Yours truly with guard outside Palacio de Gobierno in Quito, Ecuador As 2011 comes to an end, I’ll be posting a series of blogs this week, highlighting my travel adventures over the past year. First up: a look at a few new friends I made along the way . . . When you’re traveling solo in […]
Food & Dining
A Fast 48 Hours in New York City – Part Two
View of the New York City Skyline in Lower Manhattan If only my travel dates to New York City had coincided with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! Maybe next year . . . In the meantime, I was still able to cross a few more items off my list of Must Sees and Do’s on this fast-paced […]
A Fast 48 Hours in New York City – Part One
If you’re fortunate to fly into New York City often, you have the luxury of knowing that whatever you miss on one trip, you can make up for on the next. But if you’re an infrequent visitor to The Big Apple like me, just remember, you can catch up on your sleep when you get […]
3 Easy Ways to Keep Wanderlust Alive
How do restless wanderers fuel their travel lust when not in motion? While between trips recently, here’s where you might have spotted me at home away from home: At the Opera Where better than the opera to get your cultural, artistic and aesthetic fix all in one place? Just give me a passionate, happy-ever-after or […]
When Stomachs Plummet at Sea
Today we visit both the youngest (Fernandina) and the biggest (Isabela) Islands in the Galapagos Archipelago. But first we have to get there . . . With a 12 – 13 hour cruise ahead of us on somewhat choppy waters, the thought of motion sickness skips across my mind. It shouldn’t be a problem, I […]
Quito Rising
“Do you speak Spanish?” asks the unsmiling custom agent. “Well, no, not really, just a few words,” I say. “So what’s wrong with Spanish?” Uh-oh. “Nothing, nothing at all. I love Spanish! But . . . ” I begin to offer a host of excuses before I catch the twinkle in his eye. “Enjoy your […]
Tasty Snacks from Ecuador
In Quito, Ecuador I dined in the restaurant at the Hotel Mecure Alameda where I was staying and was intrigued by the snack I was served before one of my meals. The mix of popcorn, banana chips, fried corn kernels and sweet onion was an unusual combination of flavors, both salty and sweet, and definitely crunchy. I […]
Ice-Cream Cuties
One of the highlights of my visit to Ecuador was a stop in Cayambe, about an hour and 45 minute drive north of Quito. My guide took me on a tour of a local outdoor market where these two ice cream cuties caught my eye. Can Mr. Softee top this? I’m pretty sure ice cream (along […]
Destination Seattle: When Family Come Calling
There’s so much to see and do in Seattle, that when my brother and sister-in-law flew in from the East Coast for a few days, I wondered where best to start. Of course, weather is always a consideration in the Emerald City, so we decided to hang loose and play it by ear while they were […]
Scenic Sitka
I was nursing a beer at Victoria’s Pour House in downtown Sitka. Behind me loomed a large sign, gong attached, inscribed with these words: “If you touch it, and it makes a sound, Be prepared to buy a round.” Pub visitors beware: patrons of the establishment take this warning seriously. No tom foolery here. If […]