Travel Adventures and Photography
"Visiting The Carlsbad Flower Fields early in the bloom season instead of at 'peak bloom' made for a far more memorable experience." Each year in Southern California I look forward to the fifty acres of ranunculus flowers reminiscent of the Land of Oz. In fact, the Carlsbad Flower Fields is home to one of the largest flower displays in the world drawing more than 160,000 visitors in their eight-week bloom season. Like many Read More
If Venice, Italy is a destination on your bucket list then this is for you. While satellite information has shown that Venice is sinking 1-2mm per year, it is actually the highest-ever numbers in tourism that have become the most pressing issue today. It is a valid concern that overcrowding could (and has) led to deterioration and pollution of historic and fragile sites in Venice such as the Rialto Bridge and Read More
"You did some living today!" said my Aunt Evelyn after a day trip to Nevada's Valley of Fire. These words from her have been a gift and I hope you'll remember them, too. Evelyn is a 93-year-old woman who is anything but forgettable. Her heritage is French and at times I wonder if that could explain her feisty personality. She's had a lifelong goal to see every state in America collecting charms from each as she visited, Read More
Flower fields are the stuff of my daydreams and so I seek them out almost everywhere I go. Wild or commercially grown, I don't discriminate. If you're like me you could be destined for Santa Barbara, California where the Lompoc valley has numerous privately-owned fields of flowers including Larkspur, Delphinium, Bells of Ireland, Queen Anne's Lace, Stock, and Sweet Peas. The bloom season is from April to the end of September Read More
I hereby dub thee, "Rainbow Island". This famously picturesque Venetian island with its canals and brightly colored buildings is one of the most popular destinations for a day-trip from Venice, Italy. Back in the 16th century Burano's popularity grew with a thriving lace-making industry, a tradition which continues today thanks to a few dedicated families and their lace shops. These days though, some visitors come to follow Read More
I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but I stumbled into a one-day adventure at one of the prettiest trails in the country, the Virginia Creeper Trail. Travel forum contributors insist that this trail is one of the best you'll ever see, and it's just beautiful in autumn with different colored foliage in each part. Rich with local history it has received numerous regional and national accolades. Whether being used for Read More
Welcome to the Outer Banks, a 130-mile stretch of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. The beaches of Corolla here are home to one of the last remaining herds of Spanish Colonial Mustangs where they roam free in what is basically their 7,500-acre sanctuary. I joined a tour with Wild Horse Adventure Tours because they had been voted the #1 Tour Company in America by TripAdvisor and they invited me! They believe Read More
It's hard to believe that the beautiful fall foliage I experienced in northern Vermont was second-rate to that of just one week earlier. I was there for location scouting, but instead I was hard at work soaking up the Vermont lifestyle--you know, maple bacon can do that to you. They really take pride in sourcing their food locally, something I got firmly behind the minute I tasted a local burger with maple bacon and Read More
Out of personal interest, I've done quite a bit of research into where to find wild horses and ponies. From Wyoming to Iceland and beyond, I highly recommend an adventure to see these beautiful animals in their natural habitat. It is entirely possible that I am the only person in the world interested in something like this, but here it is for animal lovers and wildlife photographers who may appreciate all the information in Read More
After suggestion by many, I visited the famous museum in Cody, Wyoming known as the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. It is actually five different museums and far too extensive to absorb in a single day. Instead of skimming over everything I spent my day there focused on learning about Buffalo Bill and the Plains Indians. The Plains Indian Museum doesn't just showcase historic artifacts, but tells the personal stories that go Read More