No better place for critter-watching than the beach. This one was on Captiva island in 2021, one year before the big hurricane. I hope it made it.

A blue heron in a sea of blue, as seen at the Calvert Cliffs beach.

Thomas Jefferson built this plantation and called it Monticello — “little mountain”. Note the difference in size, proportion and style between this, a real mansion, and a McMansion.

You may not be able to tell, but there is a mound of (Waiola!) shaved ice under these red beans, and it is all delicious.

Behold, the Maryland state flag — one of the best in the Union — and state flower on top of the Maryland state desert, the Smith Island (birthday) cake. Best of all, this was a birthday we celebrated while on Smith Island.

The iguana on the right was in a bad mood: moments later it slapped the other one with its tail. So much for hanging out.

On a Caribbean island, even the view from an outhouse is approaching transcendence. Especially the view from an outhouse.

Who is the flaneur here?

The Las Vegas travel guide for families: come for the chocolates, stay for the surrounding cactus garden.

As an aside, is there anything more American than being so bored in retirement that you start a new business which 20 years later gets sold back to your old company?

As tall as they all are, Honolulu’s skyscrapers still respect the sky.