There are so many life-changing places in the world to visit. Some are magical, some are ancient, and some are just downright gorgeous. All will have you wistfully dreaming about them before you arrive. After you visit them, they become a part of you, forming lifelong memories and altering the way you see the world. Here are 10 amazing places …
Since being home, we get tons of questions about our travels when we get together with friends and family or we meet someone new who knows about our story. Here are all of our commonly asked questions, answered. “What Was Your Favorite Place?” This is always the first question someone asks. We’ve been to a lot of places, so what …
Ranakpur Temple, one of the most beautiful temples in India, makes a perfect day trip if you are traveling between Udaipur and Jodhpur. We were very pleasantly surprised with the beauty and serenity of this temple. What is Ranakpur Temple? Ranakpur Temple is a Jain temple located in the state of Rajasthan. Jainism is an Indian religion that emphasizes non-violence …
On a beautiful weekend in September, Tim and I visited my brother Thomas and his family in Atlanta, Georgia. Tim and I were making this short trip without Tyler and Kara (much to their dismay) and Thomas and Caroline had a babysitter lined up for Saturday. What to do in Atlanta without kids…? Sure, we could go to the Georgia …
Pere Lachaise Cemetery, located in Paris, France, is one of the best known and most visited cemeteries in the world. A visit here may sound like a macabre way to spend an afternoon, but a stroll among the tombstones and mausoleums can be fascinating. Entering the cemetery is almost like entering another world. The traffic and the rush of city …
Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak (2962 meters), is located in southern Germany on its border with Austria. Visiting Zugspitze is a fantastic half day excursion which can easily be accomplished from both Austria and Germany. How to Visit Zugspitze Austria or Germany? Since Zugspitze sits on the border between Austria and Germany, it can be accessed from both of these countries. …
Google “world’s most dangerous airport” and the Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, Nepal, consistently makes it onto the list. The geography of the airport’s location combined with factors such as a very short runway and limited electricity make this airport one of the world’s most dangerous. Add in the fact that several of the airlines that fly in and out of …
For hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, this Norway itinerary is perfect. In 10 days, you will be able to do four amazing hikes. Be daring and stand on Kjeragbolten, hike out to Trolltunga and pose for the camera, enjoy epic views out to the Atlantic Ocean from Romsdalseggen, and hike Norway’s most popular hike, Pulpit Rock. Mixed in with the hiking …
From One World Observatory, you get to view New York City from one of the highest observations decks in Manhattan. The entire visit is state of the art, from the high-tech elevator ride to the time-lapse video at the Forever Theater to the digital guides that teach you more about NYC. In this guide, we cover everything you need to …
It’s a fact of life that things go wrong. In thirteen months of travel, it is unavoidable to have a few minor disasters along the way, even with proper planning and taking precautions to keep yourself healthy. Fortunately for us, the things that went wrong weren’t too terrible, although at the time we may have thought differently. We all battled …
As I write this, I am on the airplane, taking our final flight from Los Angeles to New York City. This is a very hard post to write, one that I have thought about for months, one that I knew I would have to write, and one that I have not looked forward to. As I sit here on the …
With just one week remaining of our 396 day journey around the world, how are feeling about finally returning to the USA? Honestly, we are ready to come home. We are actually looking forward to it, which I would have found hard to imagine just a few months ago.The four of us are exhausted…this traveling schedule has really been wearing …
Tokyo has so much to see and do. We were here for a week (the final international destination of our around the world trip in 2014 and 2015) and barely scratched the surface of this amazing place. We visited the main neighborhoods of Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, and Akihabara, as well as made it out of the city for several day …
While getting ready in the morning, I was greeted with Tyler’s typical question, “Mom, what are we doing today?” When I asked them if they wanted to feed deer in Nara, I got a half-hearted yes from both Tyler and Kara. When I asked if they wanted to see more temples, I got an emphatic “No!” from both kids. If …
Our most anticipated day in Japan came on July 17…we had tickets to watch sumo wrestling in Japan, something we have been talking about for months now. I have to say, we have become lackadaisical travelers…rarely planning anything in advance anymore, showing up to new countries and cities having no idea what to see, do, or how to get around. …
Since arriving in Japan, we have been sightseeing at warp speed. The clock is ticking…in just two short weeks our amazing adventure will be coming to a conclusion and we will be back in Columbia, Maryland. Feeling the need to squeeze every ounce that we can out of these last few weeks, we are out and about all day long, …
Hiroshima is the site where the first of two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan during World War II. I had imagined Hiroshima to be a radioactive wasteland, a terrible, lingering reminder of the horror of WWII. As we learned on our day trip to Hiroshima, that is not the case at all. Hiroshima is a thriving city, very much …
Konnichiwa! We are now in Japan, our final country before heading home to the United States. At the time that I am writing this we have only been in Japan for four days and it is quickly becoming one of our favorite countries. I know it sounds like I have a lot of favorites but Japan is truly topping the list, …
Jeju, a small island off of the southern coast of South Korea, is a hotspot of tourism for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean tourists. The island is dotted with UNESCO World Heritage Sites, hiking trails, shopping areas, small amusement parks, various museums, and beaches. We heard great things about Jeju so we devoted most of our time in South Korea here. …
It was our last night in Seoul. I had just finished doing the laundry and preparing our things for our early flight to Jeju the next morning. It was 9 pm and Tim and I were hungry so we decided to go out and get a quick bite to eat. Leaving Tyler and Kara in our hotel room, we vowed …