We made reservations to tour Hearst Castle in San Simeon in advance and arrived about an hour before our scheduled tour. We had time for lunch and still moved up to an earlier tour. The ticket office attendant was happy to give us a spot on an earlier tour. The castle is magnificent and the grounds are beautiful. It is easy to see why the Hearst family picked that spot for their home. After touring we drove back to San Luis Obispo and checked into our room at th...

The drive was a long one from Albuquerque to Barstow, but we listened to a book on CD to help pass the time. It was 113 degrees at 8 p.m. on I-40 near Needles, California.

Before leaving the rain forest we stopped by the Butterfly Farm for a quick visit. The lodge provided transportation back up the river to the port and on to the airport. We were on flight 72 from Puerto Maldonado back to Lima with a stop in Cusco. Then we had a long layover in Lima and left on an 11:30 p.m. flight to Houston. We arrived home before noon. Amazing trip all in all. My favorite things: 10. Hydrangea garden 9. Coca tea 8. Fruit juice--mango, ...