Evora, Portugal. After spending four lovely days in Setubal, we boarded the train bound for Evora. We had to backtrack to Lisbon and change trains at Oriente Station. It was an easy transition and a fairly short ride to Evora. It was our first foray into central Portugal, which is known for the region’s high temps. We had no idea just how high those temps could soar.

Setubal, Evora and Santarem. All three cities were new destinations for us while spending a month in Portugal. Each offered its own historic charm and hospitality. Our first stop was Setubal. We rented an apartment and spent four easy carefree days relaxing before adventuring further.

If it’s Monday, then it’s market day in Espinho.  And what better way to get to Espinho than by train and a good long walk along the coastal boardwalk.  It all makes for the perfect day.

• This post has been updated and newly published based on our return to Espinho in 2023.
• This post includes an in-kind collaboration

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.

Good Eats. If you’ve been with us for a while, you know we spent the month of October 2023 in Portugal. We visited Setubal, Evora, Santarem, Espinho and Porto. A few places were new destinations for us and we’ll be writing about them and offering highlights, photos and travel tips. For Espinho and Porto, we’ll be updating our previously published content and sharing the best of our travel tips.

Annapolis, Maryland, the state capital, is a lovely historic coastal city located on the Chesapeake Bay. As it happened, we needed to file a few documents with the Secretary of State. Rather than mail the documents, we decided to make a day of it in Annapolis. Stay tuned because we have a story to tell about those documents, and it will be a good one.

The Potomac River. First time visiting Washington, DC? Or, maybe you’re returning for a second, third or even fourth visit. Either way, there’s always something new to experience when visiting the city. I’ve said more than once a visitor could easily spend a month in Washington, DC and still not experience everything.

North Conway, NH. Traveling by car, #roadtrip, is probably our most favorite way to travel, with train travel coming in for a close second. When driving long distances we set GPS to avoid toll roads. While avoiding tolls definitely saves us a fair amount of money, it’s more about traveling the backroads. Sure, it may take us a bit longer, but inevitably we enjoy the drive and we usually come across a few road wonders, such as this amazing steel truss bridge.

Chanticleer Gardens is located just about 2 1/2 hours north of Washington, DC. Located in the region known as Brandywine Valley, the gardens home is in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

Appalachian Trail. What exactly is the AT? And, where is it? Basically, it’s a 2,200 +/- mile trail that traverses the Appalachian region of the United States. Hikers, who thru-hike the trail, begin their journey in Mountain Springs, Georgia and finish at Mt. Katahdin in Maine, having hiked through 14 states.

For those thru-hikers who complete the PCT, the CDT and the AT, from terminus to terminus, they can proudly hold the title of a Triple Crowner. Although what exactly that entails I have no idea. Bragging rights?