For those who want to tour three of Europe’s great cities, this central Europe itinerary is perfect. Start with Budapest, a gorgeous city known for its thermal baths, unique architecture, and stunning setting along the Danube River. Next, travel to Vienna, a sophisticated city rich in history and culture. End with Prague, the most beautiful of the three cities (in …
Temple Mount is one of the most important religious sites in the world. Located on Temple Mount is the Dome of the Rock, one of the most recognizable structures in Jerusalem. The golden dome of Dome of the Rock is seen from the Western Wall, Mount of Olives, Tower of David, and many of Jerusalem’s city streets. A visit to Temple …
Wadi Rum…this is a place that blew away our expectations. Why? Because the hike to the Jebel Burdah Rock Bridge is amazing. The hike is challenging, dangerous, and breathtaking in its beauty. Climbing up the rocky mountains and looking out over the almost martian landscape of Wadi Rum was the highlight of our time in Jordan. Tim and I came …
Petra is one of the most popular places to visit on the planet. Take a look at almost any traveler’s bucket list and Petra will be on it. Why? Because it really is amazing. But guess what. There is so much more to Petra than the Treasury, the iconic façade featured in every travel book and brochure about Petra. Petra …
Petra, one of the wonders of the world, is a place we couldn’t wait to visit. Like many people, we first learned about Petra from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” How cool would it be to find an ancient crusader guarding historical treasures, save your dad’s life, and then charge down a narrow stone gorge on horseback?! We weren’t expecting any …
Jerusalem is one of the holiest cities in the world. This is where Jews built their sacred Temple, Mohammed rose to heaven, and Jesus was crucified. Laden with history, a joy to wander through, Jerusalem is one of the world’s greatest cities. There is a lot to do here. When I came up with our list of things to do …
Cristo Redentor de los Andes (Christ the Redeemer of the Andes in English) is a statue of Jesus Christ that sits high in the Andes Mountains, straddling Chile and Argentina. Most people make the journey here for a view of the statue and for the awesome views of this part of the Andes. Cristo Redentor de los Andes The Cristo Redentor …
Driving from Santiago to Mendoza, Argentina…should you really do it? For those who like to get out on their own, this may sound like a great idea. And it is. The scenery is breathtaking, the drive can be an adventure, and there is a new view around every curve. Plus, how many people really can say they crossed the Andes …
Whitewater rafting in Mendoza, Argentina is one of the most popular adventure activities in this part of the country. We spent the morning with Potrerillos Explorer Rafting, one of the premiere rafting companies in Mendoza. We had a blast and this was one of our highlights of our recent trip to Argentina. Whitewater Rafting in Mendoza, Argentina The prime spot for …
Mount Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in the world outside of Asia. At 6,962 meters (22,841 ft) it still does not come within the top 100 tallest mountains in the world!! All of these behemoths are located in the Himalayas, stretching from Pakistan to Nepal to China. Many people travel to Mendoza, Argentina, to go on mountaineering expeditions to summit …
Ten days in Israel and Jordan…a trip that started out badly but ended well. Tim had to travel to Israel for work and I got to tag along. We had a few precious days to tour Israel and we tacked on some extra time to go to Jordan. Here is an overview of our trip to Israel and Jordan. Day #1 …
We’re on the road again, and this time it is just Tim and I. Tim is on his first international business trip to Israel and I get to tag along. How lucky I am!! I wish Tyler and Kara were just as lucky but they could not miss school for this trip, no matter how much they would have gotten …
Mendoza, Argentina is famous for its production of Malbec wine. What most people do not know is that Mendoza, Argentina is also an excellent destination for adventure sports enthusiasts. Rock climbing, white water rafting, horseback riding, parasailing, and trekking in the Andes are just a few of the activities to keep visitors busy in between wine tastings. We spent a …
For wine lovers, Santiago is one of the best destinations in South America. With a short drive you can reach some of Chile’s premiere wine regions, such as Maipo Valley, Colchagua Valley, Casablanca Valley, and Aconcagua Valley. Most people visit the wineries on a tour. But what if you prefer to get out and explore on your own? Touring the Santiago wine …
Our twelve day tour through Chile and Argentina was quite the adventure. There were moments we loved and moments we hated. This trip, for some reason, seemed so difficult. Never have we had so many things go wrong in such a short period of time. We lived some of those travel horror stories that you hear about from other people …
Valparaiso, the second largest city in Chile, is a colorful coastal city. It is one of the South Pacific’s most important seaports and was once called “The Jewel of the Pacific.” For tourists, Valparaiso’s big draw is its colorful buildings, its maze of hillside streets, and its graffiti. Numerous funiculars, or “ascensors” as they are called here, carry passengers up …
Hola! We’ve been in Santiago, Chile for just a few days now and wanted to let you know what we have been up to. Our trip to South America started with one of our craziest flights, ever. On Thursday afternoon, we flew from BWI towards Atlanta. Thunderstorms in Atlanta had our airplane doing circles in the air high above the airport. …
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi…most beautiful building in the world? The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is literally blindingly, brilliantly beautiful. We know from experience!! Both Tim and I had lost our sunglasses just two weeks before our visit to the UAE and never had time to replace them. Tip #1! Bring your sunglasses on your visit to …
Myanmar is a wonderful country to visit in Southeast Asia. It is not as popular of a destination as Thailand or Cambodia, but that does not mean that Myanmar is not a magical place to visit. The temples of Bagan are an amazing sight to see, but there is also the shiny, golden Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon and unique places around …
Tyler, Kara, and I each wrote in a journal while traveling. Actually, after 13 months of traveling, we developed quite a stack of journals. Everyday we would write at least a few sentences about the most memorable events of the day…the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the most boring, annoying, and exciting moments that happened while traveling. The best …