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, Turkey

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. 

Visit my personal blog

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. Turkey
  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
  56. Thailand
  57. Laos
  58. Cambodia
  59. Vietnam
  60. Spain
  61. Portugal
  62. Morocco
  63. India
  64. Bhutan
  65. Nepal
  66. Bulgaria
  67. Romania
  68. Tajikistan
  69. Uzbekistan
  70. Kazakhstan
  71. Kyrgyzstan

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. Boyana Church, Bulgaria
  23. Rila Monastery, Bulgaria
  24. Angkor, Cambodia
  25. Cambodian Memorial Sites: From centres of repression to places of peace and reflection
  26. Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, Canada
  27. Historic District of Old Québec, Canada
  28. Old Town Lunenburg, Canada
  29. Rapa Nui National Park, Chile
  30. Churches of Chiloé, Chile
  31. Cartagena, Colombia
  32. Coffee Culture Landscape of Colombia
  33. Historic Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian, Croatia
  34. Old City of Dubrovnik, Croatia
  35. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
  36. Historic City of Trogir, Croatia
  37. Old Havana and its Fortification System, Cuba
  38. Viñales Valley, Cuba
  39. Historic Center of Prague, Czechia
  40. Roskilde Cathedral, Denmark
  41. City of Quito, Ecuador
  42. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
  43. Historic Cairo, Egypt
  44. Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae, Egypt
  45. The Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, Egypt
  46. Historic Centre of Tallinn, Estonia
  47. Fortress of Suomenlinna, Finland
  48. Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay, France
  49. Paris, Banks of the Seine, France
  50. Canal du Midi, France
  51. Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne, France
  52. Gelati Monastery, Georgia
  53. Historical Monuments of Mtskheta, Georgia
  54. Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin, Germany
  55. Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin, Germany
  56. Neuschwanstein (The Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria), Germany
  57. Acropolis, Athens, Greece
  58. Meteora, Greece
  59. Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessalonika, Greece
  60. Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina), Greece
  61. Zagori Cultural Landscape, Greece
  62. Vatican City, Holy See
  63. Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue, Hungary
  64. Þingvellir National Park, Iceland
  65. Agra Fort, India
  66. Taj Mahal, India
  67. Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi, India
  68. The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, India
  69. Hill Forts of Rajasthan, India
  70. Jaipur City, Rajasthan, India
  71. Qutb Minar and its Monuments, India
  72. Historic Centre of Florence, Italy
  73. Venice and its Lagoon, Italy
  74. Historic Centre of San Gimignano, Italy
  75. Historic Centre of Siena, Italy
  76. Historic Centre of the City of Pienza, Italy
  77. Cinque Terre, Italy
  78. City of Verona, Italy
  79. Historic Centre of Rome, Italy
  80. Villa d’Este, Tivoli, Italy
  81. Petra, Jordan
  82. Wadi Rum Protected Area, Jordan
  83. City of Balasagun (Site of Burana) (Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor), Kyrgyzstan
  84. Town of Luang Prabang, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
  85. Historic Center of Mexico City, Mexico
  86. Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines, Mexico
  87. Historic Centre of Morelia, Mexico
  88. Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Albán, Mexico
  89. Historic Centre of Zacatecas, Mexico
  90. Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara, Mexico
  91. Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro, Mexico
  92. Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila, Mexico
  93. Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Mexico
  94. Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, Mexico
  95. Protective town of San Miguel, Mexico
  96. Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza, Mexico
  97. Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor, Montenegro
  98. Medina of Fez, Morocco
  99. Medina of Marrakesh, Morocco
  100. Historic City of Meknes. Morocco
  101. Archaeological Site of Volubilis, Morocco
  102. Medina of Tétouan, Morocco
  103. Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a Shared Heritage, Morocco
  104. Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
  105. Chitwan National Park, Nepal
  106. Seventeenth-Century Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht, Netherlands
  107. Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand
  108. Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region, North Macedonia
  109. Bryggen, Norway
  110. Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá
  111. City of Cuzco, Peru
  112. Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, Peru
  113. Historic Centre of Lima, Peru
  114. Historic Centre of Kraków, Poland
  115. Auschwitz Birkenau — German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940–1945), Poland
  116. Historic Centre of Warsaw, Poland
  117. Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork, Poland
  118. Medieval Town of Toruń, Poland
  119. Centennial Hall in Wrocław, Poland
  120. Convent of Christ in Tomar, Portugal
  121. Tower of Belém in Lisbon, Portugal
  122. Historic Centre of Évora, Portugal
  123. Cultural Landscape of Sintra, Portugal
  124. Historic Centre of Porto, Portugal
  125. Alto Douro Wine Region, Portugal
  126. Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zone, Portugal
  127. University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia, Portugal
  128. Historic Centre of Sighişoara, Romania
  129. Memorial sites of the Genocide: Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero, Rwanda
  130. Škocjan Caves, Slovenia
  131. The works of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana, Slovenia
  132. Cape Floral Region Protected Areas, South Africa
  133. Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada, Spain
  134. Historic Centre of Cordoba, Spain
  135. Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid, Spain
  136. Works of Antoni Gaudí, Spain
  137. Santiago de Compostela (Old Town), Spain
  138. Historic City of Toledo, Spain
  139. Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville, Spain
  140. Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida, Spain
  141. Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain
  142. La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia, Spain
  143. Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona, Spain
  144. Renaissance Monumental Ensemble of Úbeda, Spain
  145. Vizcaya Bridge, Spain
  146. Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences, Spain
  147. Royal Domain of Drottningholm, Sweden
  148. Agricultural Landscape of Southern Öland, Sweden
  149. Historic City of Ayutthaya, Thailand
  150. Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, Türkiye
  151. Historic Areas of Istanbul, Türkiye
  152. Hierapolis-Pamukkale, Türkiye
  153. Ephesus, Türkiye
  154. Blenheim Palace, United Kingdom
  155. Westminster Abbey, United Kingdom
  156. Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
  157. The Forth Bridge, United Kingdom
  158. Mesa Verde National Park, USA
  159. Yellowstone National Park, USA
  160. Everglades National Park, USA
  161. Grand Canyon National Park, USA
  162. Independence Hall, USA
  163. Mammoth Cave National Park, USA
  164. Olympic National Park, USA
  165. Statue of Liberty, USA
  166. Taos Pueblo, USA
  167. Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, USA
  168. Alamo (San Antonio Missions), USA
  169. The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, USA
  170. Samarkand — Crossroads of Culture, Uzbekistan
  171. Historic Centre of Bukhara, Uzbekistan
  172. Itchan Kala, Uzbekistan
  173. Ha Long Bay — Cat Ba Archipelago, Vietnam
  174. Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long — Hanoi, Vietnam
  175. 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
  91. ICN: Incheon
  92. BKK: Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok)
  93. KBV: Krabi (Thailand)
  94. DMK: Don Mueang (Bangkok)
  95. CNX: Chiang Mai
  96. CEI: Mae Fa Luang (Chiang Rai)
  97. LPQ: Luang Prabang
  98. VTE: Wattay (Vientiane)
  99. PNH: Phnom Penh
  100. SAI: Siem Reap Angkor
  101. SGN: Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City)
  102. HAN: Noi Bai (Hanoi)
  103. TPE: Taiwan Taoyuan
  104. MAD: Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas
  105. SVQ: Seville
  106. CMN: Casablanca Mohammed V
  107. VLC: Valencia
  108. MID: Mérida
  109. DEL: Indira Gandhi (Delhi)
  110. VNS: Lal Bahadur Shastri (Varanasi)
  111. PBH: Paro (Bhutan)
  112. KTM: Tribhuvan (Kathmandu)
  113. PHH: Pokhara (Nepal)
  114. BHR: Bharatpur (Nepal)
  115. ATQ: Sri Guru Ram Das Jee (Amritsar)
  116. DHM: Kangra (Dharamshala)
  117. SOF: Vasil Levski Sofia
  118. OTP: Bucharest Henri Coandă
  119. BUD: Budapest Ferenc Liszt
  120. DYU: Dushanbe
  121. NCU: Nukus
  122. TAS: Tashkent
  123. ALA: Almaty
  124. BSZ: Manas (Bishkek)

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
  15. Yucatán

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
  47. Izamal, Yucatán