Sixtysomething-year-old newlyweds travelling the world together – Adventure Awaits!
NOTE: As of February 22, 2025 when Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb and current board member of Airbnb joined the DOGE effort in support of fascist and authoritarian president Donald J. Trump, I no longer use or endorse Airbnb. Henceforth, I will use VRBO for short term rentals. In our travels in the U.S. and … Continue reading Lessons Learned from 72 Airbnb stays
We started our week on Washington's Olympic Peninsula in Forks, WA, a hamlet on the Olympic Highway, which is famous in some circles for the steamy vampire romance series, "Twilight," which is a series of both books and films, all set in Forks. In the early days when Twilight was new, it wasn't unusual to … Continue reading The Magical Diversity of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula
On our last evening in Seattle, we walked two blocks from our vacation rental to Kerry Park, a popular gathering place for viewing the Seattle skyline. We had walked there previously, but the sky had never been clear enough to see beyond downtown, or, more specifically, to be able to see Mount Ranier looming in … Continue reading The Elusive Mount Ranier
I considered naming this post "Dodging wildfires on the Pacific Coast," or "A really unfortunate detour," but those sound so alarmist, sad, and, well, dangerous, which misses that we really had a good time on the Oregon Coast, and in the California Redwoods. Well, we mostly had a good time. All except for the unfortunate … Continue reading The Oregon Coast, Yachats, and Yachats Revisted
We began our visit to the Oregon Coast at the northernmost point of U.S. Highway 101 in Oregon, and that is the quaint and historic town of Astoria. Astoria sits at the mouth of the Columbia River and is known for quite a bit, including its history as the oldest city in Oregon, being founded … Continue reading Charming Astoria, Oregon
Seeing a single California Redwood, especially for the first time, is astonishing. As the tallest trees on the planet, which some call sacred or holy, they never fail to impress. Walking among an entire forest of these giant trees is an unforgettable experience. As the walk goes on, the memory of what anything other than … Continue reading A Walk Among the Giants
It started with the Fremont Troll. I saw a picture and description and knew it was going on the agenda for our time in Seattle. The cool thing about these Roadside America oddities is that you never know where they will lead. A few years ago, a stop off the highway to see the World’s … Continue reading Exploring the Freedom to be Peculiar in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood
Perhaps you don't know about the Spoleto USA Festival held in Charleston, SC. For nearly 50 years now, every spring, the city of Charleston comes alive for 17 days with more than 100 performing arts programs of all types, from all over the world, held all over the city in theaters and churches. Spoleto was … Continue reading A Long-Awaited Pilgrimage to Spoleto USA in Charleston, SC
Tropical garden at the Audubon House In our first 24 hours in Key West, we visited a place called The Audubon House that Audubon never lived in or even visited, went to Mallory Square for a fabled sunset celebration known for its street performers, including jugglers, clowns, psychics, artists, and musicians, that was, in reality, … Continue reading Relaxing days in the Conch Republic: Key West, Florida
We are at the beach house of our friends Larry and Laurie. They are in Italy for two weeks visiting their son, who works in Rome, and touring the country. We are here caring for their sweet, easygoing pup, Banjo. The house is on Oak Island, a barrier island in the Brunswick beaches off the … Continue reading Nothin’ could be finer: A dog’s life in North Carolina
You and Me, Odyssey 