If you're like me, you're already scheming and planning for 2024 travel. And, since the holiday season is upon us, let's skip more stuff and give the gift of travel instead. What's on our 2024 wish list? Montana, Park City, Quebec, and of course a return to NW...
Reflecting on a visit to Canada's heartland in the Manitoba province, I am struck by the diversity of experiences: bikes, bison, baseball, and beauty, to name a few. We found adventure in the wilderness and the city of Winnipeg. The vast outdoor spaces were inspiring...
The #9SuperFriends trip to Chile and Argentina was anything but traditional. We traded seasons: winter for late spring and Thanksgiving dinner and turkey for a gourmet dinner in the heart of Chilean wine country, the Maipo Valley. Piles of beef and fish were the...
It was Kim’s 50th birthday. She wanted to go the Alps. A trip was born that brought six friends together for a tour around Munich, revelry at Oktoberfest and epic hikes/bikes in the Bavarian Alps on the German/Austrian border. Looking back, the adventure revolved...
I returned for the third time to the land of tea, toasties and talent. Everyone’s heard of River Dance but perhaps never tried the Liver Dance Tour in Ireland. When one of my travel mates suggested a trip goal to visit 25 pubs in a week, the tour became aptly named...
At the close of Michigan Irish Music Festival in Muskegon this September, with tunes and stories still rolling in my head, I keep drifting back to memories of visits to the Emerald Isle. Mweelrea Mountain (Mill-Ra) A Hike Without Ropes (from November, 2011) Before...
Friendly is the word that characterizes the people of Winnipeg, this city in the plains of Manitoba. Ever helpful and hospitable, Winnipeggers offered advice, asked about the nature of our visit and apologized profusely, even if a mishap wasn’t their fault. We simply...
Huesca meant the end of the line for train travel. We arrived around 9 p.m. in a small northeastern Spanish town that serves as a gateway to the Pyrenees. We still needed to get to another small town called Biescas, 90 miles away, where we had a hotel booked. We...
It was a vacation where getting lost became a daily occurrence for our five-some on a ten day tour de Provence. We got lost on our cycling route even with a Garmin GPS strapped to our handlebars. Very little, in fact, went to plan during most of the trip. For example,...
What’s been your determining factor in selecting a place for a vacation? Do you have a goal like me to take one big trip each year? …to unplug and step away from the routine of our lives. I carry around a list on a piece of worn scrap paper, tucked deep in my purse,...
Excerpts from Chapter Four, from the book, I’ve Gotta Pack Flora …Our guide on this trip, Alejo, was perched on the curb with a Mountain Travel Sobeksign in his hand. He had collected the other five members of our group as I approached and exchanged greetings with new...
Tuscany, Italy 2006 I was traveling with three friends in the storied Tuscan landscape of Italy, walking through hillside vineyards, drinking wine under olive trees, and absorbing a lesson in Brunello winemaking, one of the region’s wine superstars. Ten days was not...
An excerpt from the book, I've Gotta Pack As if by magic, 13 mountain bikes had been loaded on to a rack atop the van and when we stopped at the crest of the hilltop, we all unloaded and then a process unfolded of picking out a suitably sized bike, helmet and gloves....
From Chapter 2: Wild Africa An excerpt from the book, I've Gotta Pack ...At midnight I heard the wake-up call, so I slid out of my sleeping bag and started layering for the cold. It was about 30 degrees and very windy. Theresa and I locked eyes for a moment as we...
I thought I would include a magazine article submission for this entry. It sure is difficult to condense trips into 700 words but I gave it shot. Hope you enjoy the Liver Dance! It was total culture shock; I flew from Barcelona, Spain to Dublin, Ireland and traded...