Two of Istanbul's greatest sights — the Blue Mosque (pictured above) and the Hagia Sofia (pictured below) — are so massive that it's tough to take them in at ground level. But the Sultanahmet area, where both are located, doesn't have much in the way of high rises. The best way to get a good […]
Sometimes when you choose an attraction based solely on a short paragraph in your guidebook, you are disappointed when you arrive. Fortunately, that was not the case with the Temple of Demeter on Naxos. Pictured above, the temple was nothing short of spectacular. And it’s a good thing too since it took us a few […]
Sometimes when you finally see a famous landmark of which you have seen countless renditions, it can be a letdown. But this was not the case with San Francisco's glorious Golden Gate Bridge. It looks even better in person than it does in the the movies. I'm no bridge aficionado but I must say this […]
Ever since Jill wrote a guest blog post about the Georgia Aquarium, which happens to be the world's largest, I have had a hankering to go to a really good aquarium. Well, every time I mentioned to people that I was visiting the Monterey/Carmel area for a few days, they would always say "Don't miss […]
I am terrible at sleeping on overnight flights. I am normally an excellent sleeper, but the combination of excitement to get to my destination plus the pressure to fall asleep plus the uncomfortable coach seat almost always results in a frustratingly sleepless night. So last year, when I was planning my trip to Greece I […]
Let’s face it: Machu Picchu is the main reason why most people visit Peru. But Amanda Lobell and Neil Roach managed to fit in a full day of sightseeing before they even boarded the train at Ollantaytambo to get to Machu Picchu. At 6 AM in the morning, they checked out of their hotel and […]
(photo of The Terrace of the Lions by GreenBeanPrime/Flickr) When I was planning my trip to Greece last summer, I asked my friend — and fellow travel enthusiast — Kate Schwab lots of questions because she had recently vacationed there. She helped me with Santorini and was patient while I endlessly debated To Mykonos or […]
China has unofficially closed the Tibet border to foreigners for the month of March — and possibly beyond. It’s been widely speculated that the decision was based on avoiding violent protests on March 10th, which marks the 50th anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising. This is a real shame for anyone who was hoping to […]
Jill Martin Wrenn recently moved to Atlanta after living in London for eight years. Her entertaining and insightful blog, Reverse Culture Shock,chronicles her adventures as she explores her new city and readjusts to American life. The Georgia Aquarium is incredibly kid-friendly, but my husband and I enjoyed it too — and not just because it […]
(To read the first installment — my flight, hotel and first evening in London — click here.) It was my first real day in London and I knew I had to make the most of it since I essentially only had two full days there. I didn’t wake up as early as I should have […]
