On our two week trip to Scandinavia, the Baltic States, Germany and Poland we had the chance to talk to people from all over Europe about a variety of hot topics currently being discussed in the USA and everywhere else. From the culture of each country to healthcare to Ukraine and gun violence we had constructive conversations learning about what others think and sharing about how things are in the US as well. Here are some of the things we discussed while on our journey. The Ukraine and Russian War Throughout the World and especially in the Baltics and Poland the War in Ukraine is one of the most talked…

While the pandemic has caused a lot of changes in travel and many for good measure, countries are starting to relax Covid protocols for travelers. Most countries we have visited recently no longer require covid tests or any paperwork for visitors. Many of the countries around the world have dropped Covid testing including some that have been very strict in the past when it comes to visitors. The United States is not one of them as they continue to stubbornly hold onto this rule. I am a supporter of the C.D.C., I still wear N95 Masks when I travel and when in crowds and I am fully vaccinated. I still…

Donna and I recently took another trip to the wonderful country of Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a modern and safe Central American country that has so much to see and do. On this trip we hiked in the rainforest around a Volcano, swam near a waterfall, enjoyed a volcanic hot springs, and walked in the cloud rainforest canopy on hanging bridges. We visited the Pacific side of the very diverse country this time. Like all travel now days we had our ups and downs but in general had a wonderful trip. We also had a great guide who gave us a great tour for both days we toured the…

I’ve heard for years that US Citizens have a surprisingly low amount of citizens who have passports (only around a third have a valid passport based on recent surveys Source: Only one third of Americans have a passport). There are many other countries that have well over 50% of their population that have a passport (the UK has 76% for example based on a Forbes report). For those who do have passports there is only a small percentage (only 25%) of Americans that have been to more than 5 countries (Source: Pew Study) . Its very unfortunate Americans do not travel internationally as much. If they did I think things…

Los Angeles and California make the news a lot and a lot of the news is not good now days. You see reports of rampant homelessness and extreme crime throughout the larger cities. You also see reports of very strict Covid restrictions and in the past one of the strictest lockdown in the US. Donna and I had not visited California for some of these reasons other than a brief stop at Donner Pass and Lake Tahoe. After a short weekend cruise was canceled due to Covid we decided to use our airline credits to head over to Burbank and spend some time in the Los Angeles area. We drove…

2021 was another difficult year in the pandemic. I remember watching the muted New Years celebrations as 2020 came to an end thinking with vaccines coming this terrible time will come to an end and things will get back to normal. I was hoping that people would no longer have to deal with the illness and worse. While things are better than they were in 2020, 2021 has not been easy especially for the many hit hard by the pandemic. We have been blessed this year by not being adversely effected by Covid-19. Before I get into 2021 from a travel perspective I want to wish the best to all…

There is no surprise that we love to cruise. It is one of the most economical ways to travel internationally. You have great food and entertainment as you sail to beautiful new places. Its a safe way to travel despite the constant “floating petri dish” comments that are made by some. Before the pandemic we would try to go on at least one cruise a year. For us as of December of 2021 it had been over a year since we had been on a cruise ship. After our planned December trip that was a Christmas Market tour of Austria, Germany and Switzerland was canceled due to Covid lockdowns in…