John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Trip to Japan, 1979

In 1979, John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent what would be their final summer together in Japan. This trip was a cornerstone of John’s “house husband” era, a period defined by domesticity, child-rearing, and a deliberate retreat from the music industry.

The family arrived in Japan in late July and stayed for approximately one month. While they spent time in the bustling capital of Tokyo, the heart of the trip was their retreat to the mountains. In the city, the family famously stayed at the Hotel Okura, a landmark of modernist Japanese design. John was known to appreciate the hotel’s quiet elegance and often used the suite to relax and sketch.

They spent a significant portion of the trip in Karuizawa, a historic summer resort town in Nagano Prefecture. This was Yoko’s ancestral summer home, and it provided the privacy John craved. They stayed at the Mampei Hotel, a classic “Showa-era” establishment where John’s favorite spot was the terrace, often ordering “Royal Milk Tea.” One of the most iconic images from this era is of John pedaling a bicycle through the cedar-lined paths of Karuizawa, often with a loaf of French bread from a local bakery in his basket.

The couple frequented the Mikado Coffee Shop in the Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza district. John was particularly fond of their “Moka Soft” (coffee-flavored soft serve ice cream). In a poignant memoir, Yoko later recalled visiting a small coffee house in a pine forest near Karuizawa. During their 1979 visit, John left his lighter there. They intended to go back for it “tomorrow,” but the rainy season started, and they eventually left for New York without it. When Yoko returned years later, the owner still had it waiting for her.

During these Japanese summers, John studied the Japanese language and became deeply fascinated by Zen and Haiku. He filled sketchbooks with drawings and Japanese characters, exploring concepts like Wabi-sabi (the beauty of imperfection). This 1979 visit was the last of four consecutive summers (1977–1979) the family spent in Japan. By this time, John had fully embraced his role as a father to young Sean. The anonymity he found in Japan allowed him to live as a “regular person,” a freedom that directly influenced the peaceful, domestic themes found in his comeback album, Double Fantasy, which he would begin recording the following year.

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Rick Steves’ First Trip to Europe, 1973

1973 was a pivotal year for Rick Steves. He graduated from Edmonds High School (now Edmonds-Woodway) in 1973, and it immediately set off the adventure that would define his life. On June 20, 1973, the day after his high school graduation, he packed the biggest backpack he could find with what he later admitted was needless stuff, and flew to Europe for his first trip without any parents. He would later call it, in retrospect, the best European trip of his life.

On a $3/day budget, the future PBS fixture traversed Europe through the gutter. He remembers most vividly “the fear and thrill of being over there with no safety net,” nobody even knew where he was.

“Here I am, heading off to Europe the day after high school graduation in 1973 — with a budget of $3 a day, a ten-week Eurail pass in my pocket, and the biggest backpack I could find, jam-packed. I came home with no money, a malnourished body, and an enduring love of Europe.”

Since that 1973 trip, he has spent roughly 120 days a year in Europe, about a third of his adult life living out of a suitcase. That first solo journey essentially launched everything: the guidebooks, the PBS series, the tour company, and his lifelong philosophy of immersive, budget-conscious travel.

SS Matsonia: A Symbol of Mid-Century Luxury

The SS Matsonia, launched in her revamped form in 1957 but becoming a fixture of the Pacific in 1959, represented the pinnacle of luxury ocean travel between California and Hawaii. Originally built as the SS Monterey in 1932, the vessel underwent a massive $20 million reconstruction to emerge as the Matsonia, designed to meet the growing post-war demand for tropical vacations.

Inside, she was a marvel of mid-century modern design, featuring interiors by the famed Harry Neafie that combined Polynesian motifs with sleek, contemporary comfort. In 1959, the ship served as a floating bridge to paradise, carrying hundreds of tourists across the Pacific with a level of service and glamor that defined the Matson Line’s golden era.

Though later renamed the SS Lurline in the 1960s to carry on the prestige of her sister ship, the 1959-era Matsonia remains a nostalgic icon of the days when the journey to Honolulu was just as grand as the destination itself. These wonderful Kodachrome slides capture the SS Matsonia during its voyage in 1959.

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The Amazing Story of the Family Journey From Sydney to Paris on a Scooter in 1956

In 1956, the Montin family of four made an extraordinary 12,000-mile (over 19,000 km) journey from Sydney to Paris on a single Lambretta Lambro 150 FD three-wheeled scooter. The family consisted of French father Guy Montin, his British wife Beryl, and their two young children, Charles (4) and Yvonne (2).

A Lambretta Lambro 150 FD, a three-wheeled light commercial vehicle, not a typical two-wheeled scooter. Guy custom-built a small cabin of marine plywood and canvas on the back to accommodate his family and their luggage, which could also be used for sleeping. The vehicle had a top speed of just 25 mph (around 40 km/h). Beryl referred to the modified scooter as “the contraption.” The total journey took several months, with the main Sydney to Paris leg taking over two months of actual travel, plus extended stops due to weather and hospitality.

The family first drove 3,000 miles across the Australian outback from Sydney to Perth, where they boarded a ship to Colombo, Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). From there, they sailed to Bombay (Mumbai), India, where the main overland journey began. Their route then took them through: India, Pakistan, Persia (modern-day Iran), Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Yugoslavia (former), Italy, and France.

The Montins had initially planned to spend six weeks in India. Guy had carefully studied the seasonal movement of the monsoon rain and come up with a way of avoiding it. Nonetheless, it was the monsoon which eventually brought their travels to a stop, at which point Guy, Beryl and the children had to rely on the hospitality of the Indian people to offer them shelter. Their stay ended up lasting more than four months. An Indian newspaper focused on the family’s daily baths in the Ganges River and their strict adherence to vegetarian food as the main reason for their good health.

Later, Guy Montin wrote a letter to the Lambretta company. He explained that he has constantly been told that he’s insane, and that no one has at any point believed that they would reach their goal. In Sydney, no one thought they would even reach Perth. In Colombo, people swore that they could not reach Lahore through the monsoon. In Lahore, that it would be impossible to reach Quetta. In Quetta, they were perceived as mad if they really thought that they would be able to drive through Persia.

In the letter, Guy wrote – triumphantly and with great pleasure: “Eppoi si muove we are in Teheran...” Eppoi si muove translates to something along the lines of: Yet, we’re still moving... He continued the letter: “We have passed the worst. We now know for certain a family of four can eat, sleep and travel fifteen thousand kilometers on a Lambretta Furgoncino. We are not mad. In fact we are, the four of us, in splendid mental and physical shape. Just wait until you see us.

“Meanwhile we must stress an important fact: it is through no fault on the part of our machine that we have taken over six months to cover this part of our trip. It is the people who will not let us go. The engine purrs like a cheetah in the crisp morning air, the children have been fed, clothed and ‘potted.’ Mama has just retrieved Papa’s lost goggles. We are ready for the days three hundred kilometers...”

Eventually, they finally reached Paris and spent the night camping in their trusty Lambretta within the Bois de Boulogne park in the outskirts of the city. They have traveled through 11 different countries and have encountered everything from meter-high snow to heatwaves and monsoon rain. They’ve met primitive tribes, thick jungle and relentless desert. They’ve been plagued by dysentery and not least by the serious accident in the Australian outback. They sum up their spendings during their epic roadtrip: A total of 350 pounds – 80 for petrol, 200 for food and 5 for goatskin jackets and gloves. The rest was spent on repairs, visas and ferry tickets.

Back in England, The Sunday Express focused more on a couple of remarks made by Beryl. Under the headline: “One lipstick – on a trip half around the world” Beryl confessed that it wasn’t even the lack of daily baths which bothered her the most. It was the long and tiring route from Quetta in Pakistan to Mashed in Persia. This stretch was almost 3,000 km long and took them several weeks to put behind them, during which they lived solely off dried goat cheese and fruit. Still, Beryl did admit that not having a warm bath since leaving Sydney did eventually affect her mood, and it brought great joy when they finally had warm baths again in Persia.

Guy got to visit his family in Cahors in south-western France, and Beryl received a very warm welcome from her family in her hometown of Margate in the UK.

It had been a true adventure for the Montin family and a colossal, life-defining experience for the children Charles and Yvonne. Guy took a few notes during their trip, but mostly about the conversations they had, and seemingly mostly for personal use. Short episodes were captured by newspaper articles published as the family made their way through the many countries. In a time devoid of social media and before the need for self-promotion, tales from their travels are sparse. Even so, it’s food for thought and will surely energize most people’s fantasies. Just imagine all the adventures and experiences encompassed by a family roadtrip around half the globe on a three-wheeled scooter with 2hp and a total load of maximum 500 kg.

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Tourists Take Tea Atop the Great Pyramid, 1938

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, before stringent protective measures were implemented by the Egyptian government, it was common—and often expected—for visitors to climb the Great Pyramid of Giza. Tourists, who were primarily wealthy and aristocratic, were often assisted by local guides who made the ascent easier.

The specific photo shows a group, including what appear to be wealthy Western tourists and their Egyptian guide/attendant, enjoying a relaxed moment at the pyramid's flat summit. The man on the right is sunbathing, while the others are gathered around a small table for tea. This practice highlights the casual, almost picnic-like way some tourists treated the monument, viewing it as a sightseeing challenge rather than a strictly protected archaeological monument.

This kind of activity is strictly forbidden today. The practice of climbing the pyramids was eventually banned because of safety concerns, damage to the ancient stones, and to preserve the sacred nature of the site.

Mountain Guides Carry a Wealthy Lady up Mount Vesuvius in Italy, ca. 1910

This striking vintage photo shows a wealthy woman being carried up Mount Vesuvius in Italy by mountain guides, ca. 1910.

At that time, Mount Vesuvius was already a famous tourist attraction. Wealthy European and American travelers often included Naples and Pompeii in their “Grand Tour” itineraries. However, the volcano’s rugged slopes and loose volcanic rock made the climb difficult, especially for ladies in the restrictive clothing of the era (corsets, long dresses, and impractical shoes).

Because of this, a special service was offered: local guides would carry tourists—usually women of high society—up to the crater. This was done using sedan chairs, mules, or, as shown in this photo, simply by carrying them on the guides’ shoulders.

50 Wonderful Photos of a Colorado River Raft Trip in 1980

High in the pristine Rocky Mountain wilderness of Colorado, the mighty Colorado River begins. The Colorado River is world-renown for its legendary whitewater rapids; some of the largest whitewater in North America froths deep within the canyons of Utah and Arizona. These gargantuan and spectacularly clad canyons and landscapes through which the Colorado River plunges are no less famous.

Imagine this: rafting the Colorado River all the way through (if that were possible) would take you past 5 National Parks, and a combination of 6 National Monuments, Conservation & Recreation Areas and State Parks. Endless in scenic wonder and majesty, any trip along this river will be the adventure of a lifetime.

Can you think of any other river that can do all that? These wonderful photos from Debra Wells that show a Colorado River raft trip of a girl named Lisa and her friend in 1980.

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When David Bowie Visited Apocalypse Island in Greece in the Summer of 1985

David Bowie as captured by Polidoros Anastaselis during his stay at the Apocalypse island of Patmos in the Aegean, Greece, in the summer of 1985. The Thin White Duke visited the island in 1985 as a guest of Aga Khan after his triumphant performance at Live Aid in July and got so mesmerized that he continued to spend many of his summers in Greece.

The discreet presence and friendly disposition of the legendary rock star had left the best impressions on the island’s inhabitants. As noted by radio producer Giannis Petridis: “It is certainly not original that David loved Greece. In the days we hosted him and his friend Iggy Pop, we traveled for three days to the archaeological sites of our homeland and apart from music we talked about our history and how important a role it has played in the history of the whole planet. They were both impressed, as was the secretary who accompanied them and was huddled with them in the back seat of Austin, by the visit to Delphi and the immense peace offered by the landscape and the view of Sounio.”

Sightseers Peering From the Windows of the Statue of Liberty’s Crown

The Statue of Liberty’s crown has long been a sought-after destination for tourists, and many visitors eagerly squeezed inside to experience the breathtaking views of New York City. Back then, tourists could peer through the narrow windows in the crown to take in the iconic skyline and the harbor. The experience of climbing the tight staircase and standing in the crown’s small, confined space was an unforgettable part of visiting the Statue of Liberty.

However, after the September 11, 2001 attacks and subsequent safety concerns, access to the crown was restricted for several years. When it eventually reopened, there were more safety measures in place, including tighter visitor limits.

Today, the crown is still open, but the windows are no longer accessible to touch or lean against, and the number of people allowed inside at once is more controlled to ensure safety and preserve the statue’s condition. Even though it's more limited, visiting the crown remains a unique and special way to experience one of America’s most famous landmarks.

Fascinating Photos Capture Passengers on Board SS Ormiston in the Early 20th Century

The Australasian United Steam Navigation Company Ltd (AUSN) was formed in 1887 and remained one of Australia’s most prominent coastal shipping companies until its collapse in 1961. The SS Famaka was built in 1922 for the Khedivial Mail Steamship Company, however, it was not until 1927 that the AUSN purchased the vessel and renamed it SS Ormiston.

After arriving in Sydney in poor condition, repairs were completed before Ormiston could commence the Australian coastal passenger trade between Cairns and Melbourne. After servicing this route until 1935, Ormiston was chartered as a cargo transport from Newcastle to Fremantle. During the next couple of years, Ormiston also served the Sydney to Tasmania passenger route.

Although the vessel continued to service the east coast route until 1942, Ormiston suffered substantial damage when she was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off Coffs Harbour. Whilst receiving repairs to the hull on the portside of the ship, Ormiston was taken over by the Royal Australian Navy and requisitioned as a troop transport. After fulfilling this function for the remainder of the war, Ormiston recommenced the passenger coastal service between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

In 1955, Ormiston was withdrawn from service, being the last passenger vessel to be operated by AUSN. These fascinating photos from Australian National Maritime Museum that captured life of passengers on board SS Ormiston from 1927 to 1939.

Man and woman reading to children possibly on board SS Ormiston, 1927-1939

Passengers possibly on the deck of SS Ormiston, 1927-1939

Portrait of a Captain Loreard, possibly of SS Ormiston, 1927-1939

Portrait of a man and woman in front of a lifeboat possibly on board SS Ormiston, 1927-1939

Portrait of a man and woman possibly on board SS Ormiston, 1927-1939

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The Touring Car of the Future, 1905

Fast-forward to the turn of the century and automobile manufacturing was increasing steadily. Couple that with wealthy Americans’ increasing appetite for travel across the States and US travelers were in need of a new breed of motorcar.

This 1905 sketch by Albert Levering – titled “The touring car of the future” – is tongue-in-cheek, but it signals a want for a new vehicle that offers explorers everything they need on the road.

Illustration shows a huge triple-decker touring vehicle with “Dining Hall, Kitchen, Servants Hall, High Finance and Recuperation Apartment, State Rooms, Hair Dressing Studio, Gossip Den, Nursery [and] to Gymnasium on the roof,” traveling down a dirt road in the countryside.

Roger Minick’s “Sightseer”: Fascinating Vintage Photos Captured American Tourists at National Parks in the Early 1980s

In the early 1980s, photographer Roger Minick captured a cross-section of tourists across the United States in his “Sightseer” series, a project he picked up again in the late 1990s and 2000. The determined sightseers’ fashion choices, delicious throwbacks for today’s viewer, were a big part of what drew Minick to his subjects.

“I’d be at a great distance at an overlook, and I’d see a couple arrive, get out of their car. And before I saw them or their faces, I would see what they were wearing, their colors, and I would be drawn to them for that reason,” Minick told CNN.

Those colors were missing the first time he set out to document tourists crisscrossing the American West to soak up the country’s vast national parks and wide-open landscapes.

In 1979, he shot in black and white. That was a mistake “because the colors are so interesting, the juxtaposition of what people wear and the backgrounds.” So the next year he retraced his steps, this time in color.

Minick’s interest in photographing sightseers was piqued in 1976 while he was teaching at an Ansel Adams workshop at Yosemite National Park. Teaching alongside the legendary landscape photographer, Minick noticed how visitors arriving by the bus- and RV-load would elbow through the crowd of student photographers to take smiling snapshots in front of the dramatic scenery.

“It wasn’t long, however, before I became aware of something else going on at the overlook: waves of tourists were continually arriving at the overlook’s parking lot in cars, buses and motorhomes, thrusting their way through this gauntlet of photographers not only for a clear view of the famous vista but also for the obligatory snapshot of themselves proving they were there.

“After witnessing this recurring bit of theater over several days, I found myself becoming increasingly fascinated with these visitors, recognizing what a striking cross section of humanity they were. I began to see the visitors as having a specific humanity, their own classification, a genus –– Sightseer Americanus, if you will.

“Previously in my photographic career, when my projects took me into the landscape, I had tended to look on sightseers with disdain, and certainly had never considered them a “subject” I would want to photograph seriously. Yet over the course of those days I began to feel I was witnessing something uniquely American, something that I suddenly very much wanted to photograph.”

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Wonderful Photos of Yosemite National Park in the Late 1960s

Yosemite National Park is a national park in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers 759,620 acres (1,187 sq mi; 3,074 km2) in four counties – centered in Tuolumne and Mariposa, extending north and east to Mono and south to Madera.

Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, lakes, mountains, meadows, glaciers, and biological diversity. Almost 95 percent of the park is designated wilderness. Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada.

Its geology is characterized by granite and remnants of older rock. About 10 million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and tilted to form its unique slopes, which increased the steepness of stream and river beds, forming deep, narrow canyons. About one million years ago glaciers formed at higher elevations. They moved downslope, cutting and sculpting the U-shaped Yosemite Valley.

These wonderful photos were found by Past of a Stranger that show Yosemite National Park in 1969.

Big Trees Museum (Galen Clarks Cabin), Yosemite National Park, 1969

Cathedral Spires, Yosemite National Park, 1969

Deer and Giant Sequoias, Yosemite National Park, 1969

Firefall, Yosemite National Park, 1969

Forest Path, Yosemite National Park, 1969

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