Encouraging women to try adventurous travel
After starting in Oslo and exploring the Sognefjord and Hardangerfjord areas, my mom and I finished our Norway trip in Bergen. Being the second biggest city in Norway, it felt larger than the tiny towns we visited, but not overwhelming. The feel of the city …
If you do some driving around Norway, you’ll eventually see a stave church. Although minimal in their interior decoration, you should definitely stop by one to witness the architectural engineering of the medieval times and how Christians incorporated Norse symbolism in the design. We visited …
Back in the 16th and 17th centuries, Antigua was the capital of Guatemala. After a devastating earthquake in 1773, the government decided to move the capital to Guatemala City. Since then, UNESCO designated Antigua as a World Heritage Site and must preserve its colonial features. …
After temple hopping in Chiang Mai as well as going to the White and Blue Temples of Chiang Rai, I was more or less prepared for Wat Pho or Wat Phra Chetuphon. What I did not expect was how spectacular the Reclining Buddha would actually …
The White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand is straight out of an artist’s imagination… which it is. Once a rundown temple in northern Thailand, Chalermchai Kositpipat, a local artist decided to use personal funds to renovate the temple. Wikipedia estimates that the artist has spent …
I read that there are a lot of temples in Chiang Mai. Yet, I was not prepared to see one every time we left our Airbnb in the downtown area. There are an estimated 300 temples in Chiang Mai and if you are walking around …
The Residenz Munich is a enormous palace complex, which served as the home of the Bavarian kings for over four centuries. As a visitor today, you can visit 130 rooms and marvel at the variety of decoration styles and general opulence exuded. You will see …
Nymphenburg Palace is much more than a summer home for the royal Wittelsbach. It is an expansive palace and garden that has stylistically changed during the 17th-19th centuries. Once a palace surrounded by countryside, Nymphenburg is now surrounded by careful English garden which becomes more …
Visiting Dachau Concentration Camp was an emotional experience. It was not an exciting, thrilling, or beautiful location like everything else we did in Southern Germany, but it felt necessary. It felt necessary to recognize the effects of war and what people are capable of doing …
Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau are the most castle-looking castles I have ever seen. Well, that is beyond the Disneyland castle, which Neuschwanstein was the inspiration for. I am not the first to compare not only the castles, but also the crowds to Disneyland and I won’t …
If the first thing you learn about Salzburg is that it was the home of Mozart, then the second thing you will learn is that this is where the story behind the Sound of Music began. The Sound of Music is an American classic, so …
Schloss Linderhof is unlike Ludwig II’s other castles, specifically in size. But do not let the small stature of this palace dissuade you from making a trip into the German countryside for a visit. The interior is like walking into a Harry Potter camping tent, …
If you are jet lagged or would like to take a walk around Salzburg in Austria, I highly recommend the Salzburg Rick Steves Town Walk. I LOVED Salzburg and found to to be a walkable city and this walk a fun activity to do in …
Mesa Verde National Park is the home of enormous and well-preserved cliff dwellings. They are incredible to view from afar and even more exciting to go on a ranger-led tour through the cliff dwellings themselves. We opted for the Balcony House Ranger-led tour, but I …
Wupatki National Monument is home to an ancient historical site about 45 minutes outside Flagstaff, Arizona. It was once the home to up to 100 Pueblo people and the central meeting place for the thousand of Pueblo people living in the area. I enjoyed our …
Besides the cenotes, the archeological site of Mayan ruins are one of the most popular things to do in Tulum. And boy are they popular. We only had a short time in Tulum and opted to have a morning at the Tulum ruins. Although beautiful, …
The Tikal Ruins in Guatemala are massive Mayan structures that reach above the treeline in the Peten jungle. When we found out they are 2 hours from the Belize border and saw the pictures…. I knew a trip needed to happen. Although close by, most …
Nothing I write about Machu Picchu could do it justice. No matter when you visit, I am sure that Machu Picchu will knock your socks off. My very humble recommendation is be at the site when it first opens and see Machu Picchu at sunrise. …