Anna Maria Island is a lovely seven mile stretch of land off the western coast of Florida. The island is shared by the cities Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, and Bradenton Beach. It’s white, sandy beaches and relaxed atmosphere have made the island an increasingly popular vacation destination over the years. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Anna Maria Island is close to several theme parks including Busch Gardens Tampa, Universal Studios Florida, and Walt Disney World. I’ve had a special […]
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A Day at Kolmården Wildlife Park in Sweden.
Kolmården Wildlife Park is a large zoo in Sweden that opened an incredible wooden roller coaster last year. Paradoxically, the park boasts 370 acres of property, 600 animals from all over the world, and now three roller coasters. It’s an unusual combination, but one that we enjoyed greatly. Over 50 years old, Kolmården is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Scandinavia. It’s located south of Stockholm near Norrköping and is home to the first Scandinavian dolphinarium, the worlds […]
City Break in Vianden, Luxembourg.
Vianden is a small city in Luxembourg located only a few minutes’ drive from the German border of Rhineland-Palatinate. Despite its small size and inhabitance, Vianden is a popular tourist attraction thanks in part to the recently restored Vianden Castle. Large and beautiful, the towering castle has a checkered history but can now be toured as a museum. We visited in late September on our second to last weekend as expats in Germany; it was a farewell tour of sorts. […]
Glamping NC: Staying at the Sky Ridge Yurts near Bryson City.
The Sky Ridge Yurts are perched on a mountain and provide an incredible experience for glamping in North Carolina. These yurts overlook the Nantahala River Gorge from their vantage point near the Smokey Mountains. While the view is reason enough to book your trip, other persuasive factors include the luxurious amenities in the yurts and seemingly limiteless options of things to do nearby. Wait – what is a yurt? A yurt is a round tent traditionally used as a nomadic dwelling in […]
Rustic Cabin Escape in the Mountains of North Carolina.
As much as we enjoy traveling to fascinating places with overflowing itineraries and a ‘see everything’ attitude, we also love to get away from it all. That’s why once a year, on our anniversary, we intentionally travel to a place where we can leave everything behind and reconnect with each other. For our third anniversary we chose a rustic cabin in the mountains of North Carolina for our escape, and it was exactly what we needed. Disclosure: This […]
Visiting Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: A Review + Tips.
This was a pretty special trip for us. Mr. Meena’s grandparents live near Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and he’s visited the park several times on family vacations over the years. We’ve driven past the park each time we were in the area (so that he could gaze fondly upon the coasters) and hoped that we’d soon be back and have time to visit this park together. So after about three years of wishing for this trip (and also almost three […]
MJ Donuts – Some of the Best Donuts I’ve Ever Had.
Maybe it’s the variety of donuts available, the fact that they use 0% trans-fat oil, or the women who always serve us so kindly (and send us on our way with more than we ordered) that have made me come to love this place so much. Whatever it is, it has led me –along with many other people – to proclaim that MJ Donuts serves some of the best donuts I’ve ever had. And I don’t say things like that […]
Hiking in Shelby, NC: the First Broad River Trail.
This was our first hike in a little over a month and also our first hike since we moved back to the USA, so I’m glad we found one that was relatively short, flat, and easy. We wanted to ease back into hiking as we start to explore the lovely region that’s currently our home in the Carolinas. This hike was also a good choice because it features a historic wooden railroad trestle bridge and 120 foot long suspension bridge. […]
City Break: A Mini Guide to Shelby, NC.
When we turned onto the inner city streets of Shelby, NC, I was filled with joy – almost as if I was returning home after a long absence. Which is because, in a way, I was. Though I had never visited Shelby before, this was my first day trip and small town experience since returning to the USA after a year living in Germany. I was admittedly nervous (and afraid I’d be disappointed) to see how traveling in America would […]
On Traveling Europe Together.
Traveling Europe together with the person you love is an extraordinary experience. It’s something that many couples dream of doing and even spend years planning and saving for. It wasn’t an objective of ours, specifically, until we found ourselves rather suddenly relocating to Germany for Mr. Meena’s training. We began traveling Europe together because we wanted to take advantage of our time there. Our travels were born from opportunity. As we traveled we started doing things we’d never done before; […]