central valley…large lush fields not showing any lack of irrigation resources. The residences visible from the road were more “middle class” in quality compared with the simple Jordanian residences. . .
Jordan: Amman and Petra
June 2012
We left our group tour in Turkey to begin a private tour in Jordan, via a two-hour flight from Istanbul to Amman. As expected, there was a gentleman holding a sign with our names as soon as we entered the Amman airport immigration hall. After purchasing a visa, changing some money, having our passports stamped, and collecting our luggage, we were introduced to our driver, Mazen, who would be our companion throughout our travels during our short four-day sojourn in Jordan. . .
The Rich Variety of Turkish Culture and Cuisine
May 2012
This two-week tour of Turkey was managed by Go Ahead Vacations, a Boston-based tour company. Susan and I had traveled using their services once before, to Italy in 2006. We decided that for a country like Turkey, with which we were completely unfamiliar, that going with an organized tour was the best way to see the most sights in a short time without having to worry about managing any of the details ourselves. . .