The rolling hills of the Emerald Isle become more pronounced as you reach the Antrim Coast of Northern Ireland. Carved into the cliffs and perched on the hills, the Antrim Coast Road links castles, sandy beaches, small towns and amazing geological formations. The Causeway Coastal Route is one of the most thrilling and beautiful drives anywhere in the world.
As close to paradise as you can get: Cockleshell Beach in St. Kitts. Bask in the sun, soak in the cooling ocean and go jammin’ at the reggae beach bar.
Budapest isn’t exactly a mecca for gourmet foodies – and we can’t understand why. Hungarian cuisine doesn’t have the international appeal among gourmands as other cuisines, but it is delicious! The absolute highlight of our trip to Eastern Europe was a Budapest food tour.
If you’ve ever wondered how we can see the world with just a handful of vacation days, we’ll let you in our secret. 2014 was a big year for us and here is how we did it. 2015 promises to be an even more exciting year!
On the north slope of the Carpathian Mountains, a unique architectural and artistic tradition was born: ornate wooden churches. The Slovakia Wooden Churches date from a period when most Christian churches were being built from stone, these buildings are truly unique and reflect a mix of theological and architectural traditions.
The Paris of the East. That’s what they call Budapest, Hungary. We’ve had many friends visit and all have raved about this city. At times, this city has an identity crisis. Budapest’s rich architectural and cultural traditions stand in stark contrast to the bleak austerity under communism. We found ourselves overwhelmed by the sights and tastes along the Danube. We love visiting Budapest!
“Auschwitz.” That single word is loaded with such evocative images and horrific associations that it’s hard to not arrive with a mental picture of the place. The events collectively called the Holocaust were not an evil committed on any one group. The Holocaust was an evil committed on all of humanity. The Auschwitz concentration camp tour wasn’t what we were expecting and it surprised us.
In the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and nestled among the wineries of the Monticello Wine Trail, the Tuscan-inspired Villa Crawford has evolved over the last 100 years into the majestic Keswick Hall at Monticello – one of America’s grand country resorts. Keswick Hall is a reminder of grand Southern living, debutante balls and the ladies who lunch.
Throughout much of Central Slovakia, the mountainous geology yields a significant amount of geothermal activity and a robust spa culture has developed around these hot springs. We visited the Kupele Sklene Teplice spa on a breezy fall day for a relaxation.
Northwest Indiana has joined the ranks of regions capitalizing on craft beer mania. This compact area has nearly 20 microbreweries and more established craft breweries, all producing a broad range of fine stouts and ales. Spending a weekend visiting the Northwest Indiana breweries on the South Shore Brewery Trail is a popular weekend activity.