Hummingbird Moths in Colorado

On June 15, 2020June 15, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado8 Comments

Generally speaking, we are not a fan of moths as they are not usually as colorful or pretty as butterflies. That doesn’t mean that we haven’t seen some that are quite interesting, even if still a little disturbing. Perhaps it is because moths often fly out of dark places when disturbed that make them even more freaky in addition to their furry bodies. We did, however, have a visitor come to our patio this past week that was both a little creepy and yet interesting, it was a hummingbird moth. We had never heard of such a thing until we saw one in our yard and looked it up on the internet.

After a long day of working on our yard, we sat out on our patio to relax at the end of the day. We have a couple of honeysuckle plants at the edge of our patio that will often attract hummingbirds to our yard. As it had gotten dark, we were preparing to go inside when we saw what looked like a hummingbird buzzing around one of the honeysuckle plants, but we knew that a hummingbird wouldn’t be at out in the dark. We took our phones a took a couple of photographs, but the pictures weren’t able to capture any detail. It was clear that it was a moth, but that was all that we could discern.

Photograph from Our Phone. It Looks Like an Alien and You Can See How Long the Tongue Is.

Later in the week, we had a couple more hummingbird moths show up and drink nectar from the honeysuckle plants, so we grabbed our actual camera. We were able to capture the moths and actually see their colorful wings. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t still a little creepy when you see them buzzing around in the dark, but at least we know that they aren’t as ugly as we had first thought when all we had were shadowy images. Have you ever seen a hummingbird moth before and, if so, what did it look like?

It Looks Like It Is Going to Give the Flower a Hug

Honoring Unknown Soldiers Around the World

On May 28, 2020May 28, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn England, France, Greece, Italy, Washington DCLeave a comment

Tributes to fallen soldiers can be found throughout the world and they are often somber and sobering experiences. Memorials to unknown soldiers are particularly impactful and are often accompanied with special ceremonies. The tradition started at the end of WWI with both England and France creating their own versions of the tombs. Although there are ones in other countries such as Canada, Egypt, Belgium, and Iraq, we have had the opportunity to see this fitting tributes in the United States, France, Greece, Italy, and England. It is important to remember the sacrifices made by those who gave their lives to provide the freedom that we all hold precious.

Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Arlington Cemetery

John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame at the National Cemetery

Arlington Cemetery – Located in Northern Virginia, just across the Potomac river from Washington DC, is Arlington Cemetery. It is the site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as well and is also the final resting place for thousands of veterans and the location of the Eternal Flame that sits at the head of John F. Kennedy’s grave. Seeing the changing of the guards is truly a fascinating experience and is a great honor for the soldiers who participate.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Eternal Flame Beneath the Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe – Sitting in the heart of Paris, France is the Arc de Triomphe and located underneath the arc is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from WWI and the eternal flame that burns in the memory of those who died and were never identified. We happened to visit on a cold and rainy day, which almost added to the mood that the memorial invokes. With all of the major avenues leading to the arc, it is a fitting location for such a tribute.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Below the Goddess Roma

Altare della Patria – At the base of a statue of the Goddess Roma at the Altare della Patria in Rome, Italy can be found the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the eternal flame. Translated to the Altar of the Fatherland is also the location of a museum and a viewing platform on its roof with spectacular views of the city. It is certainly an awe inspiring location to visit in a city with such a rich history.

Syntagma Square – Located in the square just outside of the Parliament building in Athens, Greece is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. At 11:00 am daily, there is the changing of the guards, but if you want the full pageantry that the ceremony has to offer, you should attend on Sunday when it is more colorful and elaborate. It is an experience that will not soon be forgotten as the soldiers make dramatic motions as they march into their locations.

Westminster Abbey – Inside of Westminster Abbey in London, England is the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. The grave is covered with a black marble stone that has an inscription by the Dean of Westminster engraved with brass that was melted down from ammunition on it. We were not able to take photographs inside of the abbey, so we don’t have any images to share of this particular tomb.

All of these monuments are well worth visiting, especially if there is a significant ceremony at the location. Each of them have many similarities, but are also unique in their own ways. We definitely recommend putting them on your itinerary when visiting any of these locations.

The Food of Carlsbad, California

On May 6, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn California, Food, RecipesLeave a comment

Located on the coast of southern California, Carlsbad has a combination of food styles that makes it a great food destination. First of all, being on the coast, seafood is a staple at many of the restaurants and there are even some that have their own boats that provide fresh fish for the restaurant. Being in California, healthy food is certainly on most menus and there is definitely an emphasis on farm-to-table as well as ocean-to-table. Finally, with its close proximity to Mexico, there are definitely options for authentic Mexican fare as well. That doesn’t mean that you are limited to those choices as there are sushi restaurants, Italian choices, and certainly good old steak and potato places.

Since we live in Colorado, seafood was high on our list of things to eat while we were there and we certainly had our fill. With plenty of places to choose from, one of our favorites was the Bluewater Grill, which sourced their fish from their own boat and also offered fresh fish to be purchased to take home. They claimed to have an award winning clam chowder, so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try it and it truly was delicious. Clearly that wasn’t the only seafood that we had as we enjoyed mussels at Jay’s Gourmet Seafood and Pizza, shrimp tacos and lobster and corn chowder at the Coyote Bar and Grill, and calamari at 264 Fresco.

Lemon Pepper Mahi Mahi at the Bluewater Grill

If you want Mexican food, Senior Chubby’s is certainly a favorite of the locals and features a salsa bar where you can get some really spicy salsa if you want. We also enjoyed the atmosphere and friendly staff at Las Olas where we enjoyed a couple of margaritas and a spicy cheese and bean dip. You don’t have to go to a Mexican restaurant to find Mexican choices as we even enjoyed delicious Huevos Rancheros at Dini’s Bistro, a place we went to a couple of times at sunset as they had great views of the ocean.

Spicy Cheese and Bean Dip with a Margarita

Clearly there are too many choices for the time that we had, but we did our best to visit as many places as possible. Sometimes it was for a quick snack and a drink, other times it was for a full meal (shared of course). There were other times when we just stopped in for a glass of wine or beer at places like the Village Pub, a fun little outdoor place called Crackhead Crafty’s, and a unique place called Campfire. Since Carlsbad Village is so walkable, it easy to wonder around and just explore and find places that sound interesting to you. In addition to food and drinks, there were several places that offered live entertainment, even on weeknights, providing a great atmosphere for people to gather and relax.

We certainly enjoyed the food that we ate while we were in Carlsbad and there didn’t seem to be any bad choices. Being on the ocean, most places provided casual dining, even if the food was upscale. Obviously you can find a formal restaurant if that is what you are looking for, but we enjoy casual, especially when visiting the beach. We will likely return to Carlsbad someday in the future and look forward to trying some new places as well as revisiting some of our favorites.