Snow-capped Summer in Chamonix, France
Face to Face with Mont Blanc, Chamonix, France / You don’t have to be an intrepid mountaineer to get up close and personal with majestic Mont Blanc in Chamonix. You can do as we did, which was to take the first cable car up and be gratified instantly. We stood on the chilly observation deck, gawking at the looming mountain, not believing it could be so cold up here, while at the base the July temps were soaring into the high 70s. Suddenly, what could...
Cumbria. Many Lakes. One Star.
The Lake District may be England's best kept secret. The Lake District, England / Dungeon Ghyll, Crinkle Crags and Harrison Stickle. No, these aren’t characters from a Harry Potter novel, they are the illustrious names for ravines and peaks in the majestic Lake District of England. Where, if you are American, you won’t see a fellow countryman for days and wonder why this place has seemingly escaped our radar. It is a mere four hour drive from London, which by US standards, is a typical...
An hour’s drive and a thousand miles away from Marrakech
Travel research makes me happy, and I can spend hours finding 'the best' of anything. Sometimes though, my husband just nails it, and discovers the best places to stay, or eat. In the case of Morocco's Atlas Mountains, he won, finding the hidden, beautiful gem, Kasbah bab Ourika, just outside of Marrakech. Kasbah Bab Ourika, Atlas Mountains, Morocco / Thirty minutes into the hour-long journey to Ourika from Marrakech, the road narrowed to a single lane, and became dark red packed earth. We slowed to...
Dunton Hot Springs, A Home away from Home
Dunton Hot Springs is a remote getaway filled with wildlife and hiking adventures, farm-to-table meals, and a western vibe that had us dreaming of simpler times. Dunton Hot Springs—a little escape from reality in the cool, breezy San Juan mountains of Colorado. Remote, restorative, and secluded, are buzzwords that have always piqued my curiosity when reading about travel, but never as much as they do at this particular moment in time. I long for fresh air and wide-open spaces. I have a pressing need to...
Villa Dubrovnik. Beyond the Wall of the Old City.
Villa Dubrovnik, Croatia / The entrance to Villa Dubrovnik is completely unmemorable. You may even think you have arrived at the wrong place, as there is no building per se. What you see is an L-shaped structure (imagine a periscope that has popped up from the water) with a wood-paneled door and a small button. Press it, enter, and you are swiftly transported, James Bond-style, many levels below to the lobby of Villa Dubrovnik. The elevator doors open and the full expanse of the Adriatic Sea...
Cartagena is The Night Circus
Five days in Cartagena, Colombia / “It rained for four years, eleven months, and two days.” —Gabriel García Márquez So wrote Gabriel García Márquez, in his Nobel Prize-winning novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and single-handedly introduced magical realism, the writing style that normalizes fantastical events, to mainstream literature. Simultaneously, Márquez catapulted his native country, Colombia, to the forefront of Latin American tourism. Captivated by his novels for years, and a spring break to plan, Cartagena was calling. I hoped it wouldn’t rain. The Legendary...