Blog Travel

Tbilisi, the capital city of the country of Georgia, can be a little intimidating at first.  Tbilisi is a big, sprawling city with a mix of ancient sites, crumbling architecture, colors, both muted and vibrant, and new, modern structures that pop up amongst the old.  The city is long, like a horn, as it is situated in a canyon.  Most of the streets wind and curve, sometimes becoming alleys and occasionally even turning into flights of stairs.  The main streets are wide and the flow of traffic is never-ending.  Tbilisi has a palpable heartbeat and is buzzing with energy.  But once you get acquainted with Tbilisi, it becomes easy and feels familiar, and there are so many things to see and do in Tbilisi to keep travelers occupied for days.   Metekhi Church of Assumption and King Vakhtang I Gorgasali Statue The story of Tbilisi starts with King Vakhtang I Gorgasali , also known as Vakhtang Wolf’s Head because he had a wolf’s head on his h...

Scotland has thousands of castles, so it’s impossible to see all of Scotland’s castles in one road trip.  However, it also means that no matter what route you choose, there are sure to be a number of castles along it to visit.  Our Scotland road trip itinerary took us from Edinburgh and north through the Highlands through Stirling, Perth, Cairngorms National Park, and Elgin.   Part of this route is through Aberdeenshire, which has the most castles per acre than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, and is even home to Scotland’s Castle Trail.  These are 10 of the best castles in Scotland we included in our road trip itinerary. Edinburgh Castle A road trip through Scotland will probably start in one of Scotland’s big cities, and ours started in Edinburgh.  Edinburgh Castle is one of the most popular sites in Edinburgh.  Edinburgh is built next to a volcano and Edinburgh Castle is built on one of the volcano’s vents, so it is perched hig...

When traveling to Scotland, it is a must to include Edinburgh on the itinerary.  However, we wanted to explore more of Scotland, especially the beautiful Highlands, rather than spending our entire vacation in the city.  Luckily, even though there are many things to do in Edinburgh, Scotland’s Old Town is compact so travelers can easily see much of Edinburgh in three days or less.  Tour a Medieval Castle The Old Town of Edinburgh stretches along approximately one mile; to be specific, the Royal Mile.  At the west end of the Royal Mile is Edinburgh Castle.  A ticket includes the option of joining a 30-minute guided tour of Edinburgh Castle, which we found was the best way to learn about the castle’s history.  After the tour, we were free to explore the various rooms and sights at the castle. Robert the Bruce captured Edinburgh Castle in 1314 when 30 Scots overpowered the castle guard in the middle of the night.  Since he wouldn’...

When we were driving to our hike in Pine Creek Crags, I spotted a scraggly, leafless tree on the side of Pine Creek Road that I thought would be the perfect foreground for astrophotography.  The Sierra Nevada mountain range was close by, which would allow us to start a little earlier as the mountain range from this position would block the bright light of the moon.  This spot is just west of Round Valley. Another great photography spot we found was at the sharp curve in the road where North Round Valley Road turns into South Round Valley Road.  I wanted to get a shot with one of Bishop’s great old silos in the foreground.   The vast open field to the south with the Sierra Nevada Mountains far in the background provided a beautiful night vista as well. I had visions of a shot of the road leading straight into the snowy mountains.  We found that shot by heading out of town west along West Line Street towards the mountains.  When y...

There’s something romantic about Puerto Rico.  The cobblestone streets bordered by brightly colored buildings.  The architecture that makes you feel like you might be in Europe.  The prickly heat that can quickly turn into buckets of water falling from the sky, but only for long enough for the two of you to duck into a bar to dry off and share a sangria and a laugh.  The sandy beaches and warm water that beckon you in for a swim.  Puerto Rico is most definitely a romantic destination for couples. If you plan on staying in Old San Juan, the most romantic hotel is Hotel El Convento , across Plaza de las Monjas (Nun’s Square) from the Catedral de San Juan Bautista.  The Hotel El Convento first opened in 1651 as a Carmelite convent.  The convent fell into disrepair in the early 1900s, serving as a store, a dance hall, and then a flophouse, but was restored and opened as a hotel in 1962.  This beautiful Puerto Rico hotel is decorated in the Spani...