Civilized cafes have sprouted up and scary bathrooms are well lit and clean, even the carousel seems perkier. Just a few years ago I took my kids on it, and an ex-con type was running the controls. The merry-go-round went so fast I feared my toddler son would fly off.

The most amusing sights were the hordes of European travelers delighted by the squirrels. Those cute/disease-ridden vermin are everywhere and groups of Italians and French were giddy as they attempted to photograph the creatures as they scampered up the trees. The true New Yorker in me came out as I approached a German mom who was letting her 10-year-old feed one. I told her they carried diseases and not to get too close. As I walked away I chuckled at myself…you can take the girl outta New York but you can’t take New York outta the girl.

April in New York City can be dicey weather-wise. Stupidly, I packed sandals and had to borrow boots. Somehow I forgot how much walking one does in the Big Apple and how much I enjoy it. Two long treks through Central Park were magical. Struck by the abundance of flowers, my mom explained that a wealthy Dutch person had donated millions of bulbs to the city post 9/11. It is an amazing sight and has inspired many New Yorkers to plant their own bulbs.  Here is more about the project from the New Yorkers for Parks site:

For nearly a decade, the Daffodil Project, a living memorial to the events of September 11th, 2001, has been a citywide effort to beautify every neighborhood by planting daffodils. Led by New Yorkers for Parks, and in cooperation with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, this annual volunteer project serves as a living memorial to the victims of 9/11, a symbol of remembrance and an act of rebirth that engages New Yorkers in the revitalization of their communities.

The project began when Dutch bulb supplier Hans van Waardenburg of B&K Flowerbulbs pledged to donate 500,000 daffodil bulbs to New York City as a sign of support following the attacks on 9/11. B&K Flowerbulbs continued to donate hundreds of thousands of bulbs for the first 8 years of the project. New Yorkers for Parks is committed to continuing the vision of the Daffodil Project by raising funds to purchase and distribute the bulbs.

Each fall, New Yorkers for Parks distributes hundreds of thousands of daffodil bulbs to New Yorkers in all five boroughs. The bulbs are free to anyone who commits to planting them in a park or public space. The Daffodil Project is one of the largest volunteer efforts in the history of New York City. To date, over 20,000 New Yorkers have participated in this living memorial.
Since the project’s inception, 4 million daffodils have been planted throughout New York City. Due to the tremendous support and interest in this project, Mayor Bloomberg named the daffodil the official flower of New York City in 2007.

It is also cherry blossom season, here in San Francisco, in our nation’s capital and of course in Japan, a rite of spring and a life-affirming, annual natural event. As I wheeze through the days full of blooms and pollen I stop to think about the brutality and generosity of what we call Mother Nature.

Traditional custom this time of year in Japan is to picnic under the cherry blossoms with friends and family. Sake, poetry and karaoke often accompany a spread of bountiful treats. This year though, as the country mourns, many are avoiding conspicuous consumption and opting to forgo the annual ritual, or to tone it down considerably. The elderly mayor of Tokyo has erected signs to ask residents to avoid the spring fun as a show of solidarity for those suffering in the northeast of the country. Mother Nature, or the force in nature, whatever you want to call it, can be so cruel and so glorious. The cherry blossoms are beautiful, fleeting, and fragile…like life itself. There is poignancy this year, but certainly the pink blossoms offer a small glimmer of hope, that life goes on.

He wrote in a recent New York Times essay that if you’re willing to put up with some discomfort and able to be flexible with your movements, the rewards of travel in troubled places are enormous. Such travel can show you the utter stupidity of much human conflict and the inspiring ways people manage to live their lives.

And isn’t that ultimately why we travel? To understand life on our planet and see how others express their humanity?

Rough travel can be, well, rough, and sometimes the lessons learned come only in retrospect, but they are lessons worth learning, now and in the future.

Even in season, Kailua is pretty deserted during the week. During the weekends locals descend on it, but otherwise, the long crescent beach is almost empty. It has astounding views at every step; there are ancient craters and an endless horizon to watch, with an occasional whale pod to discover if you stare long enough during the winter season.

What I like about Kailua is the absence of high-rises. This ultra exclusive beach area has no resorts or monolithic condominiums — just houses, some of which are mind-bogglingly expensive, others, more modest — but still more expensive than most of us can even imagine affording. Still, the whole feel of the place is casual. This is not a particularly showy stretch of houses and most are not hidden behind forbidding walls.

Some of them are actually available to rent. The ones directly on the beach have extraordinary price tags — but believe it or not, some of the ones within walking distance are affordable (you can find them on the internet). In addition to the beach you get a) bragging rights that you walked the beach that Obama walked (and rented on his Christmas vacation); b) the best shaved ice in the islands; c) access to a series of good to great restaurants; and d) a low-key town that makes you forget what a lot of other places in the islands have turned into.

My favorite memories on this last visit: devouring the tuna tower at Lucy’s; running amuck at Mama Yogurt’s tasting all the free sample flavors out of the do-it-yourself soft-swirl machines; having a marvelous dinner  outside on the porch of the new Kalipawai Cafe restaurant, sister to its more famous sibling, the Kalipawai Market;  strolling the beach in a light rain (and then watching it pour right after I made it into the house I was staying in); and just walking that gorgeous beach twice a day and thanking the fates (and my friend Deborah who opened up her house to me and several other friends) that have made it possible for me to enjoy such a beautiful and peaceful place.

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Pepper Schwartz serves as the AARP love and relationship ambassador and is the chief relationships expert at Perfectmatch.com.

Since 1997 she’s worked to conserve Crete’s cultural and natural heritage through her own version of a slow food movement, engaging more than 40 small business and individuals in “Crete’s Culinary Sanctuaries” to offer visitors a taste of traditional Cretan cuisine. Ingredients come from local organic farms, and chefs put a modern twist on the old cuisine so there’s always a tasty surprise.

Her programs have received sustainable development awards from the likes of National Geographic, and she’s booking tours for the summer. Visit artisan food producers, organic farmers, rural communities that have been inhabited for 4,000 years, and take botanical hikes in the land of the Minoans. Explore ancient sites, too.

And of course, eat well.