In September of 2022 we visited the nation of Aruba for the very first time on a very quick trip (just a weekend). In that short amount of time we learned a lot about this very diverse Island Nation that is so close to South America you can see Venezuela from the Southern part of the island. It was a great trip and I’ll share what we found about this very interesting country. About Aruba Aruba is one of the four countries that make up the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its kind of like Scotland or England within the United Kingdom. They have their own currency (The Aruban Florin) and…

Donna and I recently took a quick trip to Richmond, Virginia. If you have never been there it is a wonderful place full of history. You can visit Jamestown, Yorktown (last major battle of the American Revolution), many Civil war Battlefields and museums. On this trip we changed planes in Atlanta each way as there are no direct flights. On our trip back we ran into a semi-wild situation that we had never ran into ever before. Its another example of some of the situations you might run into in today’s somewhat broken world. Our afternoon flight from Richmond to Atlanta actually left early an all went very well on…

Donna and I have been continuing to travel with some international trips and some domestic this summer. We spent two weeks in Europe on a cruise of the Baltic Countries, a trip to Jamaica and a family trip to Phoenix, Arizona. While some things are getting better, in general travel and the World in general is broken at this point. It is still well worth getting out there are seeing the world but you have to be more prepared, and patient than ever before. Here is the state of travel in August of 2022. Covid Restrictions While Covid is still out there and people are coming down with is just…

With all the severe weather we have been having around the world Climate Change is for sure something we should all be paying attention to. The past few years I have seen more severe weather while traveling than ever before and when talking with people around the world hearing about all the odd weather situations, retreating glaciers (A long time Alaska tour ship captain mentioned his personal experience in that area) and severe weather they are all dealing with that is just not normal. From flooding going on in the desert when it should not, freak freezes in Texas, Extreme Heat around the World, the normalization of rapidly intensifying Hurricanes…

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…