The Tenacious Traveler
The Marvelous, Historic Marais District of Paris
This eclectic neighborhood in the heart of Paris has been called the Marais (“marsh”) since Roman times. The name described the swamp that was created by a fork of the Seine River. The marsh was drained in the 12th century to provide more living space as Paris grew, but the name – like the oozing mud that once covered the area – stuck.
Jottings
Viva Mexico!
“Aren’t you afraid you’ll be robbed or killed?” No. Absolutely not. I am now 77 years old, and the older I get, the more times my sanity is brought into question as regards Mexico. I have never had cause for concern in Mexico.
Compulsive Traveler
Learn about Singapore’s Peranakan Culture
The cooking instructors are stay-at-home mothers many of whom have seen their family leave the nest. Their cooking expertize is “tried and true” having been tested by the most critical of diners – their family. They share their passion for cooking in an entertaining and relaxed manner.
The Tenacious Traveler
Visit the Glory of South Carolina's Grand Strand
Another chapter in the history of slavery is recounted at Freewoods Farm, which was the center of a community established by freed slaves at the end of the Civil War. The 40-acre spread is the only living history museum in the country that recreates life on farms owned by African-Americans during their first decades of freedom.
Triptalk'en
Cruising Mega Ships vs. Small Ships
In case of accident or illness emergency, the larger ships have doctors aboard. Smaller ships do not. In case of a damaged ship, it is much harder, sometimes impossible to remove thousands of people off the ship other than lifeboats. It is much easier to remove 100 passengers should the need arise.
Passport Perspectives
Top Ten Questions and Answers on Medical Tourism
Some stateside insurance plans are now offering an overseas medical tourism option as a way to save the provider money, and they will cover the cost of travel and the medical procedure. Many hospitals overseas advertise that they accept insurance from your home country.
Compulsive Traveler
Sri Lanka - ‘The Pearl of the Indian Ocean’
Get to Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage at 9 a.m. to be there for feeding time. You can almost feel their excitement as the elephants are led to the river for what amounts to play time.
The Tenacious Traveler
Cheese, Truffles and History: Treasure Hunting in Piemonte
It's virtually impossible to leave Piemonte without gaining an appreciation of the importance of food and wine in the lives of its people, as well as a few extra pounds. Cheese and truffles - especially white truffles - hold a place of honor on many a dining table, and in the local culture and cuisine.
Compulsive Traveler
Ten Places Not to Miss in Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh transformed itself from a dirty industrial city to a clean, green happening place noted for its excellent universities, renowned hospitals and great things to see and do. It has been named one of America ’s most livable cities.
The Tenacious Traveler
A Peek at Life Along the Amazon
Souza pointed out what resembled a tree branch, until two beady eyes identified it as a snake and it slithered off. I marveled at the sight of the largest, most magnificent butterflies I've ever seen. And we came upon several of 40 species of iguana found in Amazonia.
The Tenacious Traveler
In Search of the Great Gorillas
Then came gorilla etiquette. Stay at least 25 feet away from the animals to protect both them and us. Because those gentle giants share more than 95% of human DNA, they're susceptible to our diseases, so stifle any coughs or sneezes. And because they're wild animals, we had to be kept safe from them.
San Diego: Leave the Port and Head over the Hills for Desert Adventure
We took a California Overland off-road excursion in an open-air military truck to experience the desert. Our guide pointed out where Patton’s army trained before heading to Africa. The tour bounced us along rough roads, dry lake beds and into the Badlands, wind caves, slot canyons and more. Jeep tours are also available.
Health, Wellness & the Good Life
Roanoke, Virginia: Star City of the Blue Ridge
Originally a station for transferring freight between trains and trucks, the museum today has exhibits of transportation by road, rail, and aviation. Displays include an antique auto collection with the oldest dating back to 1904, a four-tier O-gauge model train layout depicting the region, and even a model circus.
Compulsive Traveler
Myanmar: The New Hot Destination
Years of isolation have made Myanmar one of the few countries that has not been tainted by foreign commercialism. Add that to the fact that the people are friendly, the country is safe, and the sites are glorious. Myanmar is a great destination.
Why Vietnam?
Sidewalks in Vietnam are used for cooking, restaurants, skinning frogs, motorbikes, motorbike parking, weddings, funerals, public markets, fish markets, automobile body work, recycling American bomb parts, manufacturing fish sauce, and trash disposal – any activity, in fact, except walking.
Triptalk'en
The Adventurous Rapid River Ride in Norwegian Fjords
Swerving and curving — what a thrill ride this is. Everyone was having a grand time, while hanging on and marveling how well our float suits were working. Thank goodness. My uncovered nose and mouth told me it was very cold even though this was in July.
Compulsive Traveler
Ten Things to do in Xian, China
According to historians of the time the burial mound which is about a mile from the pits, contained 100 rivers of flowing mercury under a ceiling decorated with celestial bodies. It took 700,000 workers several decades to complete the massive funerary that was not discovered until 1974. Each warrior is different and exquisitely made.
A Floating Fantasy
Although available, we preferred to be unplugged: no phone, TV or internet for us. One of our tablemates was aghast. "No civilization? Well, I think that's been overrated anyway and frankly, some things aren't even very civilized anymore." So the Ryndam became our "small-town Utopia" sort of like an RV at sea, heading to new destinations – with privacy whenever we desired.
Compulsive Traveler
Visit Portland, Oregon – The Rose City
There are many interactive displays and on the second floor visitors can “travel” to Russia, China, and other parts of the world meeting people who are faced with many similar issues of preserving forests in their countries. Take a ride up into the forest canopy and see what you find.
Compulsive Traveler
Visit Seattle – The Emerald City
Check out Air Force One which is only one of 150 planes on exhibit at the world’s largest private air and space museum. Several simulators allows visitors to experience an aerial dogfight or what it is like to operate a glider or match skills with an astronaut trying to link up with the Hubble Space Telescope.
Compulsive Traveler
Mobile, Alabama: The Azalea City
Mobile is America’s birthplace of Mardi Gras. Tour the museum and view the jeweled crowns, elaborate gowns, and elegant robes along with scepters and other paraphernalia that is part of the celebration.
Compulsive Traveler
Visit Philadelphia Where America Started
Touted as “America’s Most Interactive Museum” it is the only museum dedicated to the U.S Constitution. “Freedom Rising,” the center’s multi-media presentation is a journey from the inception of the Constitution to the present time. Be one of the thousands who have signed the Constitution with the bronze statues of the original signers standing nearby.
Food Ventures
Fayetteville, North Carolina – History, Heroes, and a Hometown Feeling
A year before the Declaration of Independence, a group of 55 local patriots met to pledge their lives to the defense of American liberty -- what has become known as the “Liberty Point Resolves.” In 1783 Fayetteville changed its name from Campbellton to become the first U.S. city to so honor the Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette, who aided the colonies in their fight for independence.
Food Ventures
Hilton Head, South Carolina – Food and Fun for All Ages
The Coastal Discovery Museum, headquartered on Historic Honey Horn plantation, helps visitors gain an understanding of the Lowcountry’s cultural heritage and ecology past and present. Here stands the only original plantation house still in existence on the Island, plus the state’s largest red cedar tree dated from 1595.
Compulsive Traveler
Great Things to Do in Erie, Pennsylvania
There are beaches, museums, art, and culture in this friendly lake city full of diversity. Erie is within 500 miles of more than half the population of the United States.
Adventure and Affordable Travel Can Go Hand in Hand: Get Thee to a Nunnery!
For a quiet adventure, consider staying at a monastery or convent. They are cheaper than hotels and very peaceful and clean. Monasteries that offer lodging are active religious communities, often in historical buildings. Some require attendance at religious services, but many do not.
Triptalk'en
Gettysburg Celebrates 150th Anniversary of Battle
Painstakingly restored to its glory and displayed in the round with each of the Gettysburg battles highlighted, each small battle is lit up as the speaker describes it. The size and scope of the painting is amazing.
Food Ventures
Flavors of St. Simons Island, Georgia
During World War II the property served as a training and coast-watching facility for the Navy after German U-boats were sighted off the Georgia coast during the winter of 1942.
Roaming America on the Cheap
Glaciers and Huckleberries
In addition to deer trotting throughout our campsite, the park, laced with lakes, rivers, streams and waterfalls is home to about 70 species of mammals including elk, moose, grizzly bears and gray wolves.
Compulsive Traveler
Experience the Pittsburgh Renaissance
Pittsburgh is the home of many firsts: first jeep, first Ferris Wheel, where the polio vaccine was tested on the public, and more.
Compulsive Traveler
Stitching Together Quilting Memories
Some see resurgence of quilting as a reaction to the high tech world. Quilts can be a window into the past and also move social issues forward such as the AIDS quilt project. Whatever your interests, there are quilt connections in nearly every location.
Compulsive Traveler
Explore Lake Charles and SW Louisiana
Designated as one of the All-American Roads and National Byways the 180-mile trail offers wildlife refuges, marshlands, and beaches perfect for alligator and bird spotting. It is considered one of America’s Last Great Wildernesses.
Journey to the Bottom of the Sea: A ‘Titanic’ Adventure
The Titanic included a number of amenities never seen before on a ship, including a swimming pool, Turkish baths (saunas), squash courts and a gymnasium, in addition to the library, barbershop and smoking rooms.
Worried about Airline Screening? Here’s Help for Travelers with Disabilities
Ask TSA officers what to expect in the screening process based on your individual situation. Just keep in mind that all items must be screened, including wheelchairs, crutches, canes, cushions, and medications, etc.
The Coast of County Clare, Ireland
A hike in the Burren is an opportunity to peer over cliffs that drop into the ocean; view Mediterranean, arctic and alpine plants; and walk along miles of stone walls rising from the grasslands -- which makes it as diverse a landscape found anywhere in Europe.
Roaming America on the Cheap
Harley Guy and the Swamp
We'd been roaming around the area a bit ourselves, since the Great Dismal Swamp includes more than 111,000 acres of wetlands and forests, with the 3,100-acre Lake Drummond at its center. The Swamp's wildlife refuge in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina is home to more than 200 year-round birds.
Compulsive Traveler
Dazzling Shanghai
Shanghai is home to China’s largest stock exchange, the world’s first commercial magnetic levitation train, more than 3000 skyscrapers (more than New York) with 2000 more in the works.
Food Ventures
Ohio – Famous for Presidents and Johnny Appleseed
Besides presidents, Ohio is famous for Johnny Appleseed (nee John Chapman), an itinerant farmer who introduced apple trees to Ohio.
Compulsive Traveler
There Is a Lot to Do in Niagara County, New York
Old Fort Niagara: Located at the critical juncture where the Niagara River flows into Lake Ontario, the fort was part of the struggle between France, Great Britain and the United States for control of the Great Lakes.
Roaming America on the Cheap
Gateway to Surprises
Since a good portion of Gateway's surrounding area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), it offers a wealth of off-the-beaten-path camping sites. We passed RV campers along the road parked in spots along the Dolores (noted for its river rafting) and San Miguel rivers, and also down red and orange dirt side roads, also near rivers with rafters and kayakers.
Birdwatching along the South Texas Border
One recent development in the area is the World Birding Center, a unique idea which involved creating a string of nine birdwatching sites, which encompass 10,000 acres along 120 miles of the border. Each site interprets a different ecological habitat.
Compulsive Traveler
Hot Springs, Arkansas: America's First Resort
At one time Hot Springs was a mecca for gangsters. They found it a safe place to rest, recreate, and gamble. The vices were never legal but authorities basically ignored the goings on until 1967 when Winthrop Rockefeller was elected governor and "cleaned" things up.
Next Stop — Top of the World
Mont Blanc is so stunning, that to describe it as majestic would be like calling Michelangelo’s masterpiece on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel a really good painting.
Ernie's World
French-capades
In the musées (museums) there will be a three paragraph description in French describing a piece of art and below it in English it will say: "Very old painting, artist now dead."
Compulsive Traveler
Enjoying Family-friendly Las Vegas
What do a chocolatier and a cactus gardener have in common? A lot! They work in the sweetest but prickliest place in Las Vegas, Nevada – Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Cactus Garden.
Music the World Around at the Musical Instrument Museum
Though it’s called the Musical Instrument Museum, it’s more like a library of music. It doesn’t just reveal the history musical instrument, but also brings together the music, instruments and people of the world.