Find travel guides, planning tips, advice, and resources for where you want to go for all the destinations I’ve visited! Everything is sorted by country and/or state for easy searching. Great for dreaming, planning, and making your trip a reality!
This post was originally written in 2014; updates from 2016 & 2021 are at the end. There’s a phrase in Spanish, caer mal, which is a way of saying you don’t like someone; for example, Me cae mal tu amiga means “I don’t like your friend.” The phrase has a few other uses, typically for describing how food sits with you or impressions […]
I’ve never been a big fan of Halloween. Costume parties are more of a hassle than a festivity and handing out candy gets old after the fifth doorbell ring. But boy-oh-boy, I like pretty things, which is why I drove 375 miles to see a bunch of pumpkins. Not just any pumpkins, of course. I
The Great Jack O Lantern Blaze is Stunningly Gourd-geous Read More »
All the civilization you need: that’s what the sign read as we entered town. Sure enough, Pinedale, Wyoming has all the basics but nothing more. There’s a health clinic, grocery store, gas station, some drive-through coffee shacks and a few hotels. But there’s no confusing Pinedale for its distant cousin down the road. Pinedale and
Everyone says winter is the worst time to visit China — unless you’re heading to the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, that is. Before my visit, I found plenty of inspirational articles and photographs but I couldn’t pinpoint a recent Harbin ice festival guide to walk me through the logistics. I had zero desire
Comprehensive Harbin Ice Festival Guide & Winter Harbin Itinerary Read More »
In the Grand Tetons, you either need two days or your whole life. During summer, this part of Wyoming is easily toured by car. Most park roads run through the valley, looking up at the imposing mountains. Drive from one overlook to the next, snap some photos, take a walk. You’ll find wildlife, watch a
Live Vicariously Through This Photo Tour of the Grand Tetons Read More »
I still remember how long it took to plan a trip to Alaska the first time. The options were overwhelming and I wasn’t an experienced traveler. My first thought was to look into package cruisetours — but I had no interest in joining a busload of tourists in exchange for thousands of dollars. I wanted
Best 2 Week Alaska Itinerary: Plan a Trip to Alaska by Land & Sea Read More »
I’ve been a long-time advocate for shoulder season travel. More often than not, you get smaller crowds and lower prices with only minor trade-offs. Visiting Yellowstone in September is no exception and in fact, fall might be the best time of year to go. Not only will you get traditional shoulder-season benefits, but there are
Pros and Cons of Visiting Yellowstone in September Read More »
I was headed happily downhill when I felt the palm of my husband’s hand firmly against my belly. I stopped dead in my tracks, not daring to take another step. I’ve hiked often enough to know that this was his signal to stop — now — without a word being said. My eyes darted every
“I feel like we’re in a scene from The Land Before Time,” I commented. My husband and I were walking through clouds, the fog obscuring our view past twenty feet or so. In front of us, I could make out one of Yellowstone’s mud craters, a hideous gray pool frothing away. My right ear was
Everyone Loves Yellowstone, Except (Apparently) Me Read More »
As an avid hiker, I was surprised by the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek in Nepal. I envisioned dirt trails with scenic mountain vistas in all directions. I expected pathways surrounded by goats and sheep but not many people. I thought I’d sleep on thin mats on teahouse floors and pantomime conversations with locals who didn’t speak English. I
