No trip to Iceland is complete without a visit to the highlands. With the help of an expert guide–equipped with a “Super Jeep”, Rick and I made the four-hour trek from Reykjavik to the rugged and almost other worldly landscapes near Eyjafjallajökul (pronounced EY-ya-fyad-luh-YO-kuld, a.k.a. E15–starts with “E” has 15 letters). You’ll recall that thisContinue reading “Life in a Volcanic Landscape”
Category Archives: Travel Tips & Skills
Iceland Iceland Baby
What do you do in Iceland when you only have two days to visit? Lots, that’s what. Instead of flying directly from St. Petersburg to Seattle, my partner Rick Steves and I decided to take advantage of spending some time (for the first time) in Iceland. We hoped to break up our jet lag andContinue reading “Iceland Iceland Baby”
St. Petersburg Dining: From Bleak to Chic
They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. It’s the way to mine, too. So, when gearing up for our visit to St. Petersburg, the prospect of drab food options made my heart sigh a big meh. I imagined dining exclusively on borscht (beets and my taste buds are mortalContinue reading “St. Petersburg Dining: From Bleak to Chic”
Never Judge a Babushka by Her Head-cover
We walked hand-in-hand, wondering aloud to each other, “When was this built? What do you think that sign says? What was this place like just before the fall of the Soviet Union?” It was the first time in three days in St. Petersburg that we had actually just wandered around. We had been going atContinue reading “Never Judge a Babushka by Her Head-cover”
Cultural Eye-candy in St. Petersburg
“Dobryy den’,” I said to the Dorothy Hamill-coiffed customs agent. I was eager to practice the little Russian I knew. She must not have heard me because she didn’t respond to my greeting. “Dobryy den’,” I repeated, this time with a smile. Maybe I was pronouncing it wrong. The third time I wished her goodContinue reading “Cultural Eye-candy in St. Petersburg”
Scandinavian Slices of Life
Leaving our ship that morning in Stockholm–and leaving 3000 tourists–Rick Steves and I found ourselves alone in the middle of a great city with only 5 hours until we needed to be back on the ship. Abba, the harbor walk, the National Gallery, Swedish meatballs…how would we pack all the experiences into our memory banksContinue reading “Scandinavian Slices of Life”
Cruising? Why?
In doing research for his newest guidebook, Northern European Cruise Ports, Rick Steves’ primary task is to double-check and update logistical and sightseeing information in port: how to you get from the ship terminal to the city center, what are the operating hours for TIs/museums/churches, what’s new, what’s no longer around, and how do youContinue reading “Cruising? Why?”
36 Hours in Copenhagen
Two days before embarking on the Princess Cruise Lines Emerald Princess, Rick Steves and I had a 36-hour mini-“vacation” in Copenhagen. I say “vacation” because even when Rick is trying to take it easy, his passion for his work tends to not stay dormant. So while this meant we would not be going at aContinue reading “36 Hours in Copenhagen”
A New Way to Travel
This summer, I escorted two Rick Steves’ My Way Tours–it’s a new kind of tour, geared towards independent travelers who want the freedom to customize their own itinerary but don’t want the hassle of figuring out how to get from point A to point B or where they’re going to stay. I escort the groupContinue reading “A New Way to Travel”
Is There a Doctor in l’Hôtel?
You know that tickle-throat, on-the-verge-of-a-festering-cold feeling? The one that tells you “If you ignore me, it can only go horribly wrong from here”? Yeah, it sucks. But you know what’s worse? Ignoring it while you’re traveling abroad. Such was my lot seven weeks into a nine-week stint on the road, earlier this year. I hadContinue reading “Is There a Doctor in l’Hôtel?”