A Holiday Weekend in Innsbruck

Our stay in Innsbruck, Austria covered Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and this year Saturday was Maria Himmelfahrt (Assumption), a national holiday in Austria. We knew that some destinations might close for the holiday, and that we might encounter unusual crowds, but with a little maneuvering we made it work. After two enjoyable days in Munich … Read more

Travels with Mom: Scotland Part 1

This year my mother passed a years-lived milestone that ends in zero, and to celebrate her birthday we took a mother-daughter trip to a destination of her choice. She selected the Scottish Highlands as the focus of the trip, and the high latitudes (comparable to Labrador in North America) made it prudent to travel somewhat … Read more

Oh Shenandoah, I Long to See You

Despite having been planned as an eastern version of the great western national parks, and sitting within a day’s drive of millions of East Coast dwellers, somehow Shenandoah National Park was one that we had not managed to add to our list of national parks visited. Until now, making it #33. After completing our northbound … Read more

Road Trip Along the Blue Ridge Parkway

After our last airplane/train/city adventure in Chicago, we decided it was time to take the edge off the summer heat with a mountain hiking trip. We also wanted to do a “big” trip to celebrate our 20th anniversary, but without the hassle of plane travel. Thus was born the idea of a leisurely road trip … Read more

Welcome to Winston-Salem

After our scenic relocation from the Asheville area, we immediately dove into the activities available in the Winston-Salem area. The city is probably best known as the home of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, particularly thanks to the Winston and Salem cigarette brands, and there’s no question that RJR had a defining influence on the … Read more