We landed in Albuquerque (one of the more difficult to spell U.S. cities), New Mexico. The last time I was here was by car and the entire city was a ghost town; I recall it was difficult to find any open restaurants and we ended up eating from a fast-food cart parked across from the downtown Rail Runner Train Station. This time we rented a car and immediately headed up to Santa Fe. We stopped at St. John's College, loaded up on fresh ripe … [Read more...]
Why We Chose the Springs Resort in Costa Rica for Our Wedding
Choosing a wedding venue is never an easy task! We looked at venues in our local area of Fort Lauderdale, Miami, all the way to the Caribbean islands, and many beach resorts in Costa Rica prior to choosing The Springs Resort & Spa at Arenal, Costa Rica. Today I’ll share with you what led to this decision and why we feel like this is one of the most unique weddings ever crafted. About The Springs Resort in Costa Rica The Springs Resort and … [Read more...]
A Much Needed Reset at Villa Premiere Boutique Hotel, Puerta Vallarta Mexico
Sometimes you need an escape from it all; whether it be the rigors of a heavy work schedule, cold weather, a change of pace, or new scenery. And these refreshers or resets don't necessarily need to be weeks at a time, rather just a couple of days is often just what one needs to feel completely rejuvenated. The destination: Villa Premiere Boutique Hotel and Romantic Getaway in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Puerta Vallarta is an easy flight from the … [Read more...]
Exploring the Midwest of the United States of America
I stopped in Chicago, one of my favorite food and wine towns in the entire country. I enjoyed some exceptional wine and food at the Greek Restaurant Avli on the Park on top of a tall building just up from the waterfront. I headed south that evening, arriving in South Chicago. It was very dark. I arrived on a street filled with people running around, yelling, drinking and cars double parked. I felt out of my element. My desired space for the night … [Read more...]
Cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage with Holland America: Helicopter Ride + Dog Mushing on Norris Glacier, Juneau
Arguably this experience is one of the most memorable on shore excursions offered by Holland America on a visit to Alaska's Inside Passage. I always gravitate towards unique experiences and this one is truly special, featuring stunning visuals of the mountainous interior from a helicopter including the Juneau Icefield, a landing directly on a glacier and dog mushing, all in the same afternoon. Northstar Helicopters (founded 1998) is located … [Read more...]
A Night in Florida to Remember, But for All the Wrong Reasons
I was super excited; I was flying back to Florida from Medellin, my first time in the U.S. in nearly 3 months. I had booked my hotel several weeks before, remembering the sticker shock of the price for one night, as compared to the cheap living I had experienced in Colombia. I arrived at the Fort Lauderdale airport, one of my favorite smaller airports to arrive into after an international flight. No one was at customs, the agent asked me what my … [Read more...]
A Visit to Hump Island Oyster Company: a Shore Excursion with Holland America, Ketchikan Alaska
Hump Island Oyster Company is located about a 30 minute drive from Ketchikan. This visit and on-shore experience was arranged through a Holland America Inside Passage cruise. This business was founded in 2010 by civil engineer Trevor Sande whose family has lived in Alaska since the early 1920s. He located an ideal place along Clover Passage on the shores of Hump Island, only a few miles from his family home - an area that takes full advantage of … [Read more...]
Cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage with Holland America
One of the great things about cruising is leaving the logistics to others. Certain destinations are ideally suited to cruises including Alaska, due to its vast geographical distances, remote landscapes and rugged coastal beauty. Our Alaskan Inside Passage cruise was on the Holland America Eurodam, a ship whose inaugural sail was in 2008. We first cruised on this particular ship in 2015 in the Caribbean. One certainly becomes spoiled, merely … [Read more...]
A Quick Visit to Detroit, Michigan
I've been fortunate to have visited this city twice in the past 2 years. The first time was in May 2020 and like the other major U.S. cities I visited in the early to mid part of 2020, it was a 'ghost town'. Returning this year, it was nice to see some life back in the downtown area. There is no other city like this in the U.S. - its heyday was decades ago, being built as a result of being the site of the early manufacturing of one of the most … [Read more...]
A Memorable Trip to Florida
During cold weather, its like one is always tightly wound. Constantly holding their breath. During warm weather, one can exhale and the mood brightens immediately. It was a welcome relief to arrive back in Florida after the bone chilling artic cold I experienced in the northern states on this same trip. After a stop in Jacksonville to visit a friend's daughters restaurant (The Town Hall) for a delicious meal. I made a last minute reservation … [Read more...]
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