Our positive experience at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan lead us to highlight the 2023 tournament in France. This time around the ticketing process was more chaotic and difficult (thanks...
Blog posts from hotels
Italy 2023: Where we stayed
Milan: STRAFhotel&bar Pros: Prime Location - great location right next to the Duomo, so right in the heart of the historical center. Good sleep - the shutters really kept out the light and...
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...
Poland 2022: introduction
We've wanted to go to Poland for a while, and being mindful of the weather, were primarily interested in late spring or early fall. This year we finally found a good deal on Finnair via...
Pacific Northwest, June 2022: introduction
Oregon and Washington are amongst our most visited US states, and with good reason — they have an wide range of natural beauty, plus great food scenes including amazing wineries and breweries....
Spain 2022: introduction
Two years. In February 2022 it was two years since we'd left the US, and we were ready to go somewhere for a spring trip. We weren't keen on having to test to get into a country, but as luck would...
Oregon 2021: introduction
If you asked us in 2019 where we would go for our 20th anniversary, we likely would have replied with somewhere in Asia, or perhaps the Pacific. Fast forward to 2021, and we did end up along the...
Patagonia: where we stayed
Hotel Indigo Atlanta Airport A reasonable hotel for an overnight layover with pickup from the airport approximately every 30 mins. That same shuttle can also take you within a 2-mile trip in the...
Patagonia: overview and flights
On our 2012 trip to Chile we were told multiple times that we had to see Patagonia, and that November was a good time that balanced decent weather and crowds. In the intervening years we'd almost...
Japan: Overview
Way back in 2011 we had flights booked for a spring trip to Japan. Of course, that was the year they had the infamous earthquake & tsunami, so our flights were eventually canceled, and somehow...
Namibia: arrival drama + Lake Oanob Resort
Getting off the plane in Namibia was easy - we exited by stairs and walked across the tarmac into the immigration line. That process went fairly quickly as we were shuttled to a shorter ‘residents’...
Portugal 2019: Introduction
We've wanted to visit Portugal for a while, so when we saw a good airfare that coincided with our availability in March, we booked flights in and out of Lisbon. Portugal has lots of options -...
Spain 2018: background and where we stayed
My parents have a friend with a home in Southern Spain near Malaga, and they've talked about staying there over the past few years. With their 50th anniversary in Dec 2018, Leandra and I thought...
UK July 2018: where we stayed
On the UK portion of our July trip we stayed in London and Wokingham. Ampersand Hotel - South Kensington Eric had stayed at the Ampersand once before and was happy to return for this trip. This...
Scotland 2018: introduction
Scotland is definitely one of our favorite places, and over the past five years (2017, 2015, 2013) we've explored many different regions. When some well-priced tickets became available for the first...
Italy 2018: Introduction
Overview As is common for us, our March 2018 return to Italy came about due to a good airfare deal. Oddly enough, it turned out to be exactly one year from our 2017 trip, though this year was...
Shanghai 2017: overview, arrival, and hotel
Beijing was our first trip to mainland China two years ago, and it left us with a bad taste in our mouths. Literally - the air quality was so bad when we visited that it hurt our throats. But China...
Pacific NW 2017: Introduction & where we stayed
For the past two years we've had a Southwest Companion Pass that lets us buy one ticket, get one free. With only a few months to go before the pass expires we made it a priority to get back out to...
Our Itinerary
2023 Trips
San Diego (Jan)
Orlando (Feb)
Richmond, VA (Apr)
Northern Italy (Apr)
NC Mountains (May)
Long Island (Jul)
Wisconsin (Aug)
Chicago (Aug)
Bordeaux + Rugby World Cup (Sep)
Castilla y León (Sep)
Seychelles (Nov)
Willamette Valley (Dec)
2022 Trips
Florida (Feb)
NC Mountains (Apr)
Washington DC (Apr)
Valencia, Spain (May)
Hilton Head, SC (May)
Pacific NW (Jun)
Long Island (Jul)
Florida (Sept)
Chicago (Sept)
Poland (Sept)
NC Mountains (Nov)
Euro Xmas Markets (Dec)