Most years pre-COVID, Eric would get work approval to attend the PAG conference in San Diego and I would tag along. I typically worked while Eric was spending the day in sessions and this time my...
Blog posts from Travel
2022 Year in Review
Previous years-in-review – 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 2022 marked a busier travel year, including a return to international travel. 5 countries...
Euro Christmas Markets 2022: London Christmas lights
London has many famous shopping districts, and each sets up unique light displays. On this trip we checked out quite a few in central London including the following. Regent Street Carnaby was great,...
Euro Christmas Markets 2022: London sights
Nov 30 After an overnight flight to London we needed to stay awake until the afternoon, so we decided to visit some favorites for a few hours. The V&A museum always has new pieces on display,...
Euro Christmas Markets 2022: London food & drink
Wednesday At the suggestion of Leandra's cousin Courtney, we tried Coppa for dinner as it was an easy 15 minute walk from their flat. I ordered the bucatini carbonara while Leandra went for the...
Euro Christmas Markets 2022: Lille sights
Sunday The main train station, Lille Europe, had some nice indoor and outdoor art. I went back out after lunch to explore the fort area but couldn't see much. Instead, I headed back to the center,...
Euro Christmas Markets 2022: Lille Christmas sights
Most of the Christmas decorations were centered around the Grand Place, with a Ferris wheel and a tree (with most of the lights working) as the central draw. As you moved further from the center,...
Euro Christmas Markets 2022: Lille food & drink
Sunday After dropping our bags off at the apartment, our first destination was the Marché de Wazemmes which closes at 3p on Sundays, and wouldn't be open on Monday. It took about a 15 min walk from...
Euro Christmas Markets 2022: Bruges sights
It was quite chilly while we were in Bruges, but that didn't stop us from enjoying the canals, street art, and seasonal Christmas decorations around town. We started our first night walking north...
Euro Christmas Markets 2022: Bruges food & drink
Friday Our favorite pub in Bruges, De Garre, was absolutely packed so we decided to try another fave, t'Poatersgat, instead. We had about 30 minutes before it opened so we killed some time looking...
Euro Christmas Markets 2022: a night in Ghent
Our first two trips to Ghent had been day trips from Brussels in 2012 and 2014, and each time we really liked the city. For this visit we originally considered a day trip from Bruges, then decided...
Euro Christmas Markets 2022: introduction
In 2020 we had planned on a Thanksgiving trip centered on European Christmas markets, as it had been 6 years since we were last in Europe late in the year. Of course, all of our 2020 plans were...
Shelton Vineyards
Our drive back from the mountains took us near the North Carolina Yadkin Valley AVA, so we figured it would be a good opportunity to try out a winery. Shelton Vineyards had both red and white wine,...
NC Mountains, November 2022
I was feeling a bit stir crazy in mid-October, so I suggested we head to the mountains for a weekend in early November. Unfortunately it rained for a majority of the trip and our room was small, but...
Poland 2022: Krakow food & drink
We tried quite a few different places in Krakow, including cafes, restaurants, bars, bakeries, and street vendors. Our only regret is that we couldn't try even more spots! Thursday Koliba Góralskie...
Poland 2022: Wieliczka Salt Mine
The bus to the Salt Mine looked a bit complicated so we opted for the train. Got up early and grabbed a coffee in the train station, then waited for the on-time and completely uncrowded train. It...
Poland 2022: Auschwitz & Birkenau
A week before our trip we booked transport through Prime Tours Krakow to drive us to/from Auschwitz - Birkenau. Rafal picked us up on time, showed us a (very) sobering documentary on the hour-long...
Poland 2022: Krakow sights
Rynek Główny The main square of Old Town Krakow is split into two sections, separated by the Cloth Hall - now an covered market for tourist items. There were daily protests in support for the...
Our Itinerary
2025 Trips
Tampa Bay, FL (Jan)
Buenos Aires, Argentina (Feb)
Villa la Angostura, Argentina (Feb)
Bariloche, Argentina (Feb)
Iguazu Falls, Argentina + Brazil (Feb)
Miami, FL (Feb)
Richmond, VA (Mar)
Boston, MA (Apr)
Kathmandu, Nepal (May)
Bhutan (May)
Doha, Qatar (May)
Slovenia (Sep)
Treviso, Italy (Sep)
Bologna, Italy (Sep)
Turin, Italy (Oct)
2024 Trips
San Diego, CA (Jan)
Sarasota, FL (Feb)
Madrid, Spain (Mar)
Valencia, Spain (Mar+Apr)
Palma, Mallorca (Apr)
Croatia (May)
Long Island, NY (July)
Faroe Islands (Aug)
London, UK (Sept)
Puglia, Italy (Sept)
Matera, Italy (Oct)
Rome, Italy (Oct)
Mosel Valley, Germany (Oct)
Frankfurt, Germany (Oct)
London + Manchester, UK (Dec)
2023 Trips
San Diego (Jan)
Orlando (Feb)
Richmond, VA (Apr)
Northern Italy (Apr)
NC Mountains (May)
Long Island (Jul)
Wisconsin (Aug)
Chicago (Aug)
Oak Island, NC (Sept)
Brooklyn, NY (Sept)
Bordeaux + Rugby World Cup (Sep)
Castilla y León (Sep)
Seychelles (Nov)
Willamette Valley (Dec)