Note: Click on any photo to make full size. For a deeper dive, click on the hyperlinks. This trip came about as a result of a visit to Colorado last September to visit an old friend. I have known John since Kindergarten where we both attended Lincoln Elementary. I didn’t like him much, so it…

Note: Click on any photo to make full size. For a deeper dive, click on the hyperlinks. I have always wanted to do a cruise, but for various and sundry reasons, it never happened. I decided this year would be the year. At one time, an ocean cruise on a giant ship was of interest,…

As I planned my trip to New Zealand, it made a lot of sense to extend it to include some time in Australia. Who wants to fly half way around the world for less than two weeks? 25 days is probably plenty, but I thought I would have one more stop on the way back…

Note: Click on any picture to see full screen. Day 18 – Wednesday, February 4 First time flying Qantas Airlines. It was a very nice plane and an uneventful flight of less than two hours. I arrived mid-afternoon and checked into the Flagstaff Gardens Hotel. I walked down to the Yarra River and hung out…

Note: click on photos to see full size For the first time, I hired a travel company to plan the rest of my trip. It was expensive, but there are some advantages including drivers who meet you at the airport and transport you to the hotel (return trip as well), flight arrangements from Sydney to…

Day 3 – Monday, January 19 note: you can click on most pictures to view full-size. The bold, underlined words are hyperlinks. Monday somehow disappears when you fly 14 hours from San Francisco westward across four time zones to the South Island of New Zealand. After taking off Sunday evening about 10:45 p.m, we arrived…

My trip to New Zealand had been in the works for many months. My good friend Gary, whose wedding I attended in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in January, 2025, had invited several of his friends to accompany him and his new bride Sarah on their one year anniversary trip. I quickly accepted the invitation. Others…

On Friday, January 16, I set out on the longest trip I have taken in my life to date, both in terms of distance as well as duration. I returned over a month later, with stops in Germany, New Zealand, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. I met wonderful people along the way and saw…

Anyone growing up in the U.S. probably, particularly those of us with German ancestry, probably knows about German Christmas markets. Until now, the closest I had come to visiting one is the annual Christkindlmarkt in Chicago. Chicago Christmas market It’s supposed to be authentic and I guess it did look a bit like some of…

Wednesday, December 10 Last week, I met a friend of a new acquaintance. Georgette is 66 years old and would easily pass for someone 10 or more years younger. She is originally from Scotland but has lived on this island for over 10 years. We had a very nice visit, swapping our stories about how…

For those of you who don’t recognize the reference, click here: Movie It’s an absolutely hysterical movie. Watch it if you haven’t seen it. I chose this title for this post because I think it accurately captures my most recent travel adventure. First, a little background on this trip. I have an 18 year old daughter, Sydney.…

This trip was planned 9 months ago and was originally going to be 8 or 9 days in Vienna and Prague with my good friend Ray. A lot has happened in my life since then – most notably my divorce after 26 years of marriage and subsequent decision to move to Europe to start a…

Welcome to my travel blog. As I embark on my new life and prepare to move seven time zones from my old one, it’s more important to me than ever to stay connected with the important people in my life. By documenting my travels here, I hope to share my experiences, stay connected, and inspire…