It was very late into the wee hours of a rainy morning when my plane landed at the Jiangbei Airport near Chongqing, China. After gathering my luggage, I handed the non-English speaking taxi driver the address to Tongjing Hot Springs Resort. He shrugged his shoulders as if to say he had no idea where to go, then plugged the address into his GPS. Some 45
Walking the city streets and along the St. Lawrence River of old Quebec City, I felt as if I could hear the sounds of the past from the old shipping boats that came into the harbor. In fact, Old Quebec City was built upon the St. Lawrence River, where the French merchants brought in goods from far away lands. Along with the stunning visual surroundings,
I had always wanted to go to Guadalajara, in fact, I had already purchased a flight and hotel to go there years ago, but a different trip came up for work and I had to cancel our trip to Jalisco. Believe me, my husband was not happy about it, as he was looking forward to going there as well. So here we are five years
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
I will admit to being slightly disappointed when we rounded a hill that overlooks Chefchaouen. I was expecting to see an entire city awash in blue, which this northern Moroccan town is renowned for. What I saw was a mix of blue and lots of white clustered together down in a valley. But by the time I left "Chaouen," as the locals call it, I
Have you ever heard of Lviv Ukraine as a tourist destination? I hadn’t really. It is a popular weekend retreat for many Ukrainians, Russians, and Europeans, but somehow it has not been discovered by the American tourist yet. It seems there are many cities in Eastern Europe that will take your breath away and Lviv Ukraine is now on my bucket list as one of
As I continue my series of articles about the Baltic Capitals, the next one I am writing about is Riga, Latvia. You have probably never even considered Latvia as a destination to visit, as I hadn't either. Despite how many times I've been to Europe, I had never really considered visiting the Baltic regions – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. I had heard of these countries
Chile is one of the most unique countries in the world because of its shape and topography. Its long thin shape leads to many attributes that are not seen in most places of the world, including a diverse climate, from deserts in the northern region to glaciers in the south. Apart from the mainland, Chile also claims a few outlying islands including Easter Island and
India is a unique place to visit and honestly, I never thought I would make it there. I think everyone should experience this country at least once in their lifetime. It is like going on a journey through your wildest imagination. India is a massive country that is home to more than a billion people with huge cultural wealth, diverse religions, and a history that
Have you ever wanted to take a tour of the Baltics? Well now is your chance! Since 1991 when the fall of USSR occurred. The idea of combining multiple countries that have so much in common, all taken over by USSR and then freed, should be reason enough to want to visit the Baltic Capital Cities. And honestly, it is not that hard to do,
Thinking of ways to show someone you love them? A box of chocolates or a fancy night out is great, but what about giving them a massive marble tomb that will take 22 years to build and cost over 30 million rupees? Now that's a display of affection. It also happens to be the story of the Taj Mahal, one of the most famous buildings
Get off the beaten path... Have you ever heard of the Blue City Morocco? Some call it the "blue pearl of Morocco." Every time I think of it, I think of that Willie Nelson song called Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain. "In the twilight glow", for me, I see Chefchaouen -often referred to as simply Chaouen. The name refers to the shape of the mountain tops
Cesena is a gorgeous local community located in the central region of Italy called Emilia Romagna. This city is just 9 miles from the Adriatic Sea and was once an important town during Roman times which was famous for its wines in the region. My impression is that not that many people have heard of this region of Italy even though it has much to offer
I had heard about the best Christmas markets in Europe (Christkindlmarket) for years but I wanted to find out for myself exactly what they were like. I had no idea what to expect. Now I know and I can share with you the best Christmas markets in Europe along the Rhine River. I took a Christmas Market Cruise on the Viking River Cruise ship TOR
Having Spanish tapas is so much fun for foodies in Spain to do. There may be a bit of misunderstanding about what exactly tapas means, but regardless of that, you have to try them! The Spanish tapas I tried were bite-sized morsels of food that ranged from tiny serrano ham sandwiches to prawn cones to quail eggs, as well as amazing desserts. So many of the
Viking Museum Norway: Introduction At over 1000 years old, the Viking Ship Museum, Oslo houses Viking boats and artifacts from the peak of Viking marine engineering. The Viking Age, from 800-1100 AD, was the age of the sleek, speedy longships. Without this crucial advance in ship technology, the Vikings would never have become a dominant force in medieval warfare, politics, and trade. These lightening speed longships
Tallinn Old Town – Vibrant Capital On the Shores of the Baltic Sea Tallinn Old Town- Tallinn Guide Tallinn, Estonia is a vibrant, medieval city sitting right dab on the shores of the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. With her old world charms, you will be glad you visited the Tallinn Old Town during the post-Soviet era to see how she has
There are so many things to love about Mexico. It is one of my favorite countries in the world to visit. I bring you ten popular Mexican destinations to visit in this article that you may not even know existed. Mexico has such a deep heart and soul that it wants to show you. It is also a diverse a country that is filled with friendly
I am in love with the Liguria region of Italy, squeezed in between Monaco and Tuscany, it is the thinnest and the smallest of all the regions of Italy. It may not be the most popular area or an area you think of when it comes to a visit to Italy, but take it from me, you need to come here for a visit. The
Italy Vacations - Make This Your Next Authentic Italian Vacation Americans love Italy Vacations. Yet many times when we go, we get bogged down in the massive cities and we begin to feel that the vacation becomes "too touristy". In Rome, the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain are so busy that they are almost avoidable areas to go to anymore because of the massive crowds.
Sometimes in life, as in travels, we really don't know what to expect when encountering other cultures, countries, and continents. Some things come as a pleasant surprise, and other things, not so much. You can imagine my bible-belt cultural shock when I found out about how Finn's love their saunas. In fact, the sauna is a huge part of the Finnish culture. On average, a
Photo by Donnie Sexton Hands down, the most spectacular event I’ve ever witnessed has to be the Carnival of Venice. I didn’t rent a costume or pay to attend any of the masquerade balls, but I had the time of my life wandering this historical city and being utterly bedazzled by the continual parade of costumed people there to celebrate Carnival of Venice.
Did you know that Arizona has a beach? I've always said that Phoenix was the perfect place to live except that we don't have an ocean view! But now we do: Arizona's Beach is Rocky Point, Mexico and the Sea of Cortez! The road to Rocky Point is long and weary for many (about a four-hour drive from Phoenix). However, each year we make our
Colombo, Sri Lanka is a city full of treasures to discover: sitting directly on the Arabian Sea the city has an oceanside feel. In the evenings, kids fly kites against the sun setting into the sea at Galle Face Green, as onlookers happily munch fried snacks. Colombo is an architectural treasure trove, too - with colonial ruins from the Portuguese, Dutch and British eras, alongside
Arrival in the small city of Basel, Switzerland was fast and cheap from the train station in Zurich. Basel is located where the Swiss, French, and German borders meet. It is the third largest city in Switzerland. It also has suburbs in France and in Germany. I had heard that the Basel Christmas Markets were Christmas markets NOT to miss, as the market at Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz
Crowded in the back of a forest green jeep with the top down, I was hanging onto the metal bars of the truck. A slight breeze touched my face in the muggy weather when suddenly light droplets began to fall from the sky. Crouching down into the vinyl black seat below the metal racks, I covered my head, iPhone and DSLR camera with my scarf.
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
Often dubbed the "land of smiles", Thailand is every bit the "land of temples" as well. Thailand is home to no fewer than 40,000 Buddhist Temples (yes, forty thousand!) and Bangkok is a great place to start exploring them and the place to get familiar with Thai culture. The Thailand temple of Wat Arun is a great place to start and is arguably the main
Jim Thorpe PA is a beautiful small town in Eastern Pennsylvania in the USA. It's a quaint town with museums, shopping, resorts and views of the Poconos mountain range. It's the perfect destination for a Poconos getaway at any time of year and is a great option for weekend getaways in PA. I was lucky enough to visit during fall when the town of Jim
The Bremen Town Musicians statue is based on one of the many Brothers Grimm Fairytales and is a major attraction in Riga, Latvia. The story is simple enough. The Brothers Grimm story is about a donkey, a cat, a dog and a rooster who are past their prime. They feel too old to be useful and are terrified they will be put down by their
Chao Phraya River is one of the major rivers in Thailand, running thru Bangkok. It is known as the River of Kings, formed by four major tributaries including the Ping, the Wang, the Yom, and the Nan Rivers. Ultimately though, it flows into the Gulf of Thailand. It is a very important waterway for the people of central Thailand whose cities lie along this river.
Have you ever heard the words "Mitad del Mundo" or "middle of the world"? I hadn't either until I had a chance to visit the "Mitad del Mundo" right outside of Quito Ecuador. I had no idea there was an exact location where you could stand at the earth's midpoint - 0 degrees latitude, 0 minutes, 0 seconds in Ecuador! Apparently, people come from all over
There are many adorable small towns nestled in the foothills of the Azuay province near Cuenca, Ecuador. This area is the new hub for American retirees that I wrote about in my article "Should We Retire to Ecuador?" The picturesque town of Chordeleg is one of those small quaint towns. Getting there from Cuenca was easy, the bus crested a hill and rolled down into a lush
I stepped onto the shores of the Normandy Beaches where I couldn't stop thinking about how World War II had finally ended in 1945. The end would have never happened if it was not for the bravery of the Allied Forces who landed on the beaches of Normandy in June of 1944, Codename Operation Overload. American, British, and Canadian soldiers, who sacrificed their lives for
It was a foggy morning close to the Black Forest near Breisach, Germany where we had gotten up early to catch the bus to go into the southwest state of Baden-Wurttemberg, near Bavaria. Along the way, we saw many church steeples and stork nests, where on one steeple they actually had their own stork webcam. I have posted it here for you to view and see if
