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

UNESCO World Heritage Sites I’ve Visited

(alphabetically by country)

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

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