We began the winter of 2024 in sunny Las Vegas at the annual AWS re:Invent conference, and ended it on a weekend trip to muddy Langley, Washington. In between we covered a lot of miles, including a cruise to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica; trips to Israel, Toronto, and Santa Barbara; and local weekend stays in Mukilteo, Vancouver, and Bainbridge Island.

It had been as least a decade since we’d been in Toronto when we returned in mid-December for James to visit the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station. We enjoyed a couple of days in pub-filled Whitby during the visit, an area we’d not spent much time in.

Our cruising plans for Dirona long included a visit to Ernest Shackleton’s grave in Grytviken, South Georgia, but we just didn’t get that far south. We filled that gap on a fabulous holiday season cruise took in the region’s diverse and striking wildlife. It was a memorable adventure to end the year.

In late January, Jennifer accompanied James on a business trip to Israel, where we spent time in Old Jaffa, the oldest part of Jaffa. Archaeological excavations date the city back to at least the early Bronze Age, about 3300 BC. This impressed James greatly when he visited on business decades earlier, and we were excited that Jennifer could finally be here.

Later in Santa Barbara, we joined the Hamilton clan on a tour of the spectacular botanical garden Ganna Walska Lotusland. The 37-acre (15 ha) garden was the former estate of Polish opera singer Ganna Walska and contains over 3,500 different plants.

We continue to enjoy our downtown Seattle lifestyle, and the many restaurants and entertainment options available. This winter we attended several professional sports games, including Seattle Seahawks football and Seattle Kraken hockey, and also took in a Vancouver Canucks game on the trip there.

We’ve always loved live music, and saw the Eagles at The Sphere in Las Vegas after re:Invent. The Sphere is an excellent concert venue and the Eagles put on a wonderful show. And we caught Collective Soul at the Muckleshoot Casino Resort outside Seattle. We’ve been fans of the band since living in Toronto back in the 1980s, and it was great to see them in such an intimate venue. We also attended another Winemaker’s Dinner, highlighting area wines, and the spectacular Atra Lumina winter light show, pictured above.

Below are highlights from December 2nd, 2024 through Feb 28, 2025. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a map with our most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.

12/2/2024

Zoox Position: 36°4.28’N, -115°13.74’W Heading out for ride in a Zoox self-driving car during the AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas. James has ridden in a Zoox several times, but this is Jennifer’s first trip in a car without driver, steering wheel, or pedals. The vehicle did an impressive job of navigating city streets to the Las Vegas strip and back. Read more …

12/6/2024

The Eagles at the Sphere Position: 36°7.26’N, -115°9.72’W The Eagles on stage at the Sphere in Las Vegas, playing the opening chords to Hotel California as the screen behind shows a car approaching “On a dark desert highway”. It was a spectacular evening.

12/8/2024

Boat Fire Position: 47°36.99’N, -122°20.59’W A pleasure craft engulfed in flames off West Seattle in Elliott Bay. The lone occupant escaped by jumping into the cold waters and was rescued by another boater nearby. Amazingly, they did not require any medical treatment.

12/10/2024

Barolo Position: 47°36.86’N, -122°20.25’W An excellent dinner at our favorite table in Barolo restaurant, tucked into the back corner.

12/12/2024

USCGC Healy Position: 47°36.99’N, -122°20.59’W The USCGC icebreaker Healy underway in Elliott Bay. The largest USCGC vessel, and the largest and most advanced US icebreaker, the Healy has been out of commission since July of this year due to an electrical fire. It’s hard to believe that our most advanced ice breaker is 25 years old. Sourcing parts for that old vessel won’t be easy.

12/14/2024

Room at Silver Cloud Position: 47°56.95’N, -122°18.19’W Checking out the water view from our room at the Silver Cloud hotel in Mukilteo.

Silver Cloud Position: 47°56.95’N, -122°18.22’W The Silver Cloud Mukilteo isn’t just at the water, it extends over it on a concrete pier, making for excellent views from the rooms.

Diamond Knot Brewery Position: 47°56.91’N, -122°18.28’W A great lunch at Diamond Knot Brewery in Mukilteo.

Place Table Leg Here Position: 47°56.91’N, -122°18.28’W Recognizing that one of the most common applications of beer coasters in pubs is to shim uneven table legs, this one came with instructions :-).

Ferries Position: 47°56.95’N, -122°18.19’W Two Washington state ferries passing in the evening en route between Mukilteo and Clinton on Whidbey Island.

12/15/2024

Divers Position: 47°56.96’N, -122°18.19’W View from our room at the Silver Cloud Mukilteo hotel to scuba divers as a ferry passes in the background. Mukilteo is a popular scuba diving location for its easily accessible deep water. We completed our PADI deep diver course here.

Tapas Angel Position: 47°36.12’N, -122°20.10’W We loved this wine bottle holder at Tapas Angel, where we had an early dinner before a Sunday Night Football game at nearby Lumen Field. It was our first time at the restaurant and we had a great time.

Occidental Ave Position: 47°36.00’N, -122°19.97’W Walking with the crowds of football fans towards Lumen Field along Occidental Ave, lit up for the holiday season

Sunday Night Football Position: 47°35.72’N, -122°19.97’W The Seahawks Dancers sporting phosphorescent costumes with the fans wearing LED wrist bands that glow in concert as part of the Sunday Night Football half-time show. It was a fun evening, despite the Green Bay Packers beating the Seattle Seahawks 30-13.

12/16/2024

Reactor Vault Position: 43°52.15’N, -78°43.54’W Looking down to the reactor vault for Darlington’s Unit 2 in Toronto where James is touring the facility on business. The first reactor to be refurbished, it came back online in 2020. Each reactor and its four accompanying steam generators are enclosed in separate buildings with heavily-reinforced 6-ft-thick (1.8m) concrete walls. Read more …

12/19/2024

Packing Position: 47°37.00’N, -122°20.58’W Packing for our trip aboard the Silver Endeavour to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula. Packing for this trip will be a little challenging with luggage limits for the charter flights restricted per person to one carry-on weighing 17 lbs and one checked bag of at most 50lbs. Besides our cold-weather gear, we need some cooler clothing for potentially warm days in Santiago before the cruise, and some nicer clothes for the more formal evenings on board.

12/25/2024

Happy Holidays Position: -51°43.05’S, -61°18.68’W Wishing you all happy holidays and best wishes for the New Year from New Island, Falkland Islands.

12/30/2024

Shackleton’s Grave Position: -54°17.10’S, -36°30.44’W In Grytviken, South Georgia at the grave of British explorer Ernest Shackleton, who famously saved his entire crew after their ship, the Endurance, was trapped in the ice in Antarctica and sunk in 1912. Our cruising plans for Dirona long included a visit to Shackleton’s grave, but we just didn’t get that far south.

King Penguins Position: -54°26.40’W, -36°11.42’S The king penguin colony at St. Andrew’s Bay in South Georgia is likely the largest in the world, with a population of at least 150,000 birds. It was a real privilege to be standing amongst them.

1/8/2025

Construction Position: 47°36.99’N, -122°20.58’W The apartment complex under construction to our north topped out while we were away in the Southern Hemisphere. Our view to Lake Union is mostly gone, but will improve somewhat when the crane between the two buildings is dismantled.

Mike Morgan Position: 47°36.83’N, -122°20.83’W With Mike Morgan, co-owner of Vindicktive Wings, decked out for Wednesday Wing Night’s rotating theme, tonight being Western. We’ve started a bit of a tradition of having dinner at Vindicktive Wings when we return from a long trip, as we usually are starved for some good wings. Wing Night is incredibly popular at Vindicktive, with a long wait for a table, but we got here early enough after our flight from Chile to easily get in for the usual great evening.

1/15/2025

Muckleshoot Casino Resort Position: 47°17.37’N, -122°11.67’W Our room for the night at the new Muckleshoot Casino Resort, 33 miles (53 km) south of Seattle in Auburn. We’re here to have dinner before attending a Collective Soul concert. This is our first time at the facility and we enjoyed our stay.

Collective Soul Position: 47°17.42’N, -122°11.76’W Lead guitarist Jesse Triplett and lead singer Ed Roland, playing harmonica, during Collective Soul’s concert at Muckleshoot Casino. The concert venue was small and intimate, with only a few hundred seats and good sight lines. We had a great time at the show and will likely return.

1/16/2025

DEXA Scan Position: 47°37.17’N, -122°21.51’W James lying still for a DEXA scan at Dexafit Seattle to measure lean muscle mass. The good news is that we’ve both improved since becoming more serious about strength training 6 months earlier.

Illuminate Position: 47°37.01’N, -122°20.42’W One of several installments in the South Lake Union winter light display, Illuminate.

1/17/2025

Fog Position: 47°36.99’N, -122°20.58’W The Port of Seattle cranes barely visible from our apartment through a thick bank of early morning fog.

Vancouver Canucks Position: 49°16.67’N, -123°6.53’W At Rogers Arena in Vancouver to watch an all-Canadian match with the Vancouver Canucks taking on the Edmonton Oilers. In a close game, the Canucks beat the Oilers 3-2. Read more …

1/20/2025

Kraken vs Sabres Position: 47°37.33’N, -122°21.25’W At Climate Pledge Arena to watch the Seattle Kraken beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-4.

1/23/2025

Ilana Goor Museum Position: 32°3.06’N, 34°44.98’E The Ilana Goor Museum, perched atop the hillside in Old Jaffa in Isreal, is housed in a building dating to 1742. The museum collection includes over 500 pieces of art that founder Ilana Goor over 50 years either created or collected during her travels. Read more …

2/1/2025

The Local Position: 47°31.91’N, -122°22.58’W A delicious dinner at The Local before heading to the Astra Lumina light show. The restaurant is aptly named: everyone seemed to know each other.

Astra Lumina Position: 47°33.06’N, -122°21.15’W We had a fabulous evening at the seasonal Astra Lumina light show at the Seattle Chinese Garden. The production uses light, projection and sound to create an immersive cosmic-themed display.

2/4/2025

Chinese New Year Position: 47°37.01’N, -122°20.56’W We arrived home this evening to dancing dragons in our lobby in celebratio of Chinese New Year.

2/5/2025

Snow Position: 47°37.01’N, -122°20.58’W A rare snowfall in Seattle.

2/6/2025

Cote Bonneville Winemaker Dinner at Aerlume, Seattle Position: 47°36.63’N, -122°20.68’W An excellent evening at the Cote Bonneville Winemaker Dinner at Aerlume in Seattle. Pictured is Hugh Shiels, DuBrul Vineyard grower and Cote Bonneville Founder.

2/7/2025

Departing for Bainbridge Island Position: 47°36.10’N, -122°20.53’W Looking back to downtown Seattle on a wonderfully sunny winter morning as we head off by ferry for an overnight trip to Bainbridge Island.

Insignia Position: 47°36.19’N, -122°21.42’W View to our apartment complex, Insignia from the ferry to Bainbridge Island. Out buildings are two tall grey ones, and visibile behind in yellow is the apartment complex under construction that will partially block our view of Lake Union.

Gazzam Lake Nature Preserve Position: 47°37.18’N, -122°33.73’W Out for first snow ruck at Gazzam Lake Nature Preserve on Bainbridge Island. The weather has been unusually cold in the Pacific Northwest for the past few days.

Bainbridge Brewing Position: 47°37.50’N, -122°30.89’W Enjoying a traditional post-ruck beer, this one at the Bainbridge Brewing Alehouse.

Logo Position: 47°37.50’N, -122°30.89’W The Bainbridge Brewing logo is creatively styled with mirrored ‘B’s as both the initials of the brewery, but also to resemble the Washington ferries that connect the island to Seattle.

Bruciato Position: 47°37.50’N, -122°31.16’W James using the supplied scissors to cut into a pizza at Bruciato on Bainbridge Island. It’s an unusual technique, but effective, and the pizza is quite good.

2/11/2025

Olympic Mountains Position: 47°36.99’N, -122°20.59’W The Olympic Mountains, thick with snow, glowing pink in the morning sun.

2/14/2025

Japanese Garden Position: 34°26.49’N, -119°39.50’W The Hamilton clan at the Japanese Garden in Santa Barbara’s Lotusland. To James’ left are his uncles Neil (center) and Gord. And to Jennifer’s left is Neil’s wife Jacky and Gord’s wife Karen. Read more …

2/19/2025

Exotic Cars Position: 47°37.02’N, -122°20.63’W A frequently changing pair of exotic cars are parked in these two spaces in our apartment complex. Today’s cars are a green Lamborghini and a yellow Ferrari. An earlier pair was a green Porsche and a red Ferrari.

2/21/2025

Luggage Position: 47°36.99’N, -122°20.58’W Our luggage for a weekend trip to Langley on the elevator of our apartment. We’re going to go rucking, so one bag is just for that gear.

Tokitae Position: 47°56.88’N, -122°18.05’W About to board the ferry Tokitae for a weekend trip to Langley on Whidbey Island.

2/22/2025

Boatyard Inn Position: 48°2.34’N, -122°24.28’W Our room for a second stay at the Boatyard Inn in Langley. We really like the light-filled loft with its deck and view to the Langley Marina.

Putney Woods Position: 48°2.69’N, -122°27.75’W Out for soggy ruck at Putney Woods on Whidbey Island. This particular trail is significant for us as the very first place we tried rucking back in May of last year.

Langley Mystery Weekend Position: 48°2.43’N, -122°24.43’W A volunteer dressed in character for the 40th annual Langley Mystery Weekend. The event, based loosely on the board game ‘Clue’, draws 2,500-3,000 participants whose ticket purchase includes a program with cast photos, a clue map, and a story synopsis. The town was packed with people looking for clues and interviewing cast members.

2/23/2025

Saratoga Woods Position: 48°2.77’N, -122°27.29’W Our second ruck of our Langley weekend, this one at Saratoga Woods. The trail was quite muddy in places due to recent storms.

2/26/2025

Window Cleaning Position: 47°36.99’N, -122°20.58’W The biannual window cleaning is underway at our apartment complex.

2/28/2025

Vindicktive Wings Position: 47°36.84’N, -122°20.83’W James and Mike Morgan, one of the co-owners of Vindicktive Wings, deep in conversation.

Ocean Ecosystem Position: 47°36.75’N, -122°20.82’W The recently painted mural “Ocean Ecosystem” by artist Adry del Rocio, at Bell and Elliot in Seattle, is one of the largest outdoor murals in North America. We can see it from our apartment.

Cloudburst Brewing Position: 47°36.70’N, -122°20.71’W Enjoying a refreshing hazy IPA at Cloudburst Brewing in Seattle. The taps rotate constantly, and there’s always a different selection each time we visit.

El Gaucho Position: 47°36.73’N, -122°20.77’W A wonderful evening at the El Gaucho steakhouse in Seattle. Their steaks are delicious, but we are particularly drawn to their spicy “wicked shrimp” appetizer.

Grill at El Gaucho Position: 47°36.73’N, -122°20.77’W The grill chef at El Gaucho in Seattle with an impressively large number of steaks on the go. We’re looking forward to tasting ours.

Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map. And a map of our most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.