Bratislava Castle, Slovakia

Bratislava is located on the edge of the Danube River and the borders of Austria and Hungary, making it the only capital in the world that is bordered by three sovereign states.  The city is dominated by Bratislava Castle with its characteristic four towers.  The labyrinth of cobbled streets, mostly limited to pedestrians, greenery and fountains adorn the small parks, as you walk around this very walkable … Continue reading Bratislava Castle, Slovakia

Auschwitz

Auschwitz There are many descriptions of Auschwitz, they are easily found on the internet. Going there in person, the day after you found your family home in Nasielsk, north of Warsaw, is another matter. That research also revealed that Szmuel Grossman born in the 1880s, (uncle to Samuel —David’s father), was murdered at Auschwitz in 1942 brings it Home, (with a capital H for Home). … Continue reading Auschwitz

Vienna Austria

The Hofburg Palace, home to the Hapsburg royal dynasty for 600 years. They were also the embodiment of the Holy Roman Empire that persisted more or less from the late 900s to the early 1800s. The Holy Roman Empire brought together a collection of kingdoms, duchies, free cities, etc as they pledged a common allegiance to a monarch who was formally anointed a Holy Roman … Continue reading Vienna Austria

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

The abundance of beautiful old architecture, the location in a horseshoe bend of the Vltava river and the nearby hills, they all make the town very picturesque. Its history dates back to the 13th century. The architecture in the historic core of Český Krumlov has remained largely intact over the course of centuries. It is an excellent example of an old Central European town. There … Continue reading Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Krakow and Prague Jewish Quarters

Many European cities once had historical Jewish quarter and some still have it. We visited two Jewish quarters one Kraków Poland and one Prague Czech Republic.       From the Jewish point of view, concentration of Jews within a limited area offered a level of protection from outside influences. When political authorities designated an area where Jews were required by law to live, such areas were commonly referred to as ghettos  … Continue reading Krakow and Prague Jewish Quarters

An event like no other – Ocotober 7 – 10, 2019

What an amazing way to end a two month journey in the RV, dry camping at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.  We camped in the rv at one of the VIP campgrounds located adjacent to the Launch Field, a very short walk to the to the launch field.  For nine days in October, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta creates an enchanted world of special-shaped balloon … Continue reading An event like no other – Ocotober 7 – 10, 2019

Colorado RV Trip August – October 2019

Our initial trips in our new RV were to Jacksonville, FL and Hilton Head, SC.   David completed Radiation on August 14 and had follow-up appointments with his doctors on August 20th.  On August 21st we departed Jacksonville in our new RV, with Mayo Clinic in our rear view mirror, headed for Colorado and New Mexico.   First stop in Colorado, was Chatfield State Park in Littleton, … Continue reading Colorado RV Trip August – October 2019

Europe with the whole Family (almost)

One of the mysteries of the universe to me is how does a trip idea spark into reality.  I decided, it usually starts with people talking smack.   Bantering back and forth, upgrading to one-up-man-ship, general family stuff.   Then there is that nanosecond that one person says something meaningful and the concept of “I bet we could do that” appears. A spark! then it is just a logistic puzzle. … Continue reading Europe with the whole Family (almost)

Cancer Diagnosis

March 4, 2019, David underwent surgery to remove his right upper lung lobe.  The lobe contained a 1/2 ” nodule, first diagnosed in 2016, has doubled in size.  During that surgery, the nodule and 16 lymph nodes were removed.  The nodule and 2 lymph nodes were positive for cancer.  David has been diagnosed with Stage 3A lung cancer. Two weeks after surgery he was riding … Continue reading Cancer Diagnosis

New Brunswick – Nova Scotia, Canada

A New Brunswick transportation official said, wistfully, that he lived in the ”drive-through province.” People drive through New Brunswick on the way to/from Prince Edward Island (PEI) each summer. I guess we are guilty of nearly the same, but we drove around New Brunswick for 10 days or so, here are some of the spots we enjoyed . . . on the way to PEI. … Continue reading New Brunswick – Nova Scotia, Canada

Bay of Fundy – Hopewell Rocks

Hopewell “Flowerpot” Rocks, is one of the most spectacular places to experience the Bay of Fundy in all of New Brunswick. The famous, towering flowerpot rocks were created by the winds and tides over millions of years. The late cartoonist/entrepreneur Robert Ripley of Ripley’s Believe it or Not saw the urn-shaped, vegetation-topped rocks in 1936, thought they looked like giant flower pots and gave them … Continue reading Bay of Fundy – Hopewell Rocks

Full Time Travel and Beyond………

Full time travel is an incredible journey, and if it’s something you want to do, I highly recommend joining the band of travelers who sell everything they own to travel the world. Travel is a personal journey and an individual experience, so it really doesn’t matter where your travel style falls in the whole tourist vs traveler debate. There is no right or wrong way … Continue reading Full Time Travel and Beyond………

Amazing Borneo

What were we thinking when we were planning the nearly 4 week trip to Malaysia’s Borneo? Borneo is the third largest island in the world. The island is politically divided among three countries: Malaysia and Brunei in the north, and Indonesia to the south. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory. In the north, the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak make up … Continue reading Amazing Borneo

Jazmine helps an orangutan baby for a year!

Jazz and Mas, her new orangutan baby, have much in common: they both have a humbling “knowing” in their eyes, they are both very intelligent, they both make you smile, they both like to eat fruit and they both have a big interest in their finger nails. Jazz would help any animal, so when the Orangutan Rehabilitation Center said they needed help to feed the … Continue reading Jazmine helps an orangutan baby for a year!

PIT VIPERS! They didn’t mention that in the brochure!

Often, we use trip reports to guide our decision making process. We lean toward independent travel, but found a trip report on the benefits of hiring a guide for a trip to Bako National Park. Hmmmm. What would it say? well it was written by a person who was an independent traveler wondering why people hired guides — the trails are very well marked. But … Continue reading PIT VIPERS! They didn’t mention that in the brochure!

Sabah’s longest river

In the morning we wake to birdsong, the moist air from the previous night’s rain covers the misty river, the jungle is in full chorus. Our boat putters along the Kinabatangan River (Sabah’s longest at 560 kilometers), the surface a glistening mocha fondant in the early-morning light under a sky of silvery sateen. The area is only accessible by boat, our lodge the Bilit Rainforest … Continue reading Sabah’s longest river

Jonathan Junior – Turtle ambassador

Because he believes he CAN make a difference. Because he has a huge heart and a soft spot for turtles everywhere. Because he wants to see turtles flourish. Jonathan Junior is a turtle ambassador. While we visited Turtle Island Park, Grandpa and grandma kept saying how much Jonathan would enjoy this experience. One way to share it with you is to adopt the nest we … Continue reading Jonathan Junior – Turtle ambassador