Happiness Is Just Around The Bend

We went full throttle into the desert, the heat emanating from the road, sand and hills surrounding us. The sun’s rays beat onto the road, which the tarmac bounced back to us. We were forced to do something I couldn’t dream about in months of a New England winter – turn on the air conditioning. Desert driving is it’s own peril. Road Trippin’ Through Sand Mirages spew forth from the ground in every direction, but especially upon the roadway that you’re driving. This was more like a stereotypical desert, sand as far as I could see. Even the occasional picturesque sand dunes.  After crossing into Arizona, we started coming across cacti the height of a man. Their prickly arms outstretched, pointing the way and urging you on through the desert. Dance in the Capital Arriving in Phoenix around sunset, we quickly found what we were looking for, Hance Park, a decent sized park in the middle of the city, that on this particular weekend was housing the Mc...

Let's face it: Europe is not exactly a “cheap” part of the world to travel in. Especially when most people dream of visiting cities like London and Paris and Amsterdam and Rome – all great cities, of course, but definitely not easy on the travel budget. So what if you really want to visit Europe, but can't quite afford the price tag of those famous capital cities? Well, good news! There are some cities in Europe – some major, capital cities – that are still affordable. Check out my list of 5 cities in Europe that are both budget-friendly AND really cool: Budapest Hungary's capital is a fantastic city. It actually used to be two separate cities — Buda and Pest — located on two sides of the Danube River. Today, the cities are combined into one, but you can still feel the different vibes depending on which side of the river you find yourself on. Budapest is known for its architecture along with its wallet-friendly prices. Great affordable th...

When I added Évora to my Iberian itinerary, I didn’t have many expectations.  I heard it was a lovely town, but my main goal was to see the Capela dos Ossos, the bone chapel.  Anything else would be a fringe benefit. Sometimes, going into a place without expectations is best — because I was absolutely bowled over by the beauty of Évora! The first thing you notice in Évora is the Moorish influence — the streets are filled with short whitewashed buildings with mustard-yellow trim.  You see this style throughout the old part of the city. The street signs add to the decor nicely: Like many small towns in Europe, the town square is the center of activity.  Évora’s Plaça de Giraldo doesn’t disappoint — it’s the kind of square where you could sit for hours. It reminded me more of Italy than anywhere else in Portugal — you can have an Italian-style plaza experience, down to the well-groomed people sitting at the cafes, without needing to...

As an admirer of cars and an avid traveler, it is impossible to believe in you being alien to the BMW Welt. Located in what is aptly called the paradise for car lovers in this world, the BMW welt in Germany comes under the huge BMW complex built in the northern end of Munich. Many people, despite having a halt of information about BMW, usually do not know whether or not there is any difference between the BMW museum in Munich and the BMW Welt in the same locality. This is what confuses them as a traveler to this place and many return from the complex without visiting one of these at all. You can visit both because there is a footbridge to take you from BMW Welt to BMW Museum. If you have visited the BMW Welt, it is guaranteed that you will feel compelled to visit the Museum too. BMW Welt exhibits some of the models whereas the Museum presents the history of cars including the pre-war years. Not only about cars, you can also acquire information about the evolution of the BMW plant. ...

Badab-e Surt, Mazandaran Province, Iran. Striking terraced travertine formations, located high in the mountains, are a rare natural wonder. These kind of terraces are found only in a few other places on Earth. But this one is unique for its orange coloration, which is due to the large concentration of iron oxide sediments. Hot mineral springs fill the pools with healthy, very salty water, which heals rheumatism and various skin conditions. Visitors can hike around, enjoy the views and wade these pools, but waterproof footwear is advised. Tourists also can set a camping site nearby and enjoy the tranquility of unspoiled nature – there are no wild dangerous animals around. Why to go there? One of the most popular and beautiful sites in the area. A true natural wonder. When to go there? Choose your weather – winters are mild and rainy, while summers are hot and dry. How to get there? By plane, train or bus get to Sari from Tehran. Then catch a taxi to Badab-e Surt through Kiasar. ...

              Oslo, Norway I just got back from picking up my little brother from the airport this evening; he was in Europe for two months, travelling through some of my favourite cities with his girlfriend. Barcelona, Lisbon, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Amsterdam…just the mention of these cities incites a sense of excitement in me, an overwhelming urge to return. Even though Kitt and I only had a bit of time to discuss his trip while in the car, in that short time we were able to share stories of those cities, those streets, those cultures. I was in Norway in 2006, spending a few beautiful midsummer days and nights there. I had a travel romance with a young man I had met on a the overnight boat from Copenhagen to Oslo; we had stayed up all night talking and kissed as the sun rose, promising to meet up the next day. That chance encounter led to four days of picnics in the park, wandering through the Ibsen museum, sampling the ...

W hile Erin was away visiting her family and new niece I thought it would be nice to replace the wire mesh pantry shelves with sturdy wooden ones. Erin had been bugging me to do it since moving in and being alone for a few days just seemed like a good way to kill a day. Plus, last time I was alone over the holidays I tiled a tub surround…and smoked a whole turkey on the BBQ. http://the-after-path.blogspot.com/2008/01/merry-christmas.html  Living in a brand new place doesn’t give much opportunity to renovate. It is something I miss from living in a 60 year old house so I was excited to follow through on this little task. I took extra care removing the old shelves and patched, muded,  sanded, and painted the large holes left behind. I painted all the shelf ledges with love. All for none. When I drilled through the last ledge I was going to put up for the night (10:30) water started trickling out. At first it was an “oh that sucks” but I knew once the water was...