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Shoshone Falls, Idaho

5 Great Places to Explore in Idaho Now

I was driving down a winding Idaho mountain road just as the sun was rising over the horizon when I saw them: Three huge white wolves running across the Sawtooth Valley floor. I slowed my car and watched as the two rear wolves caught up to the leader, who had been far ahead but stopped to wait. Then, together, they ran into a patch of trees and I drove on to my destination. This is Idaho. On that same drive,...

Rene in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Bioluminescent Beaches and 4 excursions to take in Puerto Rico

Where’s a U.S. island that’s exotic, affordable, historical, and within a few hours flight of the U.S. that isn’t overcrowded? It might seem unrealistic, but it’s not! It’s Puerto Rico. Beaches, lagoons, a rainforest, surfing, scuba, snorkel, boating, islands, mangroves, historic sites … Puerto Rico has it all. Here are four things I tried while I was there that you should definitely cross off your own list. Bioluminescent Bay Have you ever seen natural, glowing neon blue water? You can...

Moulin Rouge, Paris France

More Than Crepes and Towers: 6 excursions to take near Paris, France

If it’s your first time visiting Paris, I envy you. If you’ve been many times, I envy you too. Ah, the city of Love. There’s none other like it. I could spend days roaming the museums, monuments, and streets of the 1st arrondissement. It’s so iconic, so beautiful you actually have to breathe deeply to steady yourself as you take it in. Paris is the kind of place you want to absorb into your being. Just having been there, you’re...

Rene in front of the gates at Graceland

Should You Visit Elvis’ Graceland and Tupelo Homes? Yes.

Ever since childhood, Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis was Always On My Mind. The swinging hips and curling lip and knowing eyes filled me with Burnin’ Love. Even though he was long gone before I learned to talk, much less know music, it was only a matter of time until I made my Way Down to Rock and Roll mecca. Put on your Blue Suede Shoes, grab your coat and let’s start walking down memory lane. Let’s Rock, Everybody Let’s...

Seville, Spain

Top 5 Cities in Spain are just a Train Ride Away

Spain is a country of many unique cities, each with its own distinctive character and history. Lucky for us, they’re also one of those countries that make it easy to city hop and see various places while enjoying their great food, art, architecture, and culture. My daughter, Autumn and I went to see what it was all about. Here are five places we visited without ever renting a car. 1. Madrid The beauty I saw in Madrid came from this...

Bruges, Belgium waterway

10 Reasons Bruges, Belgium is Worth Visiting

Somewhere in between the Netherlands, France, and Germany lies the city of Bruges. This little canal city is especially unique because it takes on many of the best characteristics from each country surrounding it. Not only that, but it is also one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe, and it’s just a few hours drive outside of Amsterdam, Frankfurt, or Paris. Culture, Art & Architecture Bruges’s entire egg-shaped historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site deemed to be...

Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota

Four Amazing Places to See in South Dakota

There are feats of nature and feats of man. Both are found side by side in South Dakota. I don’t know how Mt. Rushmore was conceived, but I imagine a bunch of men gawking at a beautiful mountain and thinking, “Huh, wouldn’t it be cool if we carved some faces there? Do ya think we can get the government to pay for it?” That’s not far from the truth, actually. It was intended to get attention to increase tourism to...