Upper Antelope Canyon should be named the best canyon to visit in Arizona (OK, maybe second best)! You certainly know of the Grand Canyon in Arizona because of its grandeur. But don’t stop your visit in Arizona at the Grand Canyon. Take a trip to Upper Antelope Canyon, the most popular slot canyon in the world! It is merely a few hour's drive from the
Well, there is a first time for everything. And on the agenda for this day that I was in Guayana was this: Pirana Fishing, it was staring me in the face, as I fumbled through the itinerary. I have been out of my comfort zone before, so here we go...Pirana fish are known to quickly devour any small morsel that falls into its muddy water
Let me be the first to admit that this travel experience was a little out of my comfort zone. But nonetheless, at a jungle lodge in Guyana is where the simple rugged life of the Amazon River Basin and South American Rainforest began for me. From the hustle and bustle of Georgetown, the capital city of Guyana, to the howling of the Guyanese Red Howler
A little-known gem hiding in the South American Rainforest is Kaieteur Falls. It ranks towards the top of the list for waterfalls around the world in a number of categories. It is the tallest single drop waterfall in the world at 741 feet. When combined with the steep cascades to the bedrock below, the total height of the waterfalls comes out to 822 feet. Although
In the northern part of Ukraine lies the small village of Pripyat, not too far from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near the Ukrainian border with Belarus. Chernobyl is located roughly 65 miles from the country’s capital, Kiev. Unfortunately, Pripyat was close to the site of this terrible nuclear accident in April of 1986 known as the “Chernobyl disaster”. This horrific nuclear accident took the
An area that is 16 percent larger than the contiguous United States, the Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert on planet earth. The Arabic word “Sahara” literally translates to “the Great Desert” and it truly is as it stretches over 3.5 million square miles (9.2 million sq km) across northern Africa. The desert region is incorporated into the territories of 11 African nations, each
Picture yourself in one of the over 17,000 islands in the Republic of Indonesia. One of the most notable and particularly interesting islands is known as the habitat of the Komodo dragon. It is the largest lizard on earth and known as Komodo Island. But no need to worry, the Komodo dragon is not the only species roaming around the island. There are over 2,000 people
Autumn is almost here which means that Aurora B. will be popping her green head in the nighttime sky. Who is Aurora B.? She is better known as Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights. And she a sight worth waiting for! She may be taking her time to get here, but the most comfortable place to see her is in the warm lounge of the
In what has become a worldwide phenomenon, Havasu Falls is the place to be if you love hiking, camping, and nature. The birth of the internet has also helped to boost its popularity (almost too much but we will discuss that later) making it one of the most famous hiking destinations in the United States. Located in northwestern Arizona, Havasu Falls is a part of
Dude Ranch Colorado: As a little kid, did you ever dream of growing up to be a cowboy or cowgirl in Colorado? For most, this dream gets put on the back burner and other dreams get pursued. But now you can actually fulfill this dream and see what it feels to be a real cowboy or cowgirl for a week! How will you do that?
There is something special about Lithuania, one of the old Soviet Union countries. If you haven't been here yet, you really should put it on your bucket list. Not too far from the capital city of Vilnius is a lake resort and historic town built on water known as Trakai. It is one of the most impressive cities outside of Vilnius. This town is surrounded
Have you ever thought about taking an outdoor adventure trip to Colorado Springs to unplug? Sometimes I think as a society we are so plugged in (24/7) that we often forget that we need to recharge our lives. With everything from nonstop social media and cell phone texts to 24-hour news, video games, and a constant stream of information coming our way, I think people
Positano Beach: There is so much to say about the beloved Positano Beach, and yet nothing you can say that will give you the true essence to explain what Positano is all about. It speaks for itself, without superfluous words. It is so stunning that it makes you hunger for more. I can say that I absolutely loved the amazing drive we took down the
Costa Rica is one of those countries that has it all, everything from beaches and volcanoes, to jungles and national parks rich wildlife. Places like the coastal area of Tamarindo are packed full of beach bars and tour guides ready to take you zip-lining and quad-biking. Meanwhile, tranquil towns like Puerto Viejo, on the border with Panama, are perfect for laying around on the beach
Sedona Jeep Tours ✦ Sedona Jeep Tours What better way to see Cathedral Rock and explore the red rocks of Sedona than to take a ride in the famous Pink Jeep Tours in Sedona? Sedona Jeep Tours is a tour operator in the American Southwest that offers off-road excursions in the red rocks and beyond in their famous pink jeeps. They have been around
Nestled into the Northwest corner of the Fijian archipelago, as part of the Mamanuca Islands, is Castaway Island - known to the locals as Qualito Island. Contrary to popular belief it's not where the Tom Hanks movie Castaway was filmed, but it is pretty close. The movie was actually filmed on neighboring Modriki Island. We spent a couple of nights at the Castaway Island Resort and got
Spending the day all curled up next to the fireplace and periodically taking a gander out my picture window, I knew I had to finally just bundle up and get out there. I hate how sometimes I just have a hard time getting started. But once I am out there, I do, the hard part for me is just getting going. And here I am
Swimming with Beluga Whales in the Wild! Churchill, Manitoba in Canada Have you ever wanted to go swimming with Beluga Whales? I hadn't even heard of this until I heard about an expedition up in Manitoba Canada where you could do just that! I mean, who doesn't love seeing Beluga babies with their mommas while whale-watching in the Hudson Bay in Canada? Between mid-June to
What does a cat, a pet turtle named Sonny, a 7-year-old wearing a life jacket, and a tightrope walker all have in common? Just the growing list of those plunging over the Niagara Falls, either by choice or otherwise! They basically all got sucked through a water hose of 180,000 pounds of water pressure in record speed. Can you imagine the pull of that water? I can
Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bali Can you imagine going on a trip around the world? I couldn’t either, but now I have to pinch myself as I just returned from a segment of Holland America’s Grand Pacific and Far East Voyage! Although I didn’t do the entire voyage, I was thrilled to join the cruise in Hong Kong and depart in Australia. Holland America’s Grand
Located in the northwest corner of Big Sky country, Whitefish sits along the Amtrak Empire Builder route, as well as being just 11 miles from Glacier International Airport. Whitefish is a “come as you are” town, where a pair of Carhartts with muck boots work just as well as designer label jeans and Gucci boots. The locals are a mix of cowboys, die-hard outdoor enthusiasts,
I recently took a fascinating trip through Asia with Hong Kong as a stop. I was on a Holland America cruise ship’s “around the world” Asia Pacific Voyage. While on the ship, I would walk the deck on a regular basis. But what joy I found when I was able to step off the ship, step out of the concrete jungle of Hong Kong’s city
Visiting St Simons Island Georgia is well known for its southern-style seen in Savannah, GA’s stately squares, with their distinct southern twang sound. And most people know about its peach pies, pecans, and one famous peanut farmer (who happens to be my cousin). But did you know that the Barrier Islands located right off the coast are full of unspoiled beaches, live oak trees dripping
Rock of Gibraltar is a limestone peninsula and mountainous rock that jets out of the end of the British territory at the southwestern tip of Europe. It is almost 1500 feet high and borders Spain and the United Kingdom. It was captured from the Spanish in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. Gibraltar and its famous Rock were ceded to the British "in perpetuity"
Costa Rica is the kind of place where you can commune with nature. It provides the perfect backdrop with its hidden beaches, volcanic mountains, hiking trails, and lush tropical rainforests. In fact, 25% of Costa Rica is dedicated to wildlife and nature, in the form of wildlife preserves and jungles. Making it the perfect place... to retreat to. For many - including me - that
A Trip to Santorini I had dipped my toes in the crisp, cool water and squealed with excitement as the yacht sailed away. I couldn’t believe this moment had finally arrived, a trip to Santorini. It was exactly how I had dreamed about it a thousand times before. This was where I wanted to be on the day I turned half a century old.
I constantly find myself being the planner of things: the family vacation, the food that we eat, and the calendar that we live by. It was crunch time and I was in a spot: Our son was doing a study abroad program in Barcelona and we were going there with him to enjoy the richness of Spain, take in a few sights, and enjoy a
Exhausted from 2 hours of being the “Captain” of a two-man orange kayak in the Pacific Ocean, I grabbed my pre-made lunch in the hot burning sun and plucked up my backpack to find a spot in the shade. I still had my black ROXY rash guard on but had managed to wrangle out of my water shoes in exchange for some comfy flip flops.
Sedona’s cinematic red rocks had been flashing across our windshield for almost an hour. It was hard for the driver to keep her hands on the steering wheel due to the beauty at each turn in the road. My iPhone camera was going off every few minutes, regardless if it was a good shot or not here at Cathedral Rock Sedona. There is no denying that
Travel Bandung, Indonesia Wisata Off-Road Adventure picked us up after lunch from Café Burangrang. We were at the unique leisure park, Dusun Bambu in Northern Bandung, Indonesia, where we had just had a relaxing lunch overlooking an amazing view of boats on a pond with thatched bungalows. Traveling to Bandung Indonesia The guides lead us down to the parking circle valet. One by one, we
Wanderings Through Istanbul, Turkey It is an early weekday morning as I stare out the window of my yellow taxi passing a multitude of red and blue celebration flags. No matter how often I visit exotic Istanbul, Turkey, I always feel like there is something majestic and mysterious about it. Something wafting in the air that makes this place different than all the rest. Maybe
Niagara Falls, Canada Summer Travel to Niagara Falls with Radisson Have you ever dreamed of visiting the famous Niagara Falls that lie on and near the international border of Canada and the United States of America? I had always dreamed of seeing the falls, but was lucky enough to finally visit them in 2012. I believe now is the perfect time to plan
The yelping was so loud, you would have thought something was on fire with all the commotion. As I slipped out of the all-wheel-drive suburban truck, my snow boot landed on the slick white ice in the downpour of snow that had just begun. I stumbled and sort of stammered out of the truck with a “swan dog” yoga pose, throwing my arm over my
One by one, they would climb the 17 dingy white stairs to the tiny crowded, dimly-lit room. They needed to get out of the sweltering heat and were dressed in the brightest blues, vibrant yellows and heart-stopping red colors. Never have I seen such a stunningly beautiful group of women with matching beads and flowers in their hair. The men came too, fewer, but they
A Train Ride Across Canada, Is it right for you? The answer for me: YES! Earlier this year, I was the eager guest of Rocky Mountaineer, one of the World’s greatest railway journeys. I was on board their route from Vancouver to Banff in the Canadian Rockies. There are many different train routes to choose from, but I am told this one was a fairly typical
