• Maine,  North America

    My Maine Squeeze

    Northern Maine is stunning.  Throughout my drive along the coast I had the constant problem of wanting to stop at every small town and photograph the surroundings, every bit as incredibly beautiful as the last.  I had just returned from a trip to Ireland and I thought seeing all of the green, lush, rolling Irish hills would make me less impressed with what our northern states have to offer and I’m happy to report, I was so wrong.  The vast rows of pine trees sneak up into the skyline and the view is infinite.  On a sunny day of driving you feel like you are the only car on the…

  • Maine,  North America

    Tour of the Capes: Road Tripping Part Deux

    So I made it to Maine!  Late summer in New England is really everything you romanticize about.  Cool breezes greeting you on a warm afternoon with beautiful ocean views, families and friends gathering together at the beach for a last summer vacation or rendez-vous, that last little bit of feeling of freedom before autumn rolls in.  And let’s not forget about the seafood, oh the seafood. Cape Porpoise  As I continued up the coastline I had the opportunity to stop in Kennebunkport, the iconic presidential vacation spot.  This small beach community is out of a movie set.  Boutique shops and quaint restaurants line the main road, as you drive closer…

  • Massachusetts,  North America,  Rhode Island

    New England Road Trip: Touring the Capes

    A New England Road Trip “So what brings you to Maine?” people asked when I was driving up the coast and the answer is silly, because this New England road trip started out basically for one thing. The Lobster. When I have a wedding in Massachusetts to go to my mind automatically thinks, “I’m already in New England, I may as well drive up to Maine and get some end of summer lobster dishes.”  Then, logically, my next thought is, “Well if I’m that far north I should just drive the rest of the way and see Prince Edward Island and if I’m there, I may as well visit Nova…

  • Asia,  Thailand

    World Elephant Day 2013

    What kind of elephant lover am I that I was unaware of World Elephant Day until the eleventh hour!  Once I found out I immediately took the opportunity to pull up my hundreds of photos from my experience at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand and write about my experience.  When I first was planning my trip to Thailand, I excitedly did some research into what exotic things I could do and see while there and the first thing I looked into was going on an elephant trek.  Riding elephants, I mean what American wouldn’t love that right?  The more I looked into riding the elephants the worse I…

  • North America,  US

    Summer Drama at the Capital

    After coming back to the states following my amazing trip to France and Ireland, I made a quick stop at the beach before I went to Washington D.C. to rediscover some of the monuments and museums that I haven’t seen since I was in middle school. I happened to stumble into town during a week of scandal, excitement and surprises involving misquoting MLK Jr, a mysterious monument vandal and a flower that smells like death. Green Machine Last week Washingtonians and tourists alike were puzzled when several monuments and churches were vandalized by someone throwing green and white paint on statues and organs. A 58-year-old woman was finally arrested last…

  • Europe,  France

    Finding peace in Nice

    Why have I not been to the French Riviera yet?!? After having an amazing time in Paris, I said adieu to the City of Light and headed south for the city of sun, Nice the beautiful. Hugging the Mediterranean Sea, Nice has it’s warm tangerine and saffron buildings tipping their terra-cotta roofs towards the calm blue sea and the alps in turn peer from a distance over the town. In close proximity to Italy, Nice reminded me of Cinque Terre, a small area on the Italian Riviera. Founded by the Greeks, inhabited at one time by the Romans and then later vacationed by English aristocrats, there is a little splash…

  • Europe,  France

    Let Me Eat Cake: My Day Trip from Paris to Versailles

    The Palace of Versailles is a beautifully massive structure surrounded by extraordinary gardens, out buildings, a farm and public park.  I budgeted enough time in my itinerary to spend a full day here and I’m happy I did because this once humble hunting lodge expanded by Louis XIV could take you the whole day to explore.  I’ve broken down everything you need to know about a day trip from Paris to Versailles. How to Get to the Palace of Versailles  I took the RER C (Versailles Rive-Gauche) and it was a quick and easy way to get to the palace from the city.  Paris Metro has a great app for…

  • Europe,  France

    Napoleon Dynamite: Visiting Napoleon’s Tomb

    You could spend weeks in Paris and still leave not seeing everything so this time around I decided to visit some of the things I missed the last time around and they did not disappoint. The first thing I’d recommend is to go buy a Paris Museum Pass. If you plan on doing a lot of sight seeing during your visit it is worth twice what you will pay for it. The museum pass enables you to have access to sixty different museums and monuments. Not only do you have unlimited entry to places like the Louvre, Notre Dame, Arc de Truimph, but the best part of all is you…

  • Europe,  France

    Paris is always a good idea: A visit to the Rodin Museum

    Paris is Always A Good Idea ~ Audrey Hepburn Ahhh, such wise words Audrey.  Before heading down to Nice to meet up with friends and see the Tour de France, I decided to extend my trip and spend some time in Paris.  I’ve been to the city before and loved it so I was excited to be back.  My french a little rustier and now traveling by myself I was a little worried about getting lost and having a hard time getting around but once I got here all of my fears melted away like butter on a baguette.  Yum.  I took an overnight flight and arrived in the morning…

  • Canada,  North America

    Trapped in Toronto

    You know you have been stuck on a plane too long when you longingly gaze out the window and wish to trade places with one of the tarmac workers.  There was a point while trapped on my last flight where I would have gladly schlepped luggage on and off aircrafts in exchange to get out of my temporary hell hole. “I’ve never experienced anything like this before,” our pilot said with a puzzled tone over the loud-speaker.  “If you guys could just hang tight for another few minutes.”  Loud groans and sighs echoed through the plane as we all were losing our patience, some more quickly than others.  This was…