Category: travel
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West Virginia Day Trips: Blackwater Falls & Canaan Valley
Our corona cabin in Hardy County is surrounded by lots of great hiking. We’ve got, of course, all the trails at the Lost River State Park, the Wolf Gap Recreation Area and the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. Plus, we have our own five acres to tromp around on. But one of our favorite…
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Vacationing During the Pandemic
July is traditionally when we take our annual “fly-and-flop” vacation. We usually go somewhere south of the equator (usually an all-inclusive) and lounge around a pool or beach with lots of books and sweet, frozen drinks in hand. We eat lots of salty, buttery seafood with our fingers and wash it down with crisp, cold…
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The Battle for Mexico’s Beaches
It hits you in the face the minute you open a door or window. A virtual presence that is so primal, your brain goes into full denial, telling you it can’t possibly be what you think it is. Perhaps that disconnect is made all the more dissonant by the fact that you are quite literally…
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How to Answer the Question, ‘Did You Go Anywhere This Summer’ Without Being Awkward
I’ve discovered a new, annoying habit. Actually, I’ve caught both myself and my travel-partner-for-life, XFE doing it a lot over the past few weeks. We’ll be talking to friends or neighbors or coworkers or the pet sitter or (in my case) the eye doctor. We’ll be chatting, catching up on our lives and the latest…
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Hotel Crashing: Mara Bushtops, Kenya
When we went to Bushtops Serengeti a couple of years back, we knew that if we ever got the chance to go to Tanzania again, we’d definitely stay there again and for a much longer amount of time. And, we did. For this trip, we stayed at Bushtops Serengeti for seven nights (Oct. 31-Nov. 8),…
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Twiga Everywhere: How We Met All of the Giraffes in Kenya and Tanzania
*Twiga is Swahili for giraffe. The lovely and long-lashed Sir Harry was not the only giraffe we saw during our 18-day trip to Tanzania and Kenya. Not by a long shot. We saw. So. Many. Giraffes. Usually on safari, we see a couple of giraffes a day, if we’re lucky. They’re not as ubiquitous as…
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Pack it up: Travel plans for 2019
A new year (and, let’s face it, the winter weather) always puts me in the trip planning mood. It’s the only thing that keeps me sane during these dark, cold months. Well, that plus Bravo and wine. In general, XFE and I take at least three big trips a year – one around my birthday…
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Wild About Harry, Mara Bushtops’ Giraffe
I have a new boyfriend. His name is Harry and he is a giraffe. It’s ok. My current, longtime, long-suffering boyfriend, XFE knows about him. He’s even met him. And I gotta say….he seems a bit in love with Harry as well. I realize that this is all a bit nonlinear and out of context…
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Poe’s Packing Panic: Safari Edition
We leave in a few days for Africa. So, you know what that means. Packing panic. It’s a thing. And for me, it’s a repeat thing. It’s not like this is my first African safari. Or even my second. No, this is the third time we are going on safari. You could say, we really,…
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Hotel Crashing: The Underwater Room, Manta Resort, Pemba Island
There is a place where you can belt out The Little Mermaid’s “Under the Sea” without a lick of irony, a smidgen of skill, or any regard for your neighbors’ eardrums. A place where you can “sleep with the fishes.” Where you literally sleep with fishes darting all around you. Except, if you’re like me,…