Wildlife in the Arctic
Bundled up against the cold gust of the Arctic wind, I stared out over the endless ocean of ice and fog in front of me, hoping the spot I saw in the distance was in fact a polar bear. After four days at sea on one of the foggiest July trips on record around Svalbard,…
Island-Hopping in Langkawi
Langkawi, an archipelago of 104 tiny islands in the Andamon Sea in the state of Kedah, is last on our itinerary but the place I’ve been most excited to see since I found out I’d be traveling with a small group to Malaysia this summer to celebrate the extraordinary Colours of 1Malaysia festival and attend…
South Africa + a Safari in Namibia
We arrived in Cape Town with a beautiful view of the ocean from our hotel. My husband and I had bid on a safari trip to Namibia and we added a trip to Cape Town on to it. We had visited South Africa years ago but wanted everything to go as smoothly as possible when…
A Summer Visit to Germany
We visited Germany for two weeks in late June and really wanted to make the best of the warm temperatures and long sunny days in North Rhine-Westphalia. We started our trip near Bonn and spent two nights to the south at the Rheinhotel Dreesen with a balcony and wonderful views of the Rhine River. The…
Scenes from Florence
We rode the train from Verona to Florence for a full week in the beautiful city of Firenze. To save money, we rented an apartment and used the fully-stocked kitchen to cook breakfast and lunch. We walked every other day to the open air markets to buy freshly made pasta, organic olive oils and balsamics,…
Sights and Scenes of Moscow
After a bit of difficulty obtaining our Russian visas, one trip to Moscow’s Red Square proved the lengthy process was more than worth it. We opted to stay nearby (which we highly recommend) where we were only steps from the Bolshoi Theatre, The Kremlin, the famous GUM Mall, and, of course, the very impressive St.…
Peaceful Days in Kefalonia Greece
Dramatic cliff edges, crystal clear water, lush green landscapes, chattering cicadas and quiet hazy sunsets are all things I’ll think of when I remember my short time in Kefalonia earlier this summer. Most of all, I’ll remember the warmth and generosity of the people of this island. Just before the sun reached its highest point…
Ten Days in Jerusalem
At just under one square kilometer in size and predominately pedestrian in nature, the Old City of Jerusalem is perfect for both short strolls and endless wanderings. Whether you choose to focus on one of the four quarters (Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Armenian) or mix things up by viewing a number of the major sites,…
A Local’s Guide to San Francisco
When I initially started to think about everything that makes San Francisco what it is, I suddenly began to feel overwhelmed by the amazingness of this city and the things I’ve yet to explore. After living here for so long and spending two wonderful years working downtown, my hope is that this collection of my…
Highlights of Northern Malaysia
For our journey to Malaysia we crossed the border from Thailand into Langkawi, the northernmost island in the country, via a quick ferry ride (the land crossing can be a bit dangerous). It turned out to be a great way to go because Langkawi is so beautiful! With only a day to explore we opted…
Wildlife in the Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands are infamous, with the name itself bringing to mind Darwin, evolution, blue-footed boobies, Lonesome George, and white sandy beaches with jet black volcanic rock. While in this beautiful country I had the opportunity to see all of the Galapagos wildlife and so much more. I highly recommend traveling through the islands by…
Off the Beaten Path in Oahu
When my husband and I booked a photo shoot on the beautiful east side of Oahu, we decided to extend our trip a few extra days to explore the island. Our days were spent eating fish tacos, visiting the North Shore, and drinking from more than a few cold coconuts! Since we were only on…