Featured photo by Wildlings Photo Co. I’ve had many pieces of luggage during my almost 30 years of travel. Probably too many to count! But since changing careers and becoming a travel writer seven years ago, I’ve really had to up my game when it comes to how to pack and what luggage to bring …
It’s no secret that the cherry blossom season is the best time to visit Japan. Known in the Japanese language as Sakura, these pink-and-white flowers burst open between March and May of every year, with a specific date that depends as much upon where you are in the archipelago as it does the relative warmth …
Quito Ecuador, a fabulous UNESCO capital city in South America, has so many wonderful things to offer tourists these days. From its list of outstanding churches, museums, Spanish colonial architecture to the Ecuador Mitada del Mundo (middle of the world equator), along with its outstanding viewpoints, and of course, its modern cable car TeleferiQo. This …
The Galapagos Islands are famous worldwide for the endemic Galapagos animals, in particular, their fascinating birds of origin, many found nowhere else in the world! I was enamored by the variety of birds I saw on this trip booked through a small, intimate tour booking company that handles luxury accommodations on small-ship expedition cruises, as …
The wind was whirling around as I stepped off the bus, cold air striking my cheeks causing me to take a deep breath. I buttoned up my jacket around my neck and tucked in my scarf. Even though it was freezing cold, it was a day I had looked forward to my whole adult …
The least amount of judging we can do, the better off we are. – Michael J. Fox Athens – Don’t Judge I’ll admit it, falling in love with Athens took a bit of time. But I did it none-the-less. That’s how it is sometimes when you want to love something so much. I had my …
French Polynesia is known to have a rich artistic culture and the Marquesas Islands group is no exception. The main island of Nuku Hiva houses some ancient, as well as modern, structures associated with a Polynesian culture that includes the famous tiki and even a moai statue. Everywhere you go on Nuku Hiva you can …
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. …
This poem, which has been called “arguably the best –known verses ever written by an American” describes perfectly the way I felt before going on my Christmas Market Cruise. Staring at the words on the page, I could hardly believe it, almost like a visit from Santa himself. But yet, there it was: You have …
Sometimes you just need to get away. So why not make it a local event? Here in Arizona, we call those “Staycations”. We have such an array of resorts and hotels in Phoenix and Scottsdale that it is worth it to just give yourself a break and do a “Staycation AZ”. Recently I had a …
When Travelocity heard I was taking a 24-Day Polynesian Crossing with Holland America they couldn’t wait for me to write an article about scuba diving in French Polynesia. I couldn’t wait to actually take the trip and scuba dive around French Polynesia with my college-aged son Diego. And truth be told, we had a blast! …
Comprised of more than 160 islands, the Kingdom of Tonga is a stunning country to visit in the South Pacific. It is located about 500 miles south of Samoa and 500 southeasts of Fiji, so somewhere out in the middle of nowhere! At least 36 of the country’s islands are inhabited. I had a chance …