Category: Travel

• December 28, 2025

  #57: Swarovski

  This blog is a continuation of #56: The Heart of the Alps in which we visited Innsbruck, Austria. To begin, a relevant and humorous scene from the popular series Yellowstone:  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tprs0QrUthg In the early 1890s, Daniel Swarovski registered a patent for a state-of-the-art machine designed to cut crystal with unprecedented precision.  Born into a glass…
• November 29, 2025

  #56: The Heart of the Alps

  Success was found in Zurich, Switzerland in Blog #45, but unfortunately there was a bust in Hallstatt, Austria in Blog #48.  What do you say we return to Europe and give Austria a second chance?  After all, large foreign countries are no different from the United States in the sense that there are multiple regions…
• August 15, 2025

  #53: You Better Belize It (Part III: San Pedro)

  This is the final in a three-part series that began with Blog #51: You Better Belize It (Part I: Mainland) and continued with Blog #52: You Better Belize It (Part II: Hopkins). Madonna’s famed hit La Isla Bonita (Spanish for “The Beautiful Island”) makes multiple references to the whimsical island of San Pedro, a place…
• July 12, 2025

  #52: You Better Belize It (Part II: Hopkins)

  This is a continuation of Blog #51: You Better Belize It (Part I: Mainland). The mainland portion of Belize, as we discovered in Blog #51, is a jungle replete with ancient Maya relics.  Majestic temples rise from the rainforest floor while spooky caves littered with human skeletons stretch deep below the surface.  Lest we forget…
• May 23, 2025

  #51: You Better Belize It (Part I: Mainland)

  A hop, skip, and a jump from the continental United States is the Central American nation of Belize.  Snuggled between the Yucatan Peninsula and the Caribbean Sea, the country of Belize offers visitors equally easy access to ancient ruins, lush rainforests, and stunning beaches.  Its growing popularity with North American tourists is evident at Philip…
• April 25, 2025

  #50: Oklahoma City: 30 Years Later

  “But it is a sort of April-weather life that we lead in this world.  A little sunshine is generally the prelude to a storm.” -William Cowper The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, and the temperature is rising.  Spring is in the air.  The annual excitement surrounding the end of winter goes back thousands…
• March 9, 2025

  #49: Music City

  Smashville, Nashvegas, the Buckle of the Bible Belt, Gnashville, the Birthplace of Country Music.  Pack your boots, we’re headed to Nashville! The Union Station Nashville Yards, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, ended up being the perfect selection for respite.  The hotel has high enough ratings (4.6 on Google, 4.5 on Tripadvisor) while maintaining moderately low…
• February 8, 2025

  #48: Hallstatt

  One or two pages worth of an internet query and it’s easy to understand why nearly 10,000 tourists flock to a town of barely 800 residents on a daily basis each summer.  The fairytale Austrian village of Hallstatt has quite the reputation:  “The most beautiful village in the world”, “One of the world’s prettiest places”,…
• January 14, 2025

  #47: Astoria (Part II)

  This is a continuation of Blog 46: Astoria Part I. A walk through the city of Astoria, Oregon is a necessity when visiting during a period of bright blue skies that tend to be a rarity in the Pacific Northwest.  Even without the blessing of great weather, a belly full of fried fish should be…
• December 22, 2024

  #46: Astoria (Part I)

  The finale of my trio of trips to the Pacific Northwest in 2024 came to a close with the historic coastal town of Astoria, Oregon.  I had already experienced the disappointment of seeing poor governance tarnish the beauty of Seattle and Portland, and was still holding onto hope that the delight of small town America…