Updated summer 2026. We’ve been thinking of Nova Scotia quite a bit of late, with the horrible summer of wildfires the country has endured. Nova Scotia, Lunenburg in particular, is one of our treasured travel destinations. So much so that we are currently plotting a 2027 return. With that being said, we thought we’d share this post once again.

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

Capitol Stones and the Columns. If you’re a bit of a history buff like the two of us, you love finding off the beaten tourist path destinations. And, you love a good garden thrown in the mix of said history. A few years ago we first discovered the Capitol Stones and the Columns; the columns are in the National Arboretum. As we continue our series of garden reviews, we thought this was a good post to dust off and republish. It is spring after all, and what better time to explore the wonders of Mother Nature?

Dumbarton Oaks Museum and Gardens is a missed opportunity for many visitors to Washington, DC. It’s a bit off of the main tourism lane and unfortunately, too many miss this gem.

Portugal has a way of getting under your skin. The light, the coastline, the historic towns where life still unfolds at a human pace. People linger over coffee. Neighbors stop to chat. You watch that and think: I could get used to this! And, then you have to get on a plane and go home. But, did you know retired Americans can move to Portugal?

Travel Hacks In Retirement

You certainly do not have to be retired, or even be thinking about retirement, to take advantage of good travel and life hacks. We’ve done a lot of “hacks” research over the years; some of which work for us, some not so much. As we transitioned into retirement we knew we’d need to find a way to make travel (and life) affordable. In this post we’re going to talk about some of our well-used travel and life hacks in retirement, and how we make it all work for us.

I published this post in 2020, five years after having traveled through Iran for three weeks. As I sat and read through it this morning, I was heartbroken to realize we are (as a world) right back where we were in 2020. It’s staggering, actually. With that being said I am republishing this post today.

Arches National Park.  As you’re mapping out your travel plans, keep in mind our national treasures; our national parks.  I’ve often said I would love to pack the car, plot a map course and just take off to explore each and every national park.  We have definitely visited our share but we still lag woefully behind.  And, I don’t remember a more relevant time than right now to pay attention to our parks. Winter, proved to be a spectacular season to visit Arches.

We just spent the better part of today (January 2026) shoveling snow. I love the snow, I find it magical and actually quite good exercise when one has to shovel for hours. Snow always reminds me of Paris. We spent three weeks in Paris, in another month of January many years ago, and once again I’m thinking of our winter visit to Sacre Coeur.  And, yes, Paris is fabulous under a blanket of snow. Enjoy this walk down memory lane.

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.