Mother Nature can be a fickle friend, teasing us with sun and blooms one day and the next sending showers bordering on snow. As travelers, we learn to make the best of it, ducking into a museum in inclement times and walking in the park in better ones. Despite a Spring with weather all over the map (literally and figuratively), I still marvel at what Mother Nature has wrought. Ah, springtime! While in Dublin you confused me into thinking I was back home in Seattle. Overcast days, a spot of rain now and again, and a peek of blue sky. We layered up to walk around the cemeteries and ruins outside of Dublin. And when we finally got to the gardens at Powerscourt, we were rewarded with a bit of blue sky and a hint of sun. After Dublin it […]
Read MorePostcard from Roses
On rainy Seattle days, I enjoy thinking about how lovely the coast of Spain is. Roses, located on the north end of the Bay of Roses, is a great beach getaway spot. And the Hotel Vistabella, where I stayed, provides a lovely view of the sand and surf.
Read MoreBy the Numbers: March 2013 Travel
Lots of traveling going on this month with a long trip to Europe starting things off. Let’s count up the miles! Flights SEA/IAD/BRU/DUB – 6,677 miles (a round about way – more on that later – to get Dublin for a TBEX site visit) DUB/SXF – 826 miles (in Berlin for a week at ITB Berlin, the world’s largest travel trade show) SXF/BRU – 401 miles (back to Brussels for a few days of sightseeing before meeting up with travel blogger pal Chris Gray Faust to head to Antwerp and the start of a Vantage River Cruise (the inaugural sailing of the River Splendor). AMS/IAD/SEA – 6,164 miles SEA/HNL/SJC/LIH – 10,266 miles SEA/ORD/SEA – 3,436 miles SEA/LIH/OAK/SEA – 5,833 miles And with that, and the last flight coming home today, I’m done with traveling for the month. Total miles flown […]
Read MoreFinding Time to Visit Britain
Time is relative, proved Albert Einstein, but it is also relevant as visitors to Greenwich, a district of south London, are quick to discover. This district has achieved significance importance for lending its name to the standard used to regulate time and set clocks around the world — Greenwich Mean Time. If you’ve ever tried tried to coordinate a business phone call with participants located around the globe, you’re probably familiar with using GMT to set the appointment time. A visit to the once small fishing village of Greenwich will likely include a visit to the Royal Observatory and the surrounding grounds which contain the Royal Maritime Museum and the Queen’s House. Collectively called the Royal Museums Greenwich, the area has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Royal Observatory includes Flamsteed House, the original observatory dating back […]
Read MoreCountries Visited – An Update
After a couple of weeks on the road, it’s time to update my list (and accompanying map) of countries that I’ve visited. The process of tracking where I’ve been has driven home that I’ve not spent all that much time in Europe, a place that most travelers can check off. I’m making up for lost time now. Create your own travel map – TravBuddy On this past trip I visited: Dublin, Ireland – A site visit for TBEX Europe. Berlin, Germany – For ITB, the largest travel trade show in the world. Brussels, Antwerp, and Bruges – Brussels was for a few days of downtime to get some work done and visit a few sites. My sightseeing was dramatically cut short due to snow and bitterly cold weather, but strong internet access gave me time to catch up […]
Read MorePostcard from Berlin: Brandenburg Gate
Sightseeing in Berlin included a visit to the Brandenburg Gate, one of the most well-known landmarks in Germany. The gate represents some difficult times in German history, but came to symbolize freedom and the desire to unify Berlin when the Wall fell. Today it is a proud symbol of European unity and peace.
Read MoreSpring Fling: A Theme Park Weekend
Whether you’re contemplating a family weekend getaway, or perhaps just want to have kid-like fun yourself, there’s nothing quite like immersing yourself in theme parks for an introduction to spring travel. I had a chance to check that premise out on a recent extended family theme park getaway to Minneapolis. Minneapolis might not be the first city that comes to mind when you think about theme parks, but it has several offerings that make the city an attractive choice. Let’s take a look. Nickelodeon Universe Located in the Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the United States, Nickelodeon Universe covers seven acres in the middle of the mall, offering rides and attractions appropriate to all age levels. As you would expect, many of the rides feature top Nickelodeon characters such as SpongeBob Square Pants, Rugrats, and Dora the […]
Read MoreBy the Numbers: February 2013 Travel
February was a pretty low volume travel month, pretty similar to my January travel schedule. I can publish this before the end of the month because my travel is completed for February. Let’s take a look at the flights and hotels nights for the month of February: Flights SEA/SAN/OGG/SMF/SEA – 6,605 SEA/MSP/SEA – 2,792 (a theme park getaway weekend with extended family) SEA/SAN/SEA – 2,106 SEA/KOA/SJC/LIH – 10,245 Total miles flown in February 2013: 21,748 Total hotel nights in February: 7 Year-to-Date Miles flown 2013: 42,319 Hotel nights 2013: 18 Photo credit: personal collection
Read MorePostcard from Nickelodeon Universe
A theme park inside a mall? Yep, that’s just what you’ll get with Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Located near the Minneapolis-St Paul airport, this was the first stop on my theme park getaway weekend.
Read MoreDo This Weekend: Great Backyard Bird Count
Sometimes creating a great travel experience isn’t just about decide where you’re going to take a trip. Sometimes it’s about doing something to ensure that others who travel can experience things you might take for granted. This weekend, February 15-18th, 2013, you have a chance to enjoy a weekend and home, while at the same time performing a valuable service to the environment and future travelers to your home town. The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual 4-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are. While here in the Pacific Northwest it’s easy to look outside and see birds in every tree, this environmental initiative is a worldwide event. As a bonus, you can count wherever you happen to be – even if you’re traveling. […]
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