Evolution of Branson

The Grand Staircase in the Titanic Museum.

Branson Landing water show along Lake Taneycomo.

WildFire ride at Silver Dollar City.

One of 12 waterfalls in Dogwood Canyon Nature Park.

Sisters June and Joan stretch peanut brittle at Copper Kettle Candies in Silver Dollar City. June, 71, has worked here since 1968.

Story & Photos By Stan Wawer

Branson, MO, once known as Disneyland for Seniors, has evolved into a destination with something for all ages. It has become a pretty cool place with lots to see and lots to do.

   “When Branson opened, the average age of visitors was 65,” said Lynn Berry, director of communications for Branson’s Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Today, the average age is 57; in June, July and August it’s 41.”

   During my stay in Branson in early May, I saw more families than I did seniors. Branson was way more than I expected. Branson offers live shows, outdoor adventure and family fun. It all starts with Branson Landing along Lake Taneycomo and reaches out to the theater district, Silver Dollar City and the stunning Dogwood Canyon Nature Park.

   Branson Landing has a variety of high-end shops, including Bass Pro Shops White River Outpost on the south end of Branson Landing. Bass Pro Shops Inc. corporate office and headquarters are located in nearby Springfield.

   I spent an exciting day at Dogwood Canyon Nature Park following a morning of ziplining the eight-stage Branson Zipline Canopy Tours. Dogwood Canyon is waterfalls heaven. The park covers 10,000 acres of pristine Ozark Mountain landscape. There are miles of crystal-clear trout streams, dozens of cascading waterfalls, unique hand-built bridges and bottomless blue-green pools. The park continues into Arkansas where I saw elk, bison and Texas longhorn steers. I even got to scratch a female elk behind the ear and under her chin.

   Bass Pro Shops’ founder Johnny Morris acquired the land in 1990. The Dogwood Canyon Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the canyon’s natural plant and wildlife environment, manages the park. The park offers trail rides, biking, wildlife tram tours, private guided jeep tours, Segway tours, fishing and a cattle drive. A new working gristmill, with general store, restaurant, bike barn and patio area will open later this year. Hope Wilderness Chapel, which hosts weddings, is a replica of churches from the 1800s.

   Silver Dollar City is an 1880s-style theme park much like Southern California’s Knott’s Berry Farm. The park features a dozen restaurants, 40 live shows daily, 60 unique shops and 30 rides and attractions, several rides of the white-knuckle variety. Craftsmen demonstrate the art of woodcarving, glassblowing, pottery, blacksmithing and candy making.

  In June, Silver Dollar City features the Harlem Globetrotters headlining and performing in an exhibition of basketball expertise. They will star in 30-minute performances presented three times daily for six weeks.

   Branson’s theaters will host a number of big names in 2015, including Charlie Daniels, Johnny Mathis, Little River Band and the Oak Ridge Boys in the Oak Ridge Theatre. Andy Williams Moon River Theatre hosts Rick Springfield, B.J. Thomas, Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley. Moon River also hosts regulars the Osmond Brothers, the Lennon Sisters, illusionist Rick Thomas and Mary Wilson of The Supremes.

   Acrobats of Shanghai is one of Branson’s biggest attractions. I saw them perform on a trip to Shanghai in 2006 and the smaller group in Branson. They will leave you spellbound.

   The Titanic, the world’s largest museum attraction, is a must see. This is an incredible museum and one I highly recommend. The museum has more than 400 artifacts, 20 galleries and 2,208 stories to share. Since the venue opened in 2006, it has received more than 5.5 million visitors. If you love history, this place is going to make you drool.

   The museum is a half-scale replica of the original ill-fated cruise ship that hit an iceberg south of Newfoundland and sank on April 25, 1912. Of the 2,223 passengers on board, 1,517 died. Boarding daily starts at 9 a.m. The Titanic Museum is open year round.

   There are many excellent restaurants in Branson. I dined at the magnificent Chateau on the Lake Restaurant overlooking Table Rock Lake. It started out with a great sunset over the lake, a filet mignon dinner, excellent malbec wine and a chocolate dessert to die for. The hotel’s atrium with waterfalls is another stunner. Branson also offers camping, boating, the Branson Scenic Ozark Zephyr Railway (www.bransontrain.com) and golf.

   As I said earlier in this story, Branson isn’t just for seniors anymore, it is now an every age go-to destination.

   If you go

   Most visitors to Branson fly into Springfield-Branson National Airport. It is about 50 miles north of Branson. It offers dozens of daily flights connecting to eight international airports via five airlines — Allegiant Air, American, Delta, Northwest and United. Branson Airport opened in 2009. It is where many private planes land. Check at FlyBranson.com. I flew American to Springfield, with a plane change in Dallas-Fort Worth. Rental cars are available at both airports.

Where to Stay

There are a number of hotels, motels, inns and resorts in the Branson area. I stayed at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing ((hiltonsofbranson.com). It is across Main Street from the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel (hiltonofbranson.com). Chateau On The Lake Resort & Spa is four diamonds, with an excellent restaurant a breathtaking view of Table Rock Lake (ChateauOnTheLake.com).

   All information is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.

   Travel Editor Stan Wawer is a La Verne resident, a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and editor of his own travel blog, www.travelwithstan.blogspot.com. Address all travel related questions to his blog. His travel Facebook page is www.facebook.com/TravelWithStan.

Fall in Rocky Mountain National Park

Photos By STAN WAWER

Alberta Falls.

Bull elk waiting for the rut.

Sprague Lake.

Larendi Cave a Surreal Scene

Story & Photos By Stan Wawer

I probably should have read a little more about my Larendi Cave tour outside of Reykjavik, Iceland. I didn’t have to sign a waiver, which led me to believe I was entering New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns — well-lighted paths, giant chambers, giant stalactites and stalagmites.
   Larendi Cave is only a half-hour drive from Reykjavik but it might as well be 100 miles. It’s a drive through spectacular lava fields and passed a fish-head drying “farm.” “We sell the heads of fish to Nigeria,” said Bjorn Hroarsson, our guide, speologist and travel writer. “They use the heads to make soup.” Who knew?
   We reached the entrance to Larendi Cave after about a 200-yard hike through a lava field. To say it was a hole in the ground would be an understatement. With my helmet in place and flashlight in hand I carefully climbed down lava rock to the cave’s main entrance. The rain and fog made for a surreal scene.
   I’m alive today to tell you that if I did not have a helmet upon my head I would not have a head, as I know it. The tiny stalactites I hit more times than I can count would have surgically exposed my brain.
If you have back or knee problems forget Larendi Cave. If you are taller than 5-4, you will spend the major portion of the hike hunched over, crawling or rolling along. Prior to entering Larendi, I called it stand-up spelunking. I now call it crouching and crawling spelunking.
   “Have you ever had an obese person try the cave tour?” someone asked. “I once had a lady from the states,” he explained. “Her a.. was bigger than the cave entrance.”
   There is nothing easy about this experience; you make your way over lava rock and through narrow passageways. There is no smooth path to discovery. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat, but the next time, I will wear a helmet under my helmet. There might not be a whole lot up there in my brain but it’s the only one that I have and I would like to keep it.

Thrill of the Ice

Story & Photos By Stan Wawer

It was the crampons, with the front spikes, on the ice. Professor Plum had nothing to do with this one. Only a couple of quick reflective actions kept me from a possible broken nose and a concussion. 
   At the end of a one-and-a-half-hour hike on the Solheimajokull glacier on the south coast of Iceland, I looked around for a final view of this magnificent ice walking adventure. It was then that I caught my front spikes and headed downward, my life flashing before my eyes.
   I threw my ice pick to the left; with my right hand, I swung my camera hanging around my neck to the right and turned my upper body just enough left to protect the only face that belongs to me. My left hand and my left ear connected with solid ice. Ouch! I was back on my feet before I had to take a standing eight count. Both my ear and left hand were cut. I did not know the left hand was cut and bleeding until I took off my glove at the end of a 40-minute hike back to the bus. Albeit the ear was treated it continued to bleed during the two-hour ride back to Reykjavik. To those friends who prayed for my safe walk on the glacier, next time pray harder.
   Would I hike the glacier again? It was one of the most amazing adventure experiences of my life. The exhilaration, the breathtaking view, the crevasses with their Tidy Bowl blue water far outweighed any bonk on the head.
   Carrying crampons, helmet and ice pick, our small group hiked 40 minutes up to the glacier where we were given instructions on ice walking. “Walk like an American cowboy,” Daniel, our young guide, explained. “You don’t want the front spikes of your crampons digging in. Down you will go.” Next time I will listen more closely to my instructor.
   Once on the ice, we crunched over some amazing terrain with crevasse, sink holes and ice ridges that a week from now will have moved in another direction. Only the crampons hitting ice broke the silence. I scooped up and drank cold, pure water from little pools.
   Solheimajokull glacier is near the sleeping giant known as Katla volcano, which is overdue to erupt. Now that would have been an adventure.
   Arcanum Glacier Tours offer glacier walks, snowmobiling, ice climbing, super jeep tours and ATV tours. If you are planning a trip to Iceland — and you should — go online to www.arcanum.is.

Yellowstone Association Institute

With summer in the rearview mirror, many vacationers are planning a winter trip, and the non-profit Yellowstone Association Institute is offering a lineup of programs that showcase and help foster a greater understanding of the park.    Operated by the park’s official educational partner — the Yellowstone Association — since 1976, YAI has been offering in-depth programming, expert instructors and accommodations either in park lodges, at its Lamar Valley field campus or at its Gardiner, Mont. Overlook Campus.    “Even for experienced Yellowstone enthusiasts, a winter trip is like visiting a whole new park,” said Wendie Carr, marketing manager for the Yellowstone Association. “And a trip with a knowledgeable naturalist guide makes it much more fascinating and helps showcase all that a winter visit to Yellowstone has to offer.”    YAI offers a series of Field Seminars, Private Tours and multi-day Lodging & Learning programs. Field Seminars are typically held at the Institute’s Lamar Buffalo Ranch Field Campus, where simple and comfortable log cabins are available for $35 per person per night. Another YAI lodging option is theYellowstone Overlook Field Campus in Gardiner, Mont. featuring two three-bedroom, two-bathroom modern log cabins for up to 12 people and a two-bedroom, one-bathroom cabin for up to five people.    Private Tours are tailored for families and small groups and tours typically focus on wildlife watching or skiing and snowshoeing. Lodging & Learning programs are offered in partnership with lodging operator Xanterra Parks & Resorts and combine daily field trips with comfortable lodging in park hotels. Notable programs this winter include:    Wilderness First Responder is an 80-hour course to be held Nov. 8-17 at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch. Successful participants will receive certifications in Wilderness First Responder and CPR and will be qualified to prevent and respond to incidents in the backcountry. Tuition is $700 per person and does not include lodging.    Holidays at Lamar is available for groups up to 19 people and is offered Nov. 26-30 and Dec. 13-17 and 18-22. Groups will work with their guides to select appropriate activity levels as they learn about wolves and other wildlife, history, ecology and geology of Yellowstone's northern range. The package costs $4,770 per group and includes two full-day tours with Institute naturalist guides, four nights of lodging in private cabins, unlimited access to the Lamar Buffalo Ranch facilities, snowshoes and in-park transportation on tour days.    New Year’s Wildlife Watching will be held at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch Dec. 28-31 and will feature daily outings to observe wolves, bison, elk, bighorn sheep and other wildlife. Participants are welcome to stay an extra night to ring in the New Year. Tuition is $444 per person plus lodging.    Returning this year will be “Lamar Valley Wolf Week” held Dec. 8-12, March 2-6, 9-13, and 16-20 at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch when park lodges are closed for the season. This program features a combination of classroom learning and in-field observation led by Institute naturalists and guest speakers.  Limited to 19 participants, the program includes catered meals, use of snowshoes, instruction and in-park transportation.    YA is a membership-based organization. For information about becoming a member visit www.yellowstoneassociation.org/membership/. For more information about any Institute program visitwww.YellowstoneAssociation.org or FaceBook.com/YellowstoneAssociation Reservations can be made by calling (406) 848-2400. For more information about any Institute program visit www.YellowstoneAssociation.org or FaceBook.com/YellowstoneAssociation. ###    The Yellowstone Association Institute is a non-profit field school operated by the Yellowstone Association in partnership with the National Park Service.  The Institute was founded in 1976 and offers more than 500 courses each year on the park’s plants, animals, geology and history.  Courses are based at the organization’s Lamar Buffalo Ranch and Yellowstone Overlook field campuses, at park hotels, and in the backcountry.    The Yellowstone Association was founded in 1933 to foster the public’s understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of Yellowstone National Park and its surrounding ecosystem. In addition to operating the Institute on a break-even basis, the Association manages educational bookstores and a membership program that generate revenues for the National Park Service.  Since its inception, the organization has raised more than $30 million for Yellowstone.  To receive a course catalog or for more information, go to www.YellowstoneAssociation.org, write to the Yellowstone Association at PO Box 117, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190 or call (406) 848-2400.

California Fall Color

This is the first California fall color report for autumn.  These reports are compiled from first-hand accounts and photographs received from a corps of volunteer color spotters throughout California.  
   The report will be issued each week from the first week of autumn to Thanksgiving Day. Detailed reports on reporting areas and an interactive map showing the state of color change throughout California can be seen at www.californiafallcolor.com.
   The following scale is used to report the overall change of color in reported areas: Just Starting, 0-10%; Patchy, 10-50%; Near Peak, 50-75%; Peak, 75-100%; and Past Peak.
   Today’s rainfall provided mixed blessings for fall color watchers.  The rain will serve to refresh trees whose leaves have not yet changed color, helping to extend the change of fall color, though high winds from the storm are likely to knock leaves that have already changed color, from branches, pushing areas at peak to past peak. 
   Fall color began peaking above 8,500 feet in the Eastern Sierra last week. Aspen groves are now at full peak (75–100 percent change) at the highest elevations of Bishop Creek Canyon, west of Bishop, including at: Weir Pond, Table Mountain Camp, Surveyors Meadow, Lake Sabrina, North Lake and the Groves above Cardinal Village.
   These high canyon groves are full of red, orange, yellow and lime aspen leaves.  Similarly, Mono County’s groves above 8,500 feet are showing peak colors at Rock Creek Lake, the Hilton Lakes and Sherwin Lakes. Many “near peak” (50–75 percent change) areas above 8,000 feet in elevation in both Inyo and Mono County are rapidly approaching peak.
   Patchy (10 to 50 percent of change) color is seen at elevations below 8,000 feet throughout the Eastern and Northern Sierra and Shasta Cascade. Southern California’s mountains are showing early color with patchy color in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains and in San Diego County at Mt. Laguna, Julian and Mt. Palomar.
   The color has still to develop along California’s coastal areas, though at Elk Meadow in Redwood National and State Parks along the North Coast, the elk rut — a colorful fall mating ritual — is in full display with Roosevelt Elk bulls challenging one another for rights to mate herds of elk cows.
   Northern California vineyards in the Napa and Sonoma valleys and the Sierra foothills are reporting patchy color with grape leaves beginning to turn yellow, orange, crimson and burgundy.  In past years, vineyards have tended to turn color by grape variety, extending the color viewing through October and into early November.

Eastern Sierra Detail

Inyo County

   GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) - Weir Pond (9650ft) - The hillside to the west of the pond is fully turned now with a few aspens giving up for the season. The aspen on the west side of the pond have really progressed quickly making for some exceptional reflection shots with green grass contrasted with gorgeous yellow, orange and touches of red. 
   GO NOW! – Near Peak (50 – 75%) - Parchers Camp (9260) - Parchers Camp is probably closer to the 75% mark with some lower lying aspen yet to turn, but the hillsides surrounding the resort are on fire to both the east & west. The color here at the resort tends to stick around a while so locals are predicting at least another week of good color.
   GO NOW! – Near Peak (50 – 75%)  - Willow Campground  (9000ft) - There is still enough green along the road and in the campground to keep this location at the near peak level but things are moving quickly with select trees showing nothing but green last week  now showing peak color.
   GO NOW! – Near Peak (50 – 75%) - Sabrina Campground (9000ft) - The aspen along Hwy 168 are at peak color with lots of red and orange to go along with yellow and some green from the pine. There is still quite a bit of green yet to turn along the middle fork of Bishop Creek. 
   GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) - Table Mountain Camp (8900ft) - Canyon walls above and around the campground are as brilliant as they're likely to get this season. Still quite a bit of greenery within the campground but it's changing incredibly fast. 
   GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) - Surveyors Meadow (8975ft) - Some green is still hanging tough along the road, but most of the aspen in this area have turned. The mountain to the west of South Lake Road and the trees along the creek are especially brilliant. 
   GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%)  - Lake Sabrina (9150ft) - Color towards the back of the lake near the main inlet is going off in a big way right now with lots of orange to go along with yellow, some patchy red and a bit of green. The east shore, especially the aspen lining the high mark of the reservoir are also showing some orange and red. Because this area is susceptible to wind, the color may be short lived. 
   GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%)  - North Lake (9255ft) - There is a significant amount of lime-colored aspen along North Lake Road and along the shoreline of the lake, though the vast majority of the fall color is here now with the hillside directly above the lake, the road approaching the lake, and the campground really looking spectacular with red, orange and yellow all found here.
   Patchy (10 - 50%) - Steiny Loop above Mt. Glen Camp (8600ft) - It's safe to say that about half of the color has started to go between Mt. Glen campground and the end of the Steiny Loop below Table Mt. Camp, possibly a touch more, but with the amount of green dominating the hillside at and below the campground, the area is still classified as patchy. 
   Patchy (10 - 50%) - Mist Falls and the groves above Bishop Creek Lodge (8350ft) - The color at the falls is a bit of the ordinary this year as just a few trees turned and are now losing their leaves while the vast majority of the color isn't showing at all yet, just some lime green. 
   Just Starting (0 - 10%) - Aspendell (8400ft) - Mostly lime green hued.  Very few yellow is showing within this small community.
   GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) - Groves above Cardinal Village (8550ft) - The color above Cardinal Village is in full effect with yellow painting the mountain from Cardinal Peak down to the mine. There is still quite a bit of green at Cardinal Village and below to Aspendell, with more good stuff to come from this beautiful area.
   Just Starting – (0 - 10%) - Four Jeffries - Still early.  Lots of green and lime.
   Just Starting – (10 - 50%) - Intake II - Some nice color developing below the spillway at the Intake and some decent yellow on the mountain east of the lake, but the aspen surrounding the lake itself remain primarily green, although lightening somewhat over the past week.
   Just Starting – (0 - 10%) - Big Trees Campground - A few early-bird trees are starting to go but barely any color here yet. This is another late blooming color location which hopefully will pop come October.

Mono County

   GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) – Rock Creek – Rock Creek Lake and the Rock Creek Trail are now at full peak.  Lower areas of Rock Creek Canyon at are approaching  peak and could go any day, now.
   GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100&) – Hilton Lakes Trail – Same as Rock Creek.
   Patchy (10-50%) Convict Lake – Aspen turning yellow along the edge of the lake.
   GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) – Sherwin Lakes – You’ll have to do some hiking to get to where it’s at full peak. Take the Sherwin Creek Trail up to the Sherwin Lakes to get close to these peak color areas. Patchy (10 – 50%) – Sherwin Creek - Sherwin Creek in Mammoth Lakes is just above 10% with lots of lime and a little yellow.
   GO NOW! – Near Peak (50 – 75%) – Green Creek – The color at Green Creek varies from patchy to near peak, so we’re alerting to Go Now!
   Patchy (10 – 50-%) – Rainbow Fall and Devil’s Postpile NM – The road into Devil’s Postpile remains open until the first storms, providing viewing of the fall color in the upper San Joaquin River drainage.
   GO NOW! Near Peak (50-75%) - Parker Lake - Lots of color around the lake.
   Patchy (10 – 50-%) - June Lake Loop - Color is painting the upper slopes yellow.  June will be nearing peak next week and into the first week of October.
   Patchy (10-50%) Conway Summit - Color has progressed to 40%.
   Patchy (10-50%) Sonora Pass/Hwy 108 - Showing at about 40% of color.

Shasta Cascade/Northern Sierra

   Patchy (10 - 50%) - Plumas County - Plumas County is typically a mid-October peak, though early reports have already been received of orange-red Indian Rhubarb along Rock Creek, off Bucks Lake Rd; gold and orange Black Oak leaves showing at Oakland Camp; bright yellow bigleaf maple on La Porte Road, rosy dogwood in Round Valley and brilliant red sugar maple leaves in Quincy.  This area of California is known for its dramatic October color.
   Southern California Mountains – Patchy (10-50%) - Reports of spots of color have been received from the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains, and from Mt. Laguna, Julian and Mt. Palomar in San Diego County.
   California Vineyards (Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Sierra) – Patchy (10-50%) - Vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties and the Sierra Foothills are reporting early signs of color.
   Coastal California - Just Starting (0-10%).

— Submitted By John Poimiroo

Kuala Lumpur: Clean is an art form

Kuala Lumpur’s 1,483-foot-high Petronas Towers.

The Malaysian National Mosque where the Kelang and Gombak rivers meet.

Story & Photos By Stan Wawer

Welcome to Kuala Lumpur, where everything is the best, the tallest or biggest in the world. Whether that is true or not is up to interpretation. One thing is certain; KL (as it is known) may be the cleanest city in the world.

   Kuala Lumpur, a federal territory, directly under the control of the Malaysian federal government, easily outdistances any other large city for the title of Mr. Clean. Graffiti? You will not find it here. Those who are caught defacing public property are punished with the loss of a hand. A little harsh perhaps, but it works as a salient deterrent.

   I traveled to Kuala Lumpur with great trepidation. Friends and family reminded me that Malaysia was a Muslim country and as an American, it might be wise to find someplace “safer” to travel. I’m glad that I did not take their advice. I found KL safe, squeaky clean and friendly — and English is the language of choice.

   I walked the streets alone at night without incident and was greeted time and time again by smiling faces. The young crowd starts partying after midnight and continues until the sun comes up over this city of more than 1.3 million people.

   KL is a modern Asian city of beautiful skyscrapers, including the Petronas twin towers (once the tallest building in the world), but it retains much of its local flavor that has disappeared in other Asian boom cities such as neighboring Singapore. KL is a mix of Moorish and modern design.

   KL has a plethora of colonial buildings in its center; a vibrant and historical Chinatown with street vendors and night markets, a bustling Little India and in the middle of the city, the oldest rain forest in the world.

   The city’s urban sprawl extends well beyond the boundaries of the territory into surrounding Selangor state, particularly along the Klang Valley — the powerhouse of the Malaysian economy, where much of the city’s workforce and industry reside.

   On my first day in KL, I took a group tour of the city with Rosli as our guide. He took us to the King’s Palace first, about a 20-minute drive from our hotel, the Ritz-Carlton.

   We arrived at the official resident of the king greeted by a ceremonial guard on Horseback. Malaysia is a positional monarchy. A king holds a five-year term. There are nine royal families in the country and they rotate the ceremonial position. Yellow is the official color of royalty. The palace is almost 50 acres and has its own golf course. The king serves as chief of police and head of the military police. The changing of the guard takes place every four hours.

   Malaysia uses the British system of government — Lower House (senate) and Upper House (representatives) of Parliament.

   In Jalan Raja Chulan, you can explore the city’s colonial core where even more structural marvels await you. These include the National History Museum, Independence Square (where the Union Jack flag was lowered and the Malayan flag was first raised after independence) and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building — the Big Ben of KL. There is a 305-foot-high flagpole where the Malaysia flag hangs. “It’s the highest flagpole in the world,” Rosli said proudly. “We like to show the world we have the tallest everything.”

   In the same vicinity lies the old cricket club, Selangor Club, with its mock-Tudor architecture, plus Cathedral of Virgin St. Mary, one of Malaysia’s oldest Anglican churches. Stroll around the area to appreciate the other old colonial buildings with their captivating Moorish designs.

   When Malaysia was a British colony, England had its information office in Independence Square. Malaysia was given its independence from England in 1957. In 1974, it became a federal territory. Close by is a building that once was a British prison but is now a police station. The British built the city’s old train station. For obvious reasons, there is still a strong English influence in Malaysia.

    Melaka was Malaysia’s name before independence. Overlooking Independence Square is the Bukit Aman (peace mountain) building. The Malaysian flag has 15 red and white stripes, representing the country’s 15 states. The blue field represents harmony, yellow is royal and the star and moon represents Islam. A memorial to Malaysia’s independence opened in August of 2002 in KL. Malaysia’s independence day is Aug. 31.

   As we drove toward Modern Chinatown, we passed a cemetery where World War II Japanese soldiers are buried. The Modern Chinatown area is called River of Money because of the business that takes place in the area. The Ritz-Carlton is in the River of Money. This is KL’s Golden Triangle. The city is in the middle of a confluence of two river mouths (Kuala Lumpur means “muddy convergence”). The Petronas is the landmark in this area.

   KL has a park where Asians had their first meeting in the city and where the Chinese go for Tai Chi exercise. The park is more than 222 acres. In the park there are 260 species of birds — the largest number in the world, according to Rosli.

   The Islamic Heritage Museum has artifacts from all over the world. At this site is the Malaysian national mosque. It was completed in 1986 for 10 million Ringetts. It holds up to 10,000 people and is generally filled on Friday.

   The two rivers, the Kelang and Gombak, head straight for the Melaka Sea. Where the two rivers join is the oldest mosque in KL, built by the British.

Old Chinatown is in the old part of KL. It was once the trading post for Chinese who came to KL during British rule. It’s always been Chinatown. They have a night market that is a beehive of activity. You can purchase knockoffs of top-name brands here. Copyright laws have become an issue, according to Rosli — especially with CDs. These knockoffs are openly sold here, not like in the states.

   The Sri Maha Mariaman Temple is the oldest Hindu Temple in KL. It’s in the heart of Old Chinatown. You have to leave your shoes outside. There is a nominal fee (20 cents when I was there) to hold your shoes. The temple is free. The Indian population in KL is about 7 percent.

   We visited Royal Selangor Pewter Factory, the largest pewter factory in the world, situated at Setapak, north of Kuala Lumpur. The combinations of 97 percent tin and 3 percent copper and antimony makes pewter. Young Peng Kai founded the factory. He developed pewter industry in KL in the 1930s and ’40s. There is still tin mining in Malaysia, but it’s no longer as profitable. The famous Royal Selangor pewter, hand-made to its perfection, is known worldwide. The factory has more than 700 skilled craftsmen producing pewter ranging from cutlery, jugs, souvenirs, goblets and more.

   Part of the process is hammering. It takes six months to learn to hammer and the lady we watched can do 50 a day. The girl doing the hammering has been an employee for more than 35 years.

   The Petronas Towers are open Tuesday through Sunday. You can go up to the observation deck or to the skybridge, which is 558 feet up.  Above that point are offices. The twin towers are 1,483 feet high and 88 stories. We had lunch at KL Tower (one of the world’s tallest towers at 1,403 feet), which overlooks the city. Four of us were wearing shorts, which is a no-no in the restaurant. They had drawstring, baggy, flowery pants for us to wear. High fashion. A KL gentleman, who does business in Allentown, PA, asked us if we got two pair free for the purchase of two pair. Everyone enjoyed a nice laugh at our expense.

  I learned quickly that the scooter is KL’s favorite mode of transportation. They are everywhere, scooting in and out of traffic.

   Malaysia has one of the most beautiful and modern airports in the world. A clean, high-speed train zips you along the countryside into Kuala Lumpur. Sunday on the way in by train, we passed some low-income housing. People had laundry hanging from their balconies, but almost every balcony had a satellite dish.

   Welcome to the 21^st century.  

If You Go

   The rate of exchange is 3.22 Ringetts to the US dollar.

   Malaysia Airlines flies from LAX to Kuala Lumpur, with a stopover in Taipei, Taiwan. Check flights and prices on www.malaysiaairlines.com.

Where to Stay

   The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur. It is the first all-butler hotel in Malaysia and includes complimentary continental breakfast served in your room. For more information, go online at www.ritzcarlton.com. The JW Marriott is on Bintang Walk in the heart of the “Golden Triangle.” Go online at www.marriott.com.

   All information is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.