On the streets of Taormina, I stumble over the clutter of antique shops spilling out into the streets. The clutter is not limited to objects, but also people. Taormina is not the sort of place you come to for anonymity, but rather to see and be seen. Throughout history, writers, artists, aristocrats, royalty and celebrities have vacationed in this resort town on Sicily’s northeastern coast. Despite all of the activity in late summer, the shine of Taormina, right down to the glaring sun off of those sliver antique candleholders is endearing to say the least. I make my way to the town’s Continue Reading
Packing Errors: Mistakes That Nearly Cost Me A Few Arms
A dreaded activity for many and a welcome problem for few, I have always enjoyed packing for trips. As I started to recall just what I deemed appropriate for the Ultimate Female Packing List for Italy on Her Packing List this week, I remembered some of my painful packing errors. While I had tried to push those incidents out of my memory, they are always there, tugging at me and reminding me there is no such thing as a travel packing pro. Packing is a something I think you don’t get down with one trip, or even two. It takes a great deal of time to master, and even when you have gone pro, you Continue Reading
In The Heat of Valencia
When a heat wave rolls through in summertime, I don’t turn up the air conditioner. I think of a day spent sweltering in Valencia, Spain. No amount of sun and heat can rival that day for me. As the heat overcame me, I turned from pale to blotchy. There was no end in sight. My new travel friend Christine of C’est Christine decided we should go explore Valencia at the hottest part of the day. Perhaps I didn’t know Christine well enough to tell her I couldn’t handle this and so I agreed. When it is hot in Colorado, I remember that day in Valencia. Suddenly the heat I am experiencing is all put Continue Reading
Mount Evans, Colorado Wishes You Were Here
In the harshest of environments, a gentle mountain goat poses for the clicks of a few cameras. He doesn’t care I am invading his mountain, a mountain of 14,130 feet. No, he will ham it up for someone who enjoys the camera just the same. I am on top of Mount Evans in Colorado where the Continental Divide is almost in full view. You can see storms up ahead signaling to me it’s time to head down the highest paved road in America. Opened in 1931, the road was originally intended to connect with Highway 285, an infeasible feat, as time would tell. Despite the impossibility, they kept this Continue Reading
The Tale of The Belfast Thief: What I Learned About Travel and Theft
I was just days away from going home after my first time trying solo travel. I had a certain confidence I didn’t have when I left Colorado. I managed to drive all the way around Ireland by myself, navigating solely on roads that should really be called sidewalks. I talked to strangers. I drank Guinness. My Ireland trip was a success in all regards until I hit Belfast. I checked into my guesthouse, right near Queen’s University. I was already impressed by Belfast. I had driven through years ago with family, but I was more preoccupied by men with machines guns and barbed wire than getting a Continue Reading
Redhead Reviews Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 For Travel Photography
Full Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements 9. While my thoughts and opinions about the product are my own, your results might vary. Photography is such a vital part of travel. If you can’t capture where you have been, it can be a challenge to keep up with those travel memories. I am a point and shoot camera totting traveler. I don’t have a fancy pants camera, just my trusted Canon. When I get home from an adventure, I try to make the best of what I have captured, usually with just a simple click of the “Enhance” button on iPhoto. Sometimes I kick myself for Continue Reading
Arches National Park, Utah Wishes You Were Here
Three women gossip on top of red rocks. They watch each car pass by as the cameras click, whispering in each others' ears in comment. At Arches National Park just outside of Moab, Utah, these women never seem to leave. However they might one day if erosion has anything to do with it. From the La Sal Mountains Viewpoint you can see these Three Gossips on the left, the Tower of Babel on the right and the Organ just in front on the right. The landscape appears not of this world, but another, so red, so creative in formation and so empty at the same time. Feelings of emptiness are short Continue Reading