Two weeks past our second Covid vaccinations and immediately following a week of gray days of below freezing weather and an ice storm, we headed for Florida. As we reached sunnier and warmer weather, we felt like crocuses lifting our little heads out of the snow and ice and turning our faces toward the sun. … Continue reading Unforgettable days on Florida’s Forgotten Coast
Category: Travel
An Avoidable Tragedy
A Tale of Two Accidents For so many, 2020 was a year of COVID illnesses and deaths. For us, it was a year of devastating accidents: two bicycling accidents, neither involving a car, but resulting in very different outcomes due to a single, inexpensive piece of equipment: a helmet. Accident #1 On October 23, 2020, … Continue reading An Avoidable Tragedy
A welcome mid-pandemic retreat in the mountains of North Carolina
Back in April, when most of the world was in shutdown mode, John and I dreamed of getting out on the road again. Realizing that COVID-19 could not possibly disappear anytime soon, we set our sights on an August retreat that would offer cooler temps and a change of scenery in a safe environment. Our … Continue reading A welcome mid-pandemic retreat in the mountains of North Carolina
A week in the ATL
John and I were ready for a change of scenery and so we scheduled a week in Atlanta. I lived in Atlanta for decades and my three grown children are here, in addition to a number of friends. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Atlanta is still a vibrant city with lots to offer. Skyline of … Continue reading A week in the ATL
New Zealand’s spectacular South Island
Important Note: We were on New Zealand's South Island February 11 through February 25, way before the Coronavirus was declared a pandemic. Since then, we have arrived back in the United States and are sheltering in place, as are millions of others. We started our time in New Zealand’s South Island by flying to Christchurch. … Continue reading New Zealand’s spectacular South Island
On the North Island of New Zealand, the land of the long, white cloud
The Land of the Long White Cloud, or Aotearoa, is the name the indigenous Maori people gave to New Zealand when they landed there, sometime between 1200 and 1300 AD, about 500 years before Captain Cook “discovered” the islands. New Zealand has so much to offer – on the North Island, accompanied by my sister, … Continue reading On the North Island of New Zealand, the land of the long, white cloud
A Tale of Three Cities: Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide
We were fortunate enough to visit several of Australia’s great cities in our six weeks in the country, including Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. Sydney is the most famous of the three, with its iconic opera house and bay bridge, Melbourne is known for a great coffee culture and its livability, being ranked as the world’s … Continue reading A Tale of Three Cities: Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide
Drinking Coffee in Australia
John and I enjoy coffee but we are not coffee snobs. We rarely go to coffee shops and when we lived at home, back before we sold our house and most of our worldly goods, we bought good coffee beans, ground them daily, and made a pot of regular ol’ brewed coffee. When we were … Continue reading Drinking Coffee in Australia
Australia’s Great Ocean Road
Australia’s Great Ocean Road goes south from Melbourne, starting at Torquay (pronounced Tor-key) and goes on for 243 kilometers/150 miles, ending somewhere around Port Fairy or Portland, depending on who you ask. Many people drive it in just a day or two or, worse yet, get on a tourist bus to see a few sights, … Continue reading Australia’s Great Ocean Road
I’m dreaming of a tropical Christmas
Our Christmas was spent in the tropical north of Australia, Daintree National Park, to be specific. For John and me, having lived in the deep south of the United States all of our lives, warm Christmases are not that unusual, so a Christmas spent in shorts is no big deal. Daintree, however, is different … Continue reading I’m dreaming of a tropical Christmas









