I hardly consider myself a great world traveler, but I love to travel. I have been to a lot of places considering I got a late start. Until my sophomore year in college, I’d been to a total of six states, all in the northeastern USA. Since then I’ve been working hard to make up for lost time.

in 2019 I retired and moved to Mexico with the plan of spending much of time in other places. A global pandemic put a temporary hold on those plans, but now that travel is possible again, I’m doing as much as I can.

I like to say I’m not happy unless I’m currently traveling or planning my next trip. I love planning nearly as much as I love traveling, and I always have at least one or two trips on the horizon, so I’m almost always happy! 

See the trips I’ve taken

Why I started this blog

Me stepping onto Asia for the first time, September 2022, Istanbul, Türkiye

Before I retired, I worked in Seattle, Washington, as a software architect. Software was my second career; I started out as a music educator, and with three degrees in music, one of my travel-related passions is to attend live performances at some of the worlds great concert halls and opera houses. 

I now live in Ajijic, Jalisco, on the north shore of Lago de Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico. One reason I chose this spot to retire is that it is close enough to an international airport that I can still get away for the travel I long to do. Depending on traffic, I can get to Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Guadalajara International Airport in 30–45 minutes.

When I’m not traveling, I can usually be found playing bridge at the Lake Chapala Duplicate Bridge Club, playing pub trivia, taking my dog for walks on the malecón, or enjoying the many fine restaurants in this community of a mix of locals and expats from the US and Canada. 

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See my list of favorite travel blogs and websites

Countries I’ve visited

(in chronological order)

  1. USA
  2. Canada
  3. France
  4. Switzerland
  5. Germany
  6. Austria
  7. Hungary
  8. England
  9. Wales
  10. Liechtenstein
  11. Italy
  12. Ireland
  13. Mexico
  14. Denmark
  15. Sweden
  16. Estonia
  17. Finland
  18. Iceland
  19. Croatia
  20. Slovenia
  21. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  22. Montenegro
  23. Belgium
  24. Netherlands
  25. Norway
  26. Chile
  27. Argentina
  28. Brazil
  29. Costa Rica
  30. Czechia
  31. Poland
  32. Cuba
  33. Peru
  34. Ecuador
  35. Türkiye
  36. Azerbaijan
  37. Georgia
  38. Armenia
  39. Panama
  40. Colombia
  41. Scotland
  42. Egypt
  43. Jordan
  44. Fiji
  45. Australia
  46. New Zealand
  47. South Africa
  48. Botswana
  49. Zimbabwe
  50. Zambia
  51. Rwanda
  52. Kenya
  53. Greece
  54. Albania
  55. North Macedonia

UNESCO World Heritage Sites I’ve Visited

(alphabetically by country)

  1. Historic Center of Gjirokastra, Albania
  2. Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina
  3. Iguazu National Park, Argentina
  4. Monastery of Geghard, Armenia
  5. Great Barrier Reef, Australia
  6. Wet Tropics of Queensland, Australia
  7. Sydney Opera House, Australia
  8. Historic Center of the city of Salzburg, Austria
  9. Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn, Austria
  10. City of Graz, Austria
  11. Historic Centre of Vienna, Austria
  12. Walled City of Baku, Azerbaijan
  13. Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape, Azerbaijan
  14. Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace, Azerbaijan
  15. Cultural Landscape of Khinalig People, Azerbaijan
  16. La Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium
  17. Historic Centre of Brugge, Belgium
  18. Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar, Bosnia
  19. Okavango Delta, Botswana
  20. Iguacu National Park, Brazil
  21. Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea, Brazil
  22. Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, Canada
  23. Historic District of Old Québec, Canada
  24. Old Town Lunenburg, Canada
  25. Rapa Nui National Park, Chile
  26. Churches of Chiloé, Chile
  27. Cartagena, Colombia
  28. Coffee Culture Landscape of Colombia
  29. Historic Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian, Croatia
  30. Old City of Dubrovnik, Croatia
  31. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
  32. Historic City of Trogir, Croatia
  33. Old Havana and its Fortification System, Cuba
  34. Viñales Valley, Cuba
  35. Historic Center of Prague, Czechia
  36. Roskilde Cathedral, Denmark
  37. City of Quito, Ecuador
  38. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
  39. Historic Cairo, Egypt
  40. Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae, Egypt
  41. The Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, Egypt
  42. Historic Centre of Tallinn, Estonia
  43. Fortress of Suomenlinna, Finland
  44. Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay, France
  45. Paris, Banks of the Seine, France
  46. Gelati Monastery, Georgia
  47. Historical Monuments of Mtskheta, Georgia
  48. Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin, Germany
  49. Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin, Germany
  50. Acropolis, Athens, Greece
  51. Meteora, Greece
  52. Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessalonika, Greece
  53. Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina), Greece
  54. Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue, Hungary
  55. Þingvellir National Park, Iceland
  56. Historic Centre of Florence, Italy
  57. Venice and its Lagoon, Italy
  58. Historic Centre of San Gimignano, Italy
  59. Historic Centre of Siena, Italy
  60. Historic Centre of the City of Pienza, Italy
  61. Cinque Terre, Italy
  62. City of Verona, Italy
  63. Historic Centre of Rome, Italy
  64. Villa d’Este, Tivoli, Italy
  65. Petra, Jordan
  66. Wadi Rum Protected Area, Jordan
  67. Historic Center of Mexico City, Mexico
  68. Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines, Mexico
  69. Historic Centre of Morelia, Mexico
  70. Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Albán, Mexico
  71. Historic Centre of Zacatecas, Mexico
  72. Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara, Mexico
  73. Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro, Mexico
  74. Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila, Mexico
  75. Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Mexico
  76. Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, Mexico
  77. Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor, Montenegro
  78. Seventeenth-Century Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht, Netherlands
  79. Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand
  80. Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region, North Macedonia
  81. Bryggen, Norway
  82. Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá
  83. City of Cuzco, Peru
  84. Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, Peru
  85. Historic Centre of Lima, Peru
  86. Historic Centre of Kraków, Poland
  87. Auschwitz Birkenau — German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940–1945), Poland
  88. Historic Centre of Warsaw, Poland
  89. Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork, Poland
  90. Medieval Town of Toruń, Poland
  91. Centennial Hall in Wrocław, Poland
  92. Memorial sites of the Genocide: Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero, Rwanda
  93. Škocjan Caves, Slovenia
  94. The works of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana, Slovenia
  95. Cape Floral Region Protected Areas, South Africa
  96. Royal Domain of Drottningholm, Sweden
  97. Agricultural Landscape of Southern Öland, Sweden
  98. Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, Türkiye
  99. Historic Areas of Istanbul, Türkiye
  100. Hierapolis-Pamukkale, Türkiye
  101. Ephesus, Türkiye
  102. Blenheim Palace, United Kingdom
  103. Westminster Abbey, United Kingdom
  104. Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
  105. The Forth Bridge, United Kingdom
  106. Mesa Verde National Park, USA
  107. Yellowstone National Park, USA
  108. Everglades National Park, USA
  109. Grand Canyon National Park, USA
  110. Independence Hall, USA
  111. Mammoth Cave National Park, USA
  112. Olympic National Park, USA
  113. Statue of Liberty, USA
  114. Taos Pueblo, USA
  115. Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, USA
  116. Alamo (San Antonio Missions), USA
  117. The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, USA
  118. Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Airports I’ve flown through

US Airports (in alphabetical order)
  1. ANC: Ted Stevens Anchorage
  2. ATL: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
  3. AUS: Austin-Bergstrom
  4. BFI: Boeing Field
  5. BUF: Buffalo Niagara
  6. BWI: Baltimore/Washington
  7. CLE: Cleveland Hopkins
  8. CLT: Charlotte Douglas
  9. DCA: Reagan National
  10. DEN: Stapleton (former Denver airport)
  11. DFW: Dallas-Fort Worth
  12. DTW: Detroit Metropolitan
  13. EWR: Newark Liberty
  14. HNL: Daniel K. Inouye
  15. HOM: Homer
  16. HOU: William P. Hobby
  17. HPN: Westchester County
  18. IAD: Dulles
  19. IAH: George Bush Intercontinental
  20. ISP: Long Island MacArthur
  21. JFK: John F. Kennedy
  22. JNU: Juneau
  23. LAS: Harry Reid
  24. LAX: Los Angeles
  25. LGA: LaGuardia
  26. LIH: Lihue
  27. MDW: Chicago Midway
  28. MHT: Manchester-Boston Regional
  29. MSP: Minneapolis-Saint Paul
  30. MSY: Louis Armstrong New Orleans
  31. ORD: O’Hare
  32. PAH: Barkley Regional
  33. PHL: Philadelphia
  34. PHX: Phoenix Sky Harbor
  35. PIA: General Wayne A. Downing Peoria
  36. PSP: Palm Springs
  37. PWM: Portland (Maine)
  38. RNO: Reno-Tahoe
  39. SAN: San Diego
  40. SAT: San Antonio
  41. SEA: Seattle-Tacoma
  42. SJC: San Jose Mineta
  43. SFO: San Francisco
  44. SNA: John Wayne
  45. SOV: Seldovia
  46. STL: St. Louis Lambert
  47. SYR: Syracuse Hancock
  48. TKA: Talkeetna
  49. TPA: Tampa
  50. WBU: Boulder Municipal
International Airports (in chronological order)
  1. CDG: Paris-Charles de Gaulle
  2. ZRH: Zurich
  3. MUC: Munich
  4. HRW: Heathrow
  5. FRA: Frankfurt
  6. MXP: Milan Malpensa
  7. SNN: Shannon
  8. AMS: Schiphol
  9. FCO: Roma Fiumicino
  10. KEF: Keflavik
  11. OSL: Oslo
  12. CPH: Copenhagen
  13. HEL: Helsinki
  14. ZAG: Zagreb Franjo Tuđman
  15. DBV: Dubrovnik Ruđer Bošković
  16. BRU: Brussels
  17. BGO: Bergen
  18. TRD: Trondheim
  19. SCL: Arturo Merino Benitez (Santiago, Chile)
  20. IPC: Mataveri (Easter Island)
  21. AEP: Aeroparque (Buenos Aires)
  22. BRC: Bariloche (Argentina)
  23. PMC: Puerto Montt (Chile)
  24. PUQ: Presidente Carles Ibáñez del Campo (Punta Arenas, Chile)
  25. FTE: El Calafate (Argentina)
  26. IGR: Cataratas del Iguazú, (Argentina)
  27. IGU: Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil)
  28. GIG: Galeão (Rio de Janeiro)
  29. MEX: Mexico City
  30. SJO: Juan Santamaria (San Jose, Costa Rica)
  31. DRK: Bahía Drake (Costa Rica)
  32. GDL: Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (Guadalajara)
  33. PRG Václav Havel (Prague)
  34. GDN: Gdansk Lech Walesa
  35. PVR: Puerto Vallarta
  36. HAV: José Martí (Havana)
  37. TIJ: Tijuana
  38. CUU: Chihuahua
  39. LIM: Jorge Chávez (Lima)
  40. CUZ: Cusco
  41. UIO: Mariscal Sucre Quito
  42. GYE: José Joaquín de Olmedo (Guayaquil)
  43. GPS: Aeropuerto Ecológico Galápagos
  44. ACA: Acapulco
  45. CUN: Cancun
  46. IST: Istanbul
  47. ADB: İzmir Adnan Menderes
  48. AYT: Antalya
  49. ASR: Kayseri Erkilet
  50. GYD: Heydar Aliyev (Baku)
  51. TBS: Tbilisi
  52. EVN: Zvartnots (Yerevan)
  53. SAW: Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen
  54. PTY: Tocumen (Panama City)
  55. BOG: El Dorado (Bogotá)
  56. AXM: El Edén (Armenia, Quindío, Colombia)
  57. EOH: Medellín Olaya Herrera
  58. MDE: José María Córdova (Medellín)
  59. SMR: Simón Bolívar (Santa Marta, Colombia)
  60. CTG: Rafael Núñez (Cartagena)
  61. EDI: Edinburgh
  62. CAI: Cairo
  63. LXR: Luxor
  64. ASW: Aswan
  65. AMM: Queen Alia (Amman)
  66. OAX: Oaxaca
  67. NAN: Nadi
  68. SYD: Sydney
  69. CNS: Cairns
  70. BNE: Brisbane
  71. AKL: Auckland
  72. ROT: Rotorua
  73. CHC: Christchurch
  74. MFN: Milford Sound
  75. ZQN: Queenstown
  76. CPT: Cape Town
  77. MUB: Maun, Botswana
  78. BBK: Kasane, Botswana
  79. LVI: Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula (Livingstone, Zambia) 
  80. LUN: Kenneth Kaunda (Lusaka, Zambia)
  81. JNB: O.R. Tambo (Johannesburg)
  82. KGL: Kigali
  83. NBO: Jomo Kenyatta (Nairobi)
  84. DXB: Dubai
  85. ATH: Athens
  86. CHQ: Chania (Crete)
  87. HER: Heraklion (Crete)
  88. SKG: Thessaloniki
  89. SKP: Skopje
  90. JNX: Naxos

US National Parks I’ve visited

(in alphabetical order)

  1. Acadia
  2. Arches
  3. Badlands
  4. Bryce Canyon
  5. Crater Lake
  6. Denali
  7. Gateway Arch
  8. Glacier
  9. Grand Canyon
  10. Grand Teton
  11. Joshua Tree
  12. Kenai Fjords
  13. Mammoth Cave
  14. Mesa Verde
  15. Mount Rainier
  16. North Cascades
  17. Olympic
  18. Rocky Mountain
  19. Yellowstone
  20. Zion

Mexican States I’ve visited

(in chronological order)

  1. Baja California
  2. CDMX
  3. Morelos
  4. Jalisco
  5. Michoacán
  6. Zacatecas
  7. Aguascalientes
  8. Guanajuato
  9. Chihuahua
  10. Nayarit
  11. Guerrero
  12. Querétaro
  13. San Luis Potosí
  14. Oaxaca

Mexican Pueblos Mágicos I’ve visited

(in chronological order)

  1. Tepoztlán, Morelos
  2. Tlaquepaque, Jalisco
  3. Ajijic, Jalisco
  4. Pátzcuaro, Michoacán
  5. Tequila, Jalisco
  6. Mazamitla, Jalisco
  7. Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco
  8. Pinos, Zacatecas
  9. Guadalupe, Zacatecas
  10. Sombrerete, Zacatecas
  11. Jerez, Zacatecas
  12. Asientos, Aguascalientes
  13. San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
  14. Calvillo, Aguascalientes
  15. Nochistlán, Zacatecas
  16. Teúl de González Ortega, Zacatecas
  17. Creel, Chihuahua
  18. Talpa de Allende, Jalisco
  19. Mascota, Jalisco
  20. San Sebastián del Oeste, Jalisco
  21. Sayulita, Nayarit
  22. Compostela, Nayarit
  23. Jala, Nayarit
  24. Tapalpa, Jalisco
  25. Sayula, Jalisco
  26. Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán
  27. Jiquilpan, Michoacán
  28. Salvatierra, Guadalajara
  29. Amealco de Bonfil, Querétaro
  30. Tequisquiapan, Querétaro
  31. Bernal de Peña, Querétaro
  32. Cadereyta de Montes, Querétaro
  33. San Joaquin, Querétaro
  34. Pinal de Amoles, Querétaro
  35. Jalpan de Serra, Querétaro
  36. Xilitla, San Luis Potosí
  37. Aquismon, San Luis Potosí
  38. Ciudad del Maíz, San Luis Potosí
  39. Real de Catorce, San Luis Potosí
  40. Santa María del Río, San Luis Potosí
  41. Tierra Nueva, San Luis Potosí
  42. Mineral de Pozos, Guanajuato
  43. Comonfort, Guanajuato
  44. Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato
  45. Jalpa de Cánovas, Guanajuato
  46. Temacapulín, Jalisco