Category: ADVENTURES

  • COME SAIL AWAY

    COME SAIL AWAY

    Last May, I had the chance to leave my husband and hormonal teen daughters behind (darn!) and sail with a friend on the Rhine Getaway, one of Viking’s most popular river cruise itineraries. The plan? We’d sail on the Rhine through Germany from the gateway city of Basel, Switzerland, to Amsterdam on the Viking Hlin (pronounced…

  • A WEEKEND IN SEATTLE SOUTHSIDE

    A WEEKEND IN SEATTLE SOUTHSIDE

    There’s a time and a place for visiting the iconic spots in a city. Yes, you should see New York’s Times Square, Washington’s museums and memorials, and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. And you should see Seattle’s Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and wander the neighborhoods near the waterfront. But there’s much more to…

  • A WILDER TIME

    A WILDER TIME

    The characters we meet in our favorite childhood books continue to inspire us throughout our lives. That’s especially true for the adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder in her Little House on the Prairie series. So I was prepared to be inspired by her home when I visited De Smet, South Dakota. What surprised me was how much…

  • TAKING A RESORT DIVE COURSE IN THE BAHAMAS

    TAKING A RESORT DIVE COURSE IN THE BAHAMAS

    The shark looked 20 feet long. Or maybe that was the length of my excitement. I had last scuba-dived 20 years before, when I took a resort course in the Florida Keys. Not because I had needed instruction: I’ve been a certified diver since age 28. Rather, because I was a mom trying to keep…

  • 10 APPS FOR SOLO TRAVELERS

    10 APPS FOR SOLO TRAVELERS

    Traveling by yourself can be intimidating. I travel for a living and I’ll admit it’s overwhelming. No matter how much you plan, there’s something scary about being in a new place. And, if you’re outside North America, the language barrier may be problematic. But solo travel is also empowering. There’s an incredible feeling when you…

  • MYKONOS WASN’T AT ALL WHAT I EXPECTED (BUT I FOUND ADVENTURE ANYWAY)

    MYKONOS WASN’T AT ALL WHAT I EXPECTED (BUT I FOUND ADVENTURE ANYWAY)

    I had planned my trip to Mykonos—that perfect-looking blue and white island on the Agean Sea—to perfection. My Google Maps was filled with hikes that I’d meticulously scoured on the Internet, restaurants that I was assured were “where the locals go” by anonymous bloggers, and a heavenly yoga resort that was miraculously both atop a…

  • WOMEN’S STORIES IN OUR NATIONAL PARKS

    WOMEN’S STORIES IN OUR NATIONAL PARKS

    “In nature nothing exists alone”—Rachel Carson, “Silent Spring” It’s that time of year again. School is out, summer is upon us, and road trips are like a siren’s call. Whether you’re cruising the east coast’s I-95, checking out the California coastline on Highway 1, or traversing the nation on Route 66, you’re bound to find…

  • THE MOST WELCOMING TOWN IN AMERICA

    THE MOST WELCOMING TOWN IN AMERICA

    “Now you sit right here and you’ll start to glisten in just a few minutes.” I must look confused. The woman smiles warmly as she hands me a cool towel and explains, “In the South, a woman doesn’t sweat, she glistens.” Her singsong accent echoes off the warm walls of the steam cave. I sit…

  • QUEBEC—FRANCE ON YOUR DOORSTEP

    QUEBEC—FRANCE ON YOUR DOORSTEP

    Cobbled streets, quaint shops, and patio cafes. A market square where sellers call out the names of their wares in lyrical French. Stop a while, order a glass of wine or dine on escargot. All the delights and sophistication of a Parisian weekend away are within reach and much closer than you think. You might…

  • SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BEYOND THE BEACH

    Southwest Florida makes a classic beach vacation, but it also entices you to reach out and explore in new ways.