Why write a travel story about an event no one can go to this year? It seems strange and somewhat bittersweet to talk about the joy of standing on a float throwing armfuls of beads to cheering crowds of children, or chasing ridiculously fast chickens through Louisiana farm country, or making purple, green and gold … Read more
“Looky, looky!” An elderly Asian lady excitedly tugged on my coat sleeve and pointed to the sky. Above us, the aurora borealis gracefully danced across the heavens, putting on a show the likes of which I’d never seen before. Vanessa and I (and it seemed roughly half the population of Asia) were in Alaska—high above … Read more
So it’s 4 a.m., and I’m waking up to see a rodent. A famous one, but still, I have to ask myself if it’s worth getting bundled up in massive layers of clothing and hiking up a hill to Gobbler’s Knob to see if a groundhog will see its shadow. Of course, that groundhog is … Read more
“No, you are not going to drive.” These are the first words that Vanessa said to me after learning that we would be traveling Alaska’s famed Dalton Highway. And she was right, I wasn’t driving. But this time, neither was she. Hell, even ice road truckers don’t want to drive what is not only one … Read more
I’m not normally a person who would suggest setting an alarm on vacation. After all, isn’t the whole point of having down time to relax? So why would anyone in their right mind get up early? One word: Donuts. As soon as I said it, you could smell them, couldn’t you? Right out of the … Read more
When Terri called me and asked if I’d like to go RV camping, of course I didn’t hesitate. Who wouldn’t want the chance to spend time outdoors without setting up tents, lying on the ground, eating out of a rank cooler, and searching for, um, facilities? Not to mention the opportunity to drive a big, … Read more
By Vanessa As Terri and I stood on the shore watching our houseboat slowly float away, we realized that we had made two grievous errors. The first being that at least one of us should have stayed on board. The second, thinking that the two of us could ever handle a 54-foot houseboat on our … Read more
Sometimes we take our stories on air for the world to hear. It works well for me since I LOVE to talk! Here’s a link to my recent appearance on Travel Planners Radio Network where I share my version of the tales from our mishap-filled adventures while houseboating in Pennsylvania. No doubt Vanessa will … Read more
Badgers are described as “ferocious fighters with an attitude that should not be bothered.” I mention this because Vanessa and I recently spent a few days in Wisconsin—the badger state. Coincidence? I think not. Although we are generally harmless—when left alone—there are times when our tendency to be ferocious fighters comes in handy. One such … Read more
By Vanessa I’ve always thought that the English tradition of having tea was lovely. Instead of grabbing something out of a vending machine or hitting up a fast food joint, stopping midday to have a warm drink and a scone or crustless sandwich just seems so damn civilized. So I was pleased while visiting Altoona, … Read more