Exploring Malta
Pleasantly surprised and absolutely enchanted are phrases that come to mind when I think about my visit to Malta. Unfortunately, too short is another phrase that I think of as I was only there for 2 brief whirlwind days. Though Malta is one of the world’s smallest countries, an archipelago found between Sicily and Northern Africa (coming in at about...
Cruising The Venetian Lagoon
A common theme in the world of travel is that it is better for one to spend time and money collecting experiences rather than things. Experiences can enrich our lives so much more than the mere accumulation of assorted sundries. This thought kept coming back to me the past few weeks as I spent 10 blissful days collecting experiences with...
Zen Time At Our National Parks
Last week I returned from a short family trip out to Big Bend National Park. Big Bend, in far west Texas, has long been a special place for me. Though that trip was my fourth visit to the park, it was the first time I had been with a cell phone, let alone a smartphone. And as our phones had...
Oh Canada!
Canada seems to be on everyone’s minds lately and rightly so! This year marks what is being billed as Canada’s 150th birthday. Encouraged by a huge marketing push, celebrations and events across the country, as well as a general desire to see a beautiful place, travelers are packing their bags and making their way to this North American country in...
Tales From New Zealand
Last month our dear colleague, Laura, was able to sneak away from the office for a 10-day trip to New Zealand. New Zealand is a much buzzed about destination that has been at the forefront of traveler’s bucket lists for a while now. Peter Jackson is often given credit for putting the remote Pacific islands on those lists. Peter Jackson,...
Viva Fiesta!
Shouts of “Viva Fiesta!” can be heard all around us here in San Antonio during the end of April.
Enchanting Ireland
It’s that time of year again. Spring break, flowers blooming, oak pollen dropping from the trees, rivers filling up, weather warming.Of course, in the midst of all this is that one holiday that everyone loves to love, St. Patrick’s Day. What started as a simple religious holiday celebrating Ireland’s patron saint has morphed into a raucous world-wide party to pay...
River Cruises
There is a great Sting song, All This Time, that starts “I looked out across the river today. Saw a city in the fog and an old church town where the seagulls play.” I love this song because it tells a story: the story of a river. Rivers are the highways of the past. They are waterways that have fostered...
Milano Italy's Underrated Treasure
Most visitors to Italy use Milan as a stopover on the way to Como or Venice from some other fabulous European location. Those who just pass through are truly missing out. This city is easily the most underappreciated city in Italy and should be enjoyed and celebrated! It is an exciting juxtaposition of ancient and modern, where Roman ruins lie...
Fact or Fiction? 3 Things You Need to Know About 'Dracula's Castle'
Before every travel destination had a ghost tour and haunted hotels, there was Dracula's Castle.Irish author Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel 'Dracula' popularized the vampire genre of fantasy fiction that today is more popular than ever.And although the character of the undead Transylvanian Count is fictional, the Romanian national monument known all over the world as 'Dracula's Castle' is...