
Posted on 30 March 2012.
CONTRIBUTED BY SARRA MCMILLAN Hokkaido Snow Sculpture Hokkaido TV Tower Early in February, I purchased Heat Tech products from Uniqlo. I dug out a winter jacket, mittens, leg-warmers, wool socks, and every sweater I own. I found those hand-warmers that my mother always took on skiing trips. I put all these things in a suitcase [...]
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Posted in Off-Island Travel, Uncategorized

Posted on 23 January 2012.
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES Nana Dressed Nana Miso Cover Heading to Korea anytime soon? If you are, make it a point to watch Miso and Nanta. When I took a trip to Seoul, Korea recently, I knew I had to watch some shows that I would usually skip if the kids were with me. I [...]
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Posted in Off-Island Travel

Posted on 25 December 2011.
CONTRIBUTED BY LEAH MAGID Miyako View by Stephanie Magid Miyako Beach Mid-October, my little family and I took a much-needed vacation to the small island of Miyako (Jima is “island”). I had been looking for a quiet, close place to visit for a while, and a few months ago I found Miyako. Just a 45 [...]
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Posted in Beaches & Pools, Off-Island Travel, Okinawa Getaways
Posted on 17 August 2011.
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES Pattaya Croc Another port call, another request by our wonderful deployed Marine for the family to visit. My whole life, I’ve always loved Thai things: Thai food, Thai jewelry, Thai décor, Thai clothes—in fact, the first child I ever sponsored almost 15 years ago was a child from Thailand. However, from [...]
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Posted in Off-Island Travel

Posted on 07 July 2011.
Singapore Zoo CONTRIBUTED BY ROSIE LEE One of the most exciting things available to families living overseas in the Pacific is the many great travel opportunities. The options are endless and the cultures unforgettable. We have been fortunate and blessed enough to have traveled to several spots in Asia such as Thailand, Hong Kong, mainland [...]
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Posted in Off-Island Travel
Posted on 11 June 2011.
Continuing our features on the Yaeyama Islands… CONTRIBUTED BY LISA RUPPERT On our second full day in Ishigaki we decided to take a ferry to explore Iriomote Island, an island located about 25km west of Ishigaki. Iriomote is in stark contrast to Ishigaki with its subtropical forests, mountains and rivers providing a wealth of opportunities [...]
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Posted in Off-Island Travel, Okinawa Getaways
Posted on 10 June 2011.
CONTRIBUTED BY LISA RUPPERT Our spring break get-away to Ishigaki Island provided us with the perfect opportunity to explore this quaint little island. Taketomi Island is small, roughly 2.5km wide by 3.5km in length, and is located about 6km from Ishigaki’s port (in the southern portion of Ishigaki). Taking a trip to Taketomi Island is [...]
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Posted in Off-Island Travel, Okinawa Getaways
Posted on 09 June 2011.
CONTRIBUTED BY LISA RUPPERT In an effort to escape the doldrums of daily life and work, my husband and I decided to plan a little vacation during our daughter’s spring break holiday. We had seen programs highlighting Iriomote and Taketomi Islands on one of the AFN channels and we knew that these were two places [...]
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Posted in Off-Island Travel, Okinawa Getaways
Posted on 08 June 2011.
We were recently invited to enjoy a complimentary night at the ANA Intercontinental on Ishigaki Island. Sarah & her husband happily obliged, but the opinions below are totally theirs. CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH FORTE Remember weekend escapes? Those little chances to sneak away for a quick weekend; long enough to take a break, but not so [...]
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Posted in Off-Island Travel, Okinawa Getaways
Posted on 23 December 2010.
CONTIBUTED BY SARAH FORTE Part I of this post regarding the Dragon Hill Lodge in Seoul, Korea can be found HERE. Mention a trip to Tokyo from Okinawa and one of the first questions may be “Are you staying at the New Sanno?” Lots of us stationed on the Rock have heard of this hotel, [...]
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Posted in Military Life, Off-Island Travel