Vacation Success

I’ve marked lots of places on my Vacation Success wanna-go list. I didn’t know until today that Hagerstown, MD would be on the list.  Settled in Western Maryland on the West Virginia and Pennsylvania borders, it is a unique town, with a community proud to call it home.

As an added bonus, the Antietam National Battlefieldsite on the outskirts of town commemorating the battle of Antietam in…

Freestyle at Olympic Park Utah

What was I thinking?  Seemed like a good idea when I was standing at the base of the hill watching and listening the delightful screams of zipliners flying down the hill at the Olympic Park in Park City, Utah.  I’d been the ring leader – offering to take the kids up with me.

https://videopress.com/embed/jWneZo9Y?hd=0&autoPlay=0&permalink=0&loop=0

The zipline was just cherry-on-top after a great…

Ultimate Utah: Bryce and Zion

In southern Utah there are several national parks and Utah State Parks. We recently visited Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks, two of the more famous Utah areas. Turn east off of I-15 onto Highway US 20, it is about an hour drive to Bryce Canyon.

On the way to Bryce, you will drive through the town of Panguitchon US 89. It is a quaint small town with an abundance of motels for Bryce Canyon…

Thanks to all our friends who shared their Boston favorites and helped with recommendations.  We’d consider this long-weekend a Vacation Success.

Hey, a few unsolicited tips on Boston. Bleacher Bar on Lansdowne St, part of Fenway. Dinner w jazz/blues at The Beehive in South End. Drink at Anchovies on Columbus (great neighborhood bar). Seafood at Giacomo’s next door. Just as good as North End…

Did You Know Sacajawea Was Born In Salmon, Idaho?

If you are in central Idaho which is northeast of Idaho Falls, perhaps going to Missoula, make time to see Salmon, Idaho. It is a quaint town loaded with western history. Salmon’s claim to fame is Sacajaweawas born there. She was the main interpreter for Lewis & Clark on the trek to the Pacific Ocean. At the east end of town there is an interpretative center about Sacajawea. If you love history…

Chicago Architectural River Tour

Climb aboard for one of the best views of Chicago. You’ll see some of the most iconic pieces of architecture up close, and river-side, a view you can only experience from that point of view.

An unexpected benefit of the horrific early 19-century Chicago fire is a city rebuilt by generations of Architects for the world to admire and the people of the city to enjoy. Chicago’s skyline is unlike any…

Excuse the airBnB commercial to start this post…had we not had access to the cute little ground floor apartment in the Columbia Heights neighborhood through the house-sharing site, our  D.C. vacation experience would not have been quite so perfect.

Our little place is a couple of blocks from the metro, making it an easy 10 minute ride to the Mall. Along the main drag that separates Columbia…

3 Things You Don’t Know About Cuba

So close, yet a world away.  Cuba becomes less mysterious every day for its nearby neighbors in the US. Travel to Cuba is still not easy despite the US government opening commercial flights in September, 2016.  I’m sharing three things many don’t know about the country, government and resourceful people of Cuba.

Sadly, these things made Cuba such a unique place to visit when we were there last…

Another Perfect New York Sunday: Chelsea Idealism

I’ve learned to eat the Big Apple one bite at a time.  I have the opportunity to visit the US’ marque city several times a year.  And when I do, I find something new and unique to do on each visit.  This visit – Chelsea.

I headed to Chelsea with the intention of hitting the galleries, but left having seen so much more.  I love filling my one-day city visits with art and architecture.  I started…

Snowbirds in the Phoenix Winter

In our first winter of retirement, we had to check out Phoenix. We discovered there is a zillion old people down there for the winter! We saw tons of golf courses, several large hospitals and many RV parks the size of most towns in Idaho. The snow birds are an economy all their own.

Phoenix is easy to get around but is very spread out like Denver. The freeway system is great but the two lane…

Winter Park Vacation Rentals

The snow-capped purple Rocky Mountains always start calling as college football starts to get interesting.  Its still blazing hot in Denver, with Indian Summer nights the drop in to the 40’s.  But the mountains are tipped in white glistening snow that hint at ski season.  Now’s the time to book your weekend get-aways for next season’s season. Here are our recommendations for you Colorado…

Uniquely Cuban Art Encounters

The artist carving the lithograph spoke very little English.  My Spanish is embarrassingly limited.  I was standing by his side watching him work, while he tried to explain to me the aspects within his art.  As we spoke, he started to describe the woman he was detailing.  He tells me it is “La Virgin de la Caridad del Cobre”.  She is the Santeriapatron saint of Cuba. I struggle to keep up with…

It’s Hard to Eat Like a Cuban

If the Cubano sandwich is a Cuban import, its long been forgotten in Cuba.  You can find a Cubano sandwich across the US, but I think you’d be hard pressed to find one in Cuba.  The Cuban sandwich came to the US thanks to Cuban exiles. Cubanos are made up of roast pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese, and thinly sliced dill pickles. I love them, especially with extra mustard.  Tampa, FL claims it as…

One Perfect Day: Seeking Cleopatra in Nashville

We land in Nashville on a perfect September Tuesday in search of Cleopatra.  We missed her twice in Denver.  But tonight’s the night.  My husband and I have tickets to see The Lumineersand hear them sing Cleopatra, along with the rest of that amazing album at the Ascend Amphitheater on the river in downtown Nashville.  We’ve flown in specifically for the show, but arrived early enough in the day…

12 Ways to Make Your Cruise a Success

Now, I get it.  Before our October cruise, I was nearly anti-cruise.  I like the freedom of going where I want, when I want, to where ever I want.  But, post-cruise, I’ve changed my tune.  On our Carnival family cruise from Galveston to Cozumel and Progresso, Mexico, none of us had to think about, nor plan, where, what, or when we did anything on our vacation.

There was plenty of options to hold…

Snorkeling Cozumel

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