Articles from this Category
August 22, 2017
Diving Cairns, my hand stretched out, the piece of swaying seaweed I was holding beckoned the friendly Hawksbill turtle who’d been curiously circling us. He started swimming toward me…. It was my birthday. One of those “milestones,” so I wanted to do something special. Really special. I’d only recently earned my PADI diving certification, so […]
July 10, 2017
China can be a logistical challenge for foreigners. The country’s recent tourism boom has put this country on many bucket lists, but maneuvering by plane or train is still difficult due to the language barrier and cultural differences. Touring by boat, however, is a different story. Viking River Cruises provides a luxurious, stress-free journey throughout […]
February 12, 2017
Ask a random sampling of people about their bucket list destinations, and virtually all of them will mention the Great Wall of China, probably near or at the top. “He Who Has Never Been to the Great Wall Is Not a True Man” I’m no exception. My two-week trip to China was prompted by my […]
December 28, 2016
The Azores is one of the best places in the world for whale watching, with a strong cultural connection to whales. While there are some 25 species of whales in the archipelago, the mammoth sperm whale – forever immortalized as “Moby Dick” – is the most common. We chose to go out to find whales […]
October 9, 2016
A land where the population of bears exceeds that of humans, few places on earth can satisfy the wanderlust of the off-the-beaten-path adventurer in search of the wild nature and the cultural richness of the Tlingit Indians like Baranof Island. Baranof Island, along with Admiralty and Chicagof, compromise the ABC Islands on southern Alaska’s panhandle, […]
August 1, 2016
If you’ve been waiting to visit the natural salt terraces at Pamukkale but feel the country of Turkey is still too dangerous, there’s an alternative you may not have heard about. Hierve el Agua in Oaxaca, Mexico is a similar, but an off-the-beaten-path gem. And not only will you find the mineral pools, but also […]
June 15, 2016
Driving through Indiana might not be the first place that comes to mind when planning a road trip, but it’s a route that definitely should be considered. Road trips can be a ton of fun, especially when there are stops all along the way that blends together a mix of fun, good food, adventure, history, […]
May 10, 2016
It had been four months since my near-death experience. Flying cross-country was challenging enough – I really was not aware of the obstacles that lay ahead. Death Valley, California. Death Valley is the lowest place in the United States with the highest recorded temperature (134°F in 1913) in the world. I wanted to celebrate the […]
January 18, 2016
Have you ever looked at a friend’s Facebook pictures of frolicking fun on exotic islands and wondered how they could afford it? Have you lamented being able to visit the Bahamas on a budget? You’re not alone. Taking a tropical vacation with a limited budget is easier than you think. Carnival’s cruises to the Bahamas […]
December 30, 2015
I’d really never considered a back-to-back cruise, i.e. combining two cruises on the same ship, until a friend suggested it. I was in the process of booking a cruise to the Caribbean out of the port of Miami – one of Carnival’s shorter five-day cruises which would visit Grand Cayman and Jamaica. After returning to […]