Start your adventure with the ferry from Auckland — the 40-minute ride across crystal waters sets the tone perfectly: you’re leaving the everyday behind and stepping into pure Kiwi laid-back luxury. Waiheke is often nicknamed “Wine Island” for good reason: it’s home to dozens of world-class vineyards, each with its own vibe, views, and wines […]
Sip, Stroll, Repeat: A Slightly Reckless Day on Waiheke Island Read More »
My Zimbabwe adventure included a morning hike in the Victoria Falls Rainforest and an afternoon helicopter ride over the falls. Both were incredible! It is the largest waterfall in the world. Not the widest or the highest but the world’s largest sheet of falling water. Twice the height of Niagara and only rivalled by Iguazu
Twelve Fascinating Facts You Didn’t Know About Victoria Falls Read More »
Icelanders are very serious about their trolls. In fact, more than half the population accepts the existence of the “Huldufólk” or “Hidden Folk”; supernatural beings that reside in, beneath or behind the rocks and mounds. They decorate homes and gardens. People refer to them with a peculiar reverence, sometimes with a wink and a nod
Arnarstapi and The Truth About Iceland’s Hidden Folk Read More »
Filling the valley between the mountains with blue-white light. Vatnajökull Glacier in Iceland is the largest glacier in Europe, covering eight percent of Iceland’s landmass. This glacier looms in the distance. It appears to breathe, a living organism. I can imagine it shape-shifting under its own weight, a moving sea of many century’s old ice.
Blue is the Color! Iceland’s Monumental Glaciers Read More »
Easter Sunday just outside of Krakow in Europe’s most Catholic country. This most important holiday is a celebration of food, family and worship. No shops are open and even the picnic tables at the monastery of Jasna Gora have been removed. Bells peal from the towers as we enter the small sanctuary where the Madonna
The Mysterious and Miraculous Black Madonna of Czestochowa Read More »
If you think stealing a kiss underneath a sprig of an invasive sometimes toxic plant, or nailing socks to the fireplace mantle or toasting Santa with a cup of raw egg, brandy and cream leans towards weird in holiday traditions, we’ve got nothing on the unusual Christmas traditions in other countries. Letters to Santa Began
The Most Unusual and Unbelievable Christmas Traditions from Abroad Read More »
It’s inevitable. So plan for it. It’s a rare trip that follows the booked itinerary but there are things you can do to make it a minor inconvenience instead of a catastrophe. Federal Law Says… It’s important to know that federal law entitles you to a full cash refund in the event your flight is
The Best Advice If Your Flight is Cancelled Read More »
Notice I didn’t say cheap. Cheap is for twenty year old back-packers and nomadic unemployed bloggers. Cheap is not for a senior solo female traveler who thinks the journey is a very important part of traveling to the destination. Or at least has its profound effects. Say no to airline hop-scotch, before-dawn over-sold flights from
Five Practical Tips on How to Fly Well, Safely and Often Read More »
You’ll never open another bottle of wine or champagne again without thinking of this. Cork is one of Portugal’s biggest and most important exports. In fact, Portugal is the biggest cork producer in the world and produces more than 50% of the world’s cork supply. The vast majority of this is made into those forgettable
It’s Fun to Pop A Cork in Azaruja Portugal! Read More »
This highly visited African attraction is the world’s largest inactive, unbroken and unfilled volcanic caldera. So what’s a caldera? A caldera is a large depression formed when a volcano erupts and collapses. During a volcanic eruption, magma present in the magma chamber underneath the volcano is expelled, often forcefully. National Geographic One of the Seven And more
The Earth’s Largest and Most Perfect: Visit Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater Read More »