Fenwick Island, Delaware is just a bit north of the more well-known and more populous Ocean City, Maryland. Think of it has a long strip of land with beautiful beaches on one side, and a whole lot of hotels, eateries and entertainment on the other. It was with that in mind, we hit the road for a 24-hour road trip.

Maryland -vs- Virginia. I don’t really know how often one can stand on either side of a river and be in a different state, but that’s the story of Great Falls National Park and the Potomac River. It’s really quite something.

Located in north eastern Washington, DC, Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens National Park gives the Washington, DC annual cherry blossoms a run for their money. So-to-speak. While the gardens are not as well-known, they are certainly beautiful in their own right.

Road Trip Travel Tips. Are you making plans and gearing up for a summer road trip? Or, for that matter, any other time of the year? Truth be told, road trips are by far my most favorite way to travel, followed by train travel which runs a close second. There’s just something really special about a road trip and the flexibility traveling by car offers.

“Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.” Confucious

• We recently returned from another week-long visit to Martha’s Vineyard in spring of 2025. I thought it would be a good time to update our content and add a few new photos.

Martha’s Vineyard. Who doesn’t want to spend a week on the island, it’s beautiful! In full disclosure we’ve never visited during the busy summer season, so I can’t speak to that. However, we have spent time on the island in the spring and fall, which are truly lovely seasons to visit. The days are still warm and the tourists have either not yet arrived before Memorial Day, or they’ve left by Labor Day.

Wilmington, Delaware. It may not be the biggest name in travel destinations, but it has a lot to offer. So much so that we recently made our fifth trip to the region. Just a hop skip and jump to the northwest of Wilmington is the Brandywine Valley. The valley is so beautiful, it just keeps pulling us back.

It’s Cherry Blossom Time in Washington, DC. If you know about Cherry Blossoms you know this time of year on the East Coast (and elsewhere I’m sure) is glorious!

Natural Bridge State Park. After several arctic cold months, spring finally started to show itself. Now, I’m someone who loves winter, but the winter of 2024/2025 was unusually brutally cold and the idea of spring was a good one. It enticed us to hit the backroads of Virginia to find Natural Bridge State Park. It did not disappoint.

Cartão de cidadão. Or, citizen card of Portugal. This is a little story about how I applied for my Portuguese citizen card – citizenship – through family linage.

UPDATE!

Recently, I was contacted by someone who saw a comment I left on a Portugal Expat Facebook post. She was seeking information about my process as she hopes to apply for her Cartão de cidadão through a family member. With that being said I thought I’d post a little update on my application.

2024. In many ways, the days of 2024 passed in the blink of an eye. But, the year also seemed to be one relentlessly long election year. Although we had a good year, we are happy to put 2024, and the election, on the shelf and get on with the business of living.