I try to visit National Parks during any trip, and my trip to Ontario was no exception. After checking a map, I found that except for Rouge National Urban Park, Thousand Islands was really the only park I was passing near. So I took the bus to Kingston from Toronto, rented a car, and checked …
Two months ago I was miserable. I had spent almost 8 weeks traveling through Europe during an abnormally cold spring. Not only was it cold, but I wasn’t really prepared for the weather. I had to shovel my rental car out of snowdrifts in Germany (without a shovel) and I got another rental car stuck …
Hello from the island of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands where I’m one week into my Caribbean island hopping adventure! I have been excited about this trip for quite some time. I’ve always had a fascination with small countries and islands. When I began my travels in 2007 I started in the Pacific …
The biggest ball of twine in Minnesota is in Darwin, about an hour and a half west of Minneapolis. Really. The ball is inside a plexiglass pagoda to protect it from the weather and the visitors. I have always wondered what it smelled like. I hate to think I may never know. The allure of …
Last month I spent 2 hours exploring the Emperor Hadrian’s villa in Tivoli, Italy. It marked my 250th visit to a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here is a collection of thoughts and facts about world heritage sites that I’ve collected over the last 6 years: 1) As of the time of writing, there are 962 …
I didn’t plan on visiting Petersburg at all on my trip, so when my ferry docked in port an hour early on its way to Wrangell I had no expectations. I just knew I was hungry and I might as well find something to eat on solid ground. Speaking of eating, it was interesting to …
Andorra might be one of the smallest countries in the world, but it is certainly high on the list of the most picturesque. Located high in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain, Andorra is one of the world’s oldest democracies and the world’s only co-principality (the co-heads of state are the President of France …
The beauty of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is not something you expect from Oklahoma. Nestled in the Wichita Mountain range, you can find herds of bison, Texas Longhorns, elk and deer freely roaming the Refuge. In fact, I would say you can find an abundance of wildlife there. This is 60,000 acres prestige land. …
From the World Heritage inscription for the Villa Adriana (Tivoli): The Villa Adriana (Tivoli) is a masterpiece that uniquely brings together the highest expressions of the material cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world. Study its monuments played a crucial role in the rediscovery of the elements of classical architecture by the architects of the Renaissance …