Life is a patchwork of experiences
The shore excursions in Iceland with Iceland ProCruises allowed me to see the more authentic side of this beautifully scenic country.
Iceland is a beautifully scenic country which has also made it an extremely popular tourist destination. Cruising around the island is an easy and comfortable way to see the highlights. In the summer months, Iceland ProCruises organizes Iceland circumnavigation tours that shows off their country’s best sights along with some less visited gems that are unique just to their itineraries.
Continue reading “Shore Excursions in Iceland – How I Spent a Day in Iceland’s Most Popular Ports”
Iceland has become one of my favorite destinations. With its diverse and stunning scenery, warm and friendly people, and a foodie culture focused on fresh and local ingredients, what’s not to love. On my recent Iceland ProCruises circumnavigation cruise, I had the chance to travel around Iceland in complete comfort and ease while local guides showed off all the best experiences their country had to offer.
Continue reading “Experiencing Authentic Iceland in Style – An Iceland ProCruises Review”
Barge cruising with European Waterways is one of my favorite travel experiences. In this La Bella Vita cruise review I share all the details of my fantastic 6 day barge cruise in Italy.
There is a reason that a European Waterways barge cruise has become one of my favorite travel experiences – actually, it’s a lot of reasons. A week long cruise always includes incredibly attentive service, fantastic food, exceptional local wines, and specially curated excursions. And all this is provided in an intimate, small group setting. What’s not to love about that!
In this detailed Sapphire Prince review I share information and a lot of photos from my recent cruise, including a review of my cabin, the ship’s public spaces, all the dining options, and shore excursions.
Towering icebergs floating in a pristine sea. Spouting whales and penguins lazing on the snow. Unending shades of white from one horizon to the other. These were the images of Antarctica that I dreamed of seeing.
My milestone birthday came and went, and I was not able to celebrate with a long planned trip to the white continent. Still, every birthday is special, so when it came around again this year, I finally treated myself to a cruise on the Sapphire Princess that went around South America and also included 4 days of scenic cruising in Antarctica.
I am sharing everything you need to know about what a Princess cruise to Antarctica is really like, including my packing list for the 4 days of scenic cruising in Antarctica.
“This is unlike any other cruise you have experienced before! It’s an adventure and we are all explorers!” – Captain Todd McBain of the Sapphire Princess.
I wasn’t on board the ship for very long before the captain set the tone for the next 16 days – and he was right, it certainly was an unforgettable adventure!
Continue reading “What Is A Princess Cruise to Antarctica Really Like?”
Photographing in Antarctica can be challenging. Whether you use a cell phone or a large digital camera, use these tips to help you get the best possible photos of your once-in-a-lifetime trip.
This story has received an Honorable Mention in the annual Society of American Travel Writers Lowell Thomas competion in the Service Oriented Consumer Work category. This is the premier awards recognition for American travel journalists.
You’ve just booked and paid for that top bucket list trip to Antarctica. It will be your dream trip come true and you want to make sure you come home with the best possible Antarctic photos along with all those special memories.
Continue reading “Photographing in Antarctica – 19 Antarctica Photography Tips for All Skill Levels”
These are some of my favorite Antarctica cruise photos from my recent trip on the Sapphire Princess that took me around South America and to the Antarctic peninsula. It was quite the adventure.
The feature photo for this post was recognized with an Honorable Mention award in the Landscape and Nature category in the 2023 North American Travel Journalists Association Excellence in Travel Journalism competition.
To say that I took a lot of photos on a recent cruise to South America and Antarctica is a huge understatement. But if this was going to be a once in a lifetime trip, then I was going to make sure I captured every moment. Continue reading “Penguins and Ice and So Much More – My Favorite Antarctica Cruise Photos”
In a country with beautiful scenery and a deep spiritual culture, it was the people I met along the way that I remember most. Let these Laos photos inspire you to add this Southeast Asian country to your travel bucket list.
Some of the photos in this post were recognized with awards in the 2023 North America Travel Journalists Association Excellence in Travel Journalism competition. The feature photo for this story received a Bronze award in the Cover or Feature Photo Illustration category
Laos is still one of those off-the-beaten-path countries that requires some effort to get to and even more effort to tour. As a result, I found it pleasantly uncrowded and surprisingly authentic.
Discover why Pandaw river cruises in Southeast Asia are a one of a kind experience that keeps bringing customers back to sail with this very special cruise company.
I was sipping my Pink Lady cocktail and enjoying the brilliant orange sunset across the Mekong river over the city of Vientiane, Laos’ capital. It was the last evening of my Laos Pandaw river cruise and the day had been very hot, but now a gentle breeze was slowly cooling off the open top deck lounge.
A dragon boat sped by in the evening twilight, its crew chanting loudly as they oared in perfect unison, dipping their many paddles into the water in synchronous time to their chanting beat. Not far from our docked vessel, a local fisherman squatted on the tip of his longtail boat, checking his nets. I marveled at the ease with which he maintained his balance as he twisted and twirled on his boat’s narrow tip, his gyrations worthy of an Olympic balance beam routine.
Continue reading “The Boats Are Back In Town – The Triumphant Return of Pandaw River Cruises”
My annual review in words and photos from an incredible year of travel.
Wow! I have been so very fortunate to have had the most incredibly memorable year for travel! And what a difference 12 months can make!
It’s taken me a while to write this up as it was a very, very busy year, but I am continuing my annual end of the year post tradition by reflecting on where I’ve been in 2022 – and sharing some of my reflection photos in the process.
