Travels near and far.
I have two contradictory views of Doolin, Ireland. One version of it in my mind is that its what Disney designed to give tourists an Irish seaside town to visit that fits everything in your head about small towns in Ireland. Rolling green hills with stone walls; squat, quaint homes with horses or cattle roaming … Continue reading Basecamp Doolin
Don't Skip Cork Sometimes when you plan a longer trip and everything you see is amazing, you forget how great the first part of your trip was. I saw some comments online about Cork, Ireland, with people essentially saying you can skip it. I did a double-take, and got really upset! Don't skip Cork! I … Continue reading Cork Ireland: What to see
I’ve been visiting Charleston on a regular basis for longer than I’d really care to share. Over that time the city has become a serious foodie haven. I have my long time stand-bys and must visits. But with every visit, I find a new place to try. Here’s a little run down of where to … Continue reading Where to Eat: Charleston
Hyde Park is out of the way for the average trip to Chicago. There are a few reasons to make the trek (I’m a Northsider – it’s a trek!). My number one reason to encourage visitors to make of day it is to get you out of downtown and into a real Chicago neighborhood. Hyde … Continue reading Hyde Park
EPIC is a new museum in Dublin, opened in the last few years that tells the story of emigration from Ireland. Yep – it’s telling the story of people leaving the country. This was the main attraction I did in Dublin when there last fall. The museum is incredibly well done. John Hammond may be … Continue reading Dublin’s EPIC Museum
Austin has some amazing street art. Here's a little of what I saw when there a few weeks ago. I'm going to count this one. It's PacMan! Definitely not street art, but a sculpture of Willie Nelson on the street is pretty cool. This is in front of Austin City Limits, which he helped launched. … Continue reading Austin Street Art
Living in Chicago means living up to the hardiness that others outside Chicago, especially people from the South and West, and often other countries. I've heard questions about how to dress for Chicago, how to prepare yourself for it. Preparation Tip #1: the City of Chicago does not shut down for snow or cold. Another … Continue reading How to bundle up for a Chicago winter
Everything outside is covered in snow and its bitter cold. So I was going through photos and noticed a theme. Life is a beautiful ride. Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike. - John F. Kennedy The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine. - John Howard Truly, … Continue reading Pictures of bicycles
Have you ever been somewhere so beautiful you just couldn't stand it? In making a loop around the island, I spent three days in Doolin and three days in Donegal Town. Both are along the West Coast of Ireland, known as the Wild Atlantic Way. Doolin is exactly what you picture when you picture Ireland. … Continue reading Visiting Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
I initially heard comments, before leaving for two weeks in Ireland, and while there, about going to Belfast. As one tour guide in Belfast said, twenty years earlier they were one of the three B's you didn't visit: Baghdad, Beirut, and Belfast. I did not do much prep before going there. Why I included Belfast … Continue reading Four Days in Belfast, Northern Ireland
