Travel Journal
Relaying the experience of a journey…
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Sope Creek: A Hike, a Creek, and an Old Mill
More Details: Sope Creek: A Hike, a Creek, and an Old MillI was looking for another spot in Atlanta to hike while also hitting some waterway AND hitting history after having enjoyed going to Sweetwater Creek and to Island Ford (on the Chattahoochee River). Tall order, huh? NOT in Atlanta! Plenty of spots along creeks and rivers to find great hiking and reminders of the life…
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The Warm Capitals: Panama City, Manila, San Juan, and Port of Spain
More Details: The Warm Capitals: Panama City, Manila, San Juan, and Port of SpainFor many, the ideal vacation is to go where it is sunny and warm, be it the tropics or somewhere with good “Mediterranean” climate. Be it the Caribbean, the South Pacific, or the Greek Isles, sun and fun seem to go together. I am not as much a chaser of these climates but they definitely…
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20 Photographers-in-Action Shots
More Details: 20 Photographers-in-Action ShotsLike most travelers, I enjoy taking pictures of the places I see. It used to be to show family and friends but eventually developed into more of giving myself a challenge of not only capturing images for my memories, but also seeing if I could capture anything unique or interesting as I explore the world…
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St. Paul Outside the Walls: Rome’s Less Seen Basilicas
More Details: St. Paul Outside the Walls: Rome’s Less Seen BasilicasAs one may expect, Rome does not lack in the church category. All types and sizes up to the best know, St. Peter’s Basilica in The Vatican. However, there are three other major basilicas in Rome: St. John Lateran (first among the four for being the oldest), Saint Mary Major (Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore),…
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Monticchiello: Charm in the Middle of Tuscany
More Details: Monticchiello: Charm in the Middle of TuscanyA few years ago, in one of my trips to Italy, we spent a few days in Tuscany. We opted to rent apartments in a small mountaintop town called Monticchiello, a charming place, sandwiched between Pienza and Montepulciano (lucky folks!!!). We truly lucked out: the town was quaint, quite small, and its location was central…
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Admiring History on the Rocks in Petra, Jordan
More Details: Admiring History on the Rocks in Petra, JordanI first went to Petra, Jordan back in 1998 on a day trip from Sharm-el-Sheikh at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. If you know the lay of the land, that may sound impossible. Well, not if you take a flight from Sharm-el-Sheikh to Aqaba, Jordan and then hop on a bus. …
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Photo of the Week: Viewing Venice from my Window Seat
More Details: Photo of the Week: Viewing Venice from my Window SeatVenice, Italy is such a unique place. It is almost out of Disney’s mind. But it is not. It is truly unique and a sight worth seeing once in your life. I have been fortunate not only to have seen it, but to have been there twice. It can be a maddening place with the…
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A Great Hike Right Near Atlanta: Sweetwater Creek State Park
More Details: A Great Hike Right Near Atlanta: Sweetwater Creek State ParkAtlanta may not be what comes to mind when thinking for a place to go to enjoy the great outdoors. But our little known secret is how close we are to any number of incredible spots to be “with” nature and enjoy the great outdoors. I recently got to explore Sweetwater Creek State Park, a…
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Lafayette Square | History and Architecture of Washington, D.C.
More Details: Lafayette Square | History and Architecture of Washington, D.C.One of the most important buildings in Washington, D.C. is the White House. That global symbol of the U.S. Presidency is indeed a big draw even if it is so inaccessible to most of us, the people. One can be forgiven for losing sight of what is around the White House as the draw is…
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Travel Inspiring Reads – Conquering the Fear of Flying with “Ask the Pilot”
More Details: Travel Inspiring Reads – Conquering the Fear of Flying with “Ask the Pilot”I admit it. No, I confess it. I am a nervous flyer. The more I fly, the nervouser I get. Is it that the odds are infinitesimally less in my favor? Is it that I can better recognize abnormal sounds? Or is it just the fault of that off-duty flight attendant gripping our shared armrest…
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Photo of the Week – The Alps of Transylvania
More Details: Photo of the Week – The Alps of TransylvaniaThis scene was what we were rewarded with after arriving at the Cabana Curmatura in the Transylvanian Alps in Romania and hiking on for another hour. I dream of returning to amazing Transylvania. Too bad people’s only notion of it is the legend of Dracula: there is SO much to enjoy and explore there!
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The Livable Capitals: Santiago, Bern and Berlin
More Details: The Livable Capitals: Santiago, Bern and BerlinAs I listed the capital cities I have visited, I kept thinking which would could be the “most livable.” Livable, for me, means not an intense place, not one with millions of tourists ruining summer months, with character, and some great redeeming feature (the ocean, the mountains, a great river running through it, an amazing…