Seoul (Incheon) to San Francisco

Inchon, located on the west coast of South Korea, is regarded as part of the greater Seoul metropolitan area due to its close proximity to the city. During the Korean War, Inchon was the site of the Battle of Inchon, when United States troops landed to relieve pressure on the Pusan Perimeter and to launch a United Nations offensive northward. The city was also the site of a Japanese POW camp during World War II.

Jeju Island is often called the “Island of the Gods,” for its breathtaking landscape. UNESCO deemed the island’s dormant volcano Hallasan as a Biosphere Reserve because of the abundance and diversity of plant and animal species. Enjoy delicious fare, such as fresh fish, squid, octopus and sea cucumber, as well as its famous Shitake mushrooms and honey, which has a distinct taste.

Nagasaki is a Japanese city on the northwest coast of the island of Kyushu. It’s set on a large natural harbor, with buildings on the terraces of surrounding hills. It is synonymous with a key moment during World War II, after suffering an Allied nuclear attack in August 1945. The event is memorialized at the city’s Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park.

Kagoshima is Japan’s southernmost major city, and is nicknamed the “Naples of the Eastern World,” based on its caldera bay location, hot climate, and volcano. The majestic view of Mt Sakurajima, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, dominates the city’s landscape, towering over the beautiful Kinko Bay. The city abounds in historic sightseeing spots such as the memorial site of St. Francisco Xavier, who landed in Kagoshima and first introduced Christianity to Japan.

Beppu is a city and spa resort on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu. Set between Beppu Bay and volcanic mountains, it’s home to more than 2,000 onsen (hot springs). Kannawa Onsen district has facilities for bathing in nutrient-rich water, mud and sand. The 8 Hells of Beppu—6 in Kannawa, 2 in outlying Shibaseki—are dramatic landscapes of thermal pools. To the west is Mount Tsurumi, accessible by cable car.

Cities have destinies to fulfill too—Hiroshima is the largest city located on the Honshu Island in Japan. Its modern, industrialized demeanor has a military past since ancient times and the unforgettable atomic bombing in recent times. Tiding over its turbulent history to now being known as the “City of Peace,” Hiroshima has a lot to offer: visit The Peace Memorial Park, a world heritage site, museums resplendent with renaissance art and more.

Popularly referred to as the ’Queen of the Arabian Sea,’ Cochin (Khochi) has been a trading post since early Roman times, due to its strategic location between Europe and China. From the court of Kubla Khan to the captains of Europe’s great Age of Exploration, travelers and merchants from far-off lands have been coming here since ancient times in search of spices, sandalwood and ivory. Explore St. Francis’ Church, the oldest existing European church in India. View one of the oldest synagogues in the world – a jewel of incomparable beauty with its brass columns, Belgian hanging lamps, and exquisite hand-painted, blue-and-white Chinese porcelain tiles.

Osaka is the third largest city in Japan and the central metropolis of the Kansai region. Osaka dates back to the Asuka and Nara period. Under the name Naniwa, it was the capital of Japan from 683 to 745, long before the upstarts at Kyoto took over. Even after the capital was moved elsewhere, Osaka continued to play an important role as a hub for land, sea and river-canal transportation. In a nation of obsessive gourmands Osaka is known as an excellent place to eat.

On a clear day, you can see magnificent Mount Fuji from the lively Port of Shimizu. Visit The S-Pulse Dream Plaza to tour the Shimizu Sushi Museum with informative displays and models that show the history and variations of Japan’s most famous fare. Stroll through the Kashi-no-Ichi Market, where some of the port’s fresh seafood is sold and be sure to enjoy a delicious cup of tea.

Yokohama is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture and, with a population of 3.6 million, is Japan’s largest city after Tokyo. It is centered on an inlet on the western side of Tokyo Bay, to which it is connected by a half-dozen railway lines as well as expressways and surface streets via Kawasaki. A major industrial zone known as the Keihin Industrial Area stretches along the reclaimed coastline to the north of the central area towards Kawasaki and Tokyo beyond.

Miyako is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 April 2020, the city had an estimated population of 51,150, and a population density of 41 persons per km². The total area of the city is 1,259.15 square kilometers.

The city of Kodiak is situated on the second largest island in the United States, approximately 250 miles southwest of Anchorage. It is famous for huge Kodiak brown bears, world-class sport fishing, and the magnificent green that the island turns during the summer–which is why Kodiak is affectionately called Alaska’s Emerald Isle. Kodiak’s first settlers were undoubtedly attracted to the region by the overabundance of sea mammals, seabirds, fish, and shellfish.

Skagua, as it is known by the Tlingit, means” windy place.” Skagway, a place of many names, and much history is the northern terminus of the Alaska Marine Highway. It was known to thousands of hopeful gold rushers as the gateway to the gold fields. Skagway retains the flavor of the gold rush era and the character of such colorful inhabitants as Soapy Smith “King of the Frontier Con Men”; especially on Broadway, with its false-front buildings, and in the Trail of ‘98 Museum, with its outstanding collection of gold fever memorabilia.

In 1880, Joe Juneau and Richard Harris were prospecting for gold with the help of Indian guides. Here they discovered nuggets “as large as beans” at the mouth of the aptly named Gold Creek. Out of their discoveries came three of the largest gold digs in the world where more than $150 million in gold was mined. Juneau’s surrounding beauty and natural wonders have attracted cruise ship travelers for over a century, with steamship companies bringing tourists here since the early 1880’s.

Ketchikan, on the southwest side of Revillagigedo Island, grew up around salmon canneries and sawmills. Ketchikan’s name supposedly comes from the native term “Katch Kanna”, which roughly translates: “spread wings of a thundering eagle.” At one time Ketchikan was proclaimed the “Salmon Capital of the World.” An outstanding collection of totem poles make a visit to Ketchikan essential for anyone interested in Native art. Travelers flock to Ketchikan for their first look at the North Country, and are rarely disappointed.

Victoria is a picture-perfect city exuding old-world charm, with fragrant and colorful flowers everywhere. Founded in 1843 by James Douglas of the Hudson’s Bay Company, it was first known as Fort Victoria. By 1848, Vancouver Island was made a British colony. In 1868, Vancouver Island was incorporated with mainland British Columbia. Although it is a port city, Victoria is not as industrially oriented as Vancouver. The harbors, especially Inner Harbour, are dotted with pleasure crafts, ferries, and floatplanes.

From the first Spanish Mission founded by the “Sacred Expedition” in 1776, to the rip-roaring days of the Barbary Coast and California Gold Rush to rising phoenix-like after the great earthquake of 1906, San Francisco never ceases to please the eye, the heart and the palate. With such iconic sites as Chinatown, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Victorian architecture of Pacific Heights, Union Square, colorful trolley cars, Muir Woods and the surrounding vineyards of Napa and Sonoma Valley, the “City by the Bay” is always a must-see on any visitor’s list to the West Coast.