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Porto, Portugal As the country’s second largest city, this more of a working class city offers a different vide than the more fashion focused Lisbon. Portugal continues to grow as an affordable travel destination. Many first time travelers often focus on Lisbon, but don’t ignore adding Porto to your travel itinerary. São Bento Station During your visit to Porto, consider
Exploring the 18th Arrondissement A walk through the more hilly streets of Montmartre is like the village for New Yorker or at least, that is what I’ve been told. This part of Paris is where artists used to enjoy a more comfortable part of life and display their works, but the prices have increase. I am sure there are some
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My most recent visit back to Manchester, New Hampshire gave me the opportunity to visit the Currier Museum of Art Through a guided docent tour, one can enjoy the mixture of European and American art, photograph, and sculpture displayed in this art museum. These works include such renewed artist at Hopper, Picasso, Monet, O’Keffe, Wyeth, and LeWitt. In addition, a
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Cinco de Mayo or the fifth of May This is an extremely popular holiday in the U.S. with its roots within Mexico. The holiday is a rather minor holiday in Mexico. In the U.S., Cinco de Mayo is a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, especially between Mexican-American families. This holiday dates back to the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican
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A visit to India is often not complete without a tour of the famous Taj Mahal in Agra. This mausoleum sitting on the banks of the Yamuna river was commissioned in 1632 and continues to be one of the most celebrated sites of India’s history. The Taj Mahal was planned by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to house the tomb
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One can get away from what some may consider the urban jungle of Houston to find a tranquil and beautiful oasis just a few minutes away. The Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens was once a grand family estate of Ima Hogg from 1882 until 1975. The estate is now part of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and still houses
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Airplane Etiquette Sometimes the stress of travel can often lead to forgetting a few common travel etiquettes. Do you wish to have hundreds of people look to you as the enemy while in a long tube? I would think this would not be the case. Here are five common etiquettes to avoid violating during your next flight Wrestling for the
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Earth day is fast approaching and during each trip we see many animals. The little critters we come across can be someone’s pet, a poor stray one, or an exotic creature that requires a second or third glance. The first photo is one of my favorites from our trip to Costa Rica. The bulging eyes just make me laugh. We
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Galveston Island, Texas Have you ever had the itch to travel and just booked something a couple of weeks or days in advance? We recently did this for a trip to the great state of Texas. The historic island of Galveston is where we spent three of our five day adventure. There are many opportunities for exploration while on this
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The idiom ‘here today, (and) gone tomorrow’ is a reminder of the tragedy that unfolded in Paris yesterday. This rings true even with such centuries old icon places, that can be damaged in such a short period of time either by natural disaster or man-made events. In fact, many of the places one wishes to visit today just may not
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Gloucester, Massachusetts & the Cape Ann Museum by Angelina & Mike Chute (2019, January 7) The holidays are over. Our roses are dormant, sound asleep for the next three months. This is the time when Angelina and I catch up on other things that we like to do, like frequent day-trips to somewhere — eclectic destinations that catch our fancy. We recently
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A recent trip to Houston and Galveston included a short drive to West Columbia to visit the Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site. The site is now part of the Texas Historical Commission site and there is a connection to the old Three-hundred settlers. These settlers received land grants from Stephen E. Austin’s first colony. An interesting fact about this former sugar plantation
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Galveston Island, Texas Galveston Island has some wonderful historical sites including the Moody Mansion, the Bishop’s Palace, St. Joseph Church, and of course, the Pleasure Pier just to name a few. I will be exploring each of these in upcoming posts. There is still more to learn about this wonderful island. Galveston Island has experienced its share of natural disasters through
Read moreThe reason for why one first chooses to travel may be easy to answer and includes: taking the summer off from college, wishing to get out of that small town you grew up in, or having that adventurous spirit to see this beautiful planet. Why did you first choose to travel? My Reasons for Traveling: If I have to first
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When you decide on a journey, do you consider this a travel, trip or journey? Perhaps something else? Today, travel is not often an easy adventure for many reasons. Many barriers often stand in your way including cost, the flight schedule, and sometimes the cultural at your new destination. I recommend the following as means to assist in travel insurance
Read moreSpring has sprung and festivals planning is in full swing here in Coastal North Carolina. The largest and one my favorite festivals that is fast approaching this season of festivals is the NC Azalea Festival happening here in Wilmington, NC. This years festival occurs the first weekend of April; April 3 through 7. Book your stay now. Expect a lively festival
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A couple of years ago, we visited Portugal that included Lisbon and Porto. For one of our trips this year, I have scheduled another trip back to Lisbon for a stopover option offered via TAP Air Portugal . I highly recommend considering this option to explore two countries and more during your stay. Today’s blog post is reviewing this past trip,
Read moreAs I remember the tragedy at the 3 mosques in New Zealand, this had me been thinking back to my travels and the many beautiful mosques we visited. One country that comes to mind is Egypt. This country has a wealth of beautiful, historical, and famous mosque that offer a chance under why this city is known as the city
Read moreDuring our visit through Louisiana, we drove to the town of Saint Francisville. A town of just under 2,000 people, is located about 30 miles north of the capital Baton Rouge. It is a hidden gem worth a visit. Greenwood Plantation Unfortunately, the original Greenwood Plantation from 1830 built by William R. Barrow in Greek Revival Style with its 28
Read moreDuring my most recent visit to France, I wanted to visit Normandy and decided to visit the Canadian memorial to D- Day on June 6, 1944. The Juno Beach Centre is dedicated as a museum to honor the sacrifice of some 45,000 young Canadian men and women who fought alongside Allied forces to liberate France during World War II. “The Juno
Read moreHoumas House Plantation & Gardens Adding to the list of plantations visited during our visit to the New Orlean’s area, is Houmas House Plantation. This Greek Revival plantation that sits in lush gardens that are well maintained. The house is really two homes connected by a carriageway with the older home dating back to around 1775 per the docent during
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I recently read the Louisiana Plantation Guide as a means to assist me in planning a trip to New Orleans. We weren’t able to visit all of the plantations in this wonderful guide, but did manage to cover quite a few ground along Louisiana’s River Road, which parallels the east and west banks of the Mississippi River for about 70 miles
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As promised, here is part two on my previous post titled: A Few Travel Essentials . Now, that you have planned and booked your trip. It is time to be sure to include some important items as you pack for the next adventure. Below are a few more essentials to consider as you begin to prepare for your next travel adventure.
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French Quarter Greetings, fellow travelers! After a long, exciting, and fun long weekend in New Orleans, I am back home. If you have plans to visit New Orleans, Louisiana; a visit of the French Quarter, also known as the Quarter, the Vieux Carré, or Vieux Carré; should be on your list. There is a wonderful history to this district dating back
Read moreAs I continue to travel each year, I find myself frequently doing the same routine things to pre-plan for these new adventures including: visiting key websites, developing my own itinerary, and following other bloggers advice. Best of all of these this information is free. Please let me share some of my travel essentials and feel free to share your own
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Bruges, Belgium Our journey begins on a sunny, but cold day in Bruges. This quaint city that is often referred to as the ‘Venice of the North’ due to its many canals should not be ignored during your visit to Belgium. This small city offers a relaxing vibe and a more leisurely pace than the larger city and more industrial
Read moreOriginal Post By: beatricetravels This morning we set sail for Aswan which was the southern frontier of ancient Egypt and provided a gateway to Africa. It is here that granite quarries are found and supplied the rest of Egypt in the building of temples and pyramids. The Ptolemies ruled here from 323-30 BC and built the remarkable Philae Temple dedicated
Read moreThe Eiffel Tower A few facts that you may or may not know about this mammoth structure that stands out among the buildings in its own park are as follows: Built in 1889 as part of the grand entrance to the Paris World Exposition. The Tower is 986-feet tall and was the world’s tallest building until New York’s Chrysler Building
Read moreWe visited this château during the 2018 Christmas season, but 2019 marks the 500 year anniversary of the Estate of Chambord. Located in the Loire Valley, the estate contains the largest and most recognized châteaux, the Château de Chambord. It has a very distinctive French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. The château, which was never completed,
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Atlanta, Georgia If you are planning to visit this southern city, consider a visit to the Birth Home of Martin Luther King, Jr. Thanks to funding from Delta Airlines this site is open through February 3rd during the partial government shutdown. Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, is actually a cluster of sites operated by the National Park Service.
Read moreDuring our visit in Paris, we wanted to visit the Loire Valley and we made a stop via the SNCF train system to explore the Château de Chenonceau This Ladies’ château or castle, is worthy of your time during your visit in the Loire valley. There is a nicely chronological details of the history of this second castle over the Cher
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During your visit to Paris, the Palace of Versailles is a must-see as it is just a short and easy train trip at about 12 miles (20 kilometers) outside of Paris. I visited this fascinated and opulent place with its over-the-top decorations during the Christmas season. As you walk through the Palace, you can explore the grounds including: the Royal
Read moreFor this year’s Christmas season, we decided to spend time in Paris. This holiday season the city has been marred by weekly citywide violence that unfortunately became a regular part f the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protests. This did not stop us from continuing to enjoy Paris, but with more caution this time around. One can see the effects the
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