As we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway deeper and deeper into the heart of south-western Virginia, we passed regional landmarks like Round Meadow Creek and the Mayberry Trading Post before turning onto Squirrel Spur Road, which snaked through the mountains on a scenic and serpentine path. Then, a sign: It's a blink-or-you'll-miss-it
It's September. The leaves aren't turning-- yet-- but the yellow busses filled with chattering school children are just the first indication that summer is coming to an end. After trips to far-away places like Toronto, Ottawa and Alaska, and local travels to the Shenandoah Valley, Hot Springs, Hampton, Solomons Island, Dewey
A few weeks ago, I had a hankering for my mom's famous peach pound cake. Baking it was no problem -- I've been making it annually for the past few years -- but I had a dilemma. I needed peaches. It's the peak of summer and ordinary grocery store peaches just
I've done some crazy things over the course of my life. I've jumped out of a tiny pink plane at 15,000 feet in New Zealand. I've climbed to the top of Mayan pyramids and (inadvertently) swam with a shark. But, sometimes life is all about knowing your limits... and recently, my
St. Michaels, Maryland (the "Hamptons of the Chesapeake") is where the elite goes to spend the weekend. Located right along the Old Line State's craggy coastline, it's an idyllic waterfront retreat where all roads lead to the water. With a deep history and a familiar, small-town feel, it's the perfect spot for a weekend getaway. Here
Just remember: Only eat oysters in months that end with "R." - Captain Ed Farley A couple weeks ago, I traveled to St. Michaels, Maryland for the weekend. Despite being a Maryland girl, born and bred, this was my very first visit to this charming waterfront town. It was arranged to
Just shy of 1,500 square miles, Olympic National Park is the 13th largest National Park in the US. Olympic's unique because it contains 3 distinct eco-systems within its borders. At lower elevations, it's home to temperate rain forests with moss-drapped trees and ferns aplenty. Then, there's the 73 miles of
I was going through my old videos, and found this one from my Tongariro Crossing hike in 2009. You can see the volcanic activity that I mentioned earlier this week was evident. http://youtu.be/WuTYP-qfkcM
In college, I studied abroad in the city that started the Renaissance: the magnificent Florence, Italy. I spent my time there living the good life: wandering the cobblestone streets, visiting markets and museums, sampling gelato from every notable place in town and eating enough pizza and pasta to feed a
This week, PackedSuitcase.com reached 100 posts. Hurray! It’s a huge milestone and I’ve been planning a celebration of sorts to look back at a few of my favorite posts. Serendipitously, Katie at Tripbase has recently initiated a fun challenge called My 7 Links. The gist is that nominated bloggers pick out worthy
Are you stuck in a travel rut? Escape and get inspired by watching a movie perfectly suited to quench your thirst for something new. Just answer the following 10 questions and keep track of your answers until the end of the quiz, then your hand-picked movie selection will be revealed! Let's get
Originally posted on GoGirlGuides.com on 3/21/11: Video. There’s no better way to bring your travel memories to life than to have a well composed video to support your story or highlight a special aspect of your travels. In last week’s column, I explored some of the budget-friendly high-tech gadgets that flashpackers could
