Many years ago, I was a backpacker and traveled the typical routes that the Lonely Planet guide suggested. Most of the backpackers I met on the road also traveled with a Lonely Planet book (this was WAY before the internet even existed). We often asked each other “What would Tony recommend?” referring to Tony Wheeler, […]
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European Airline Customer Service – a Chicken vs Egg Thing?

This is a tale of three airlines with three different airline customer service nightmares: delays, cancellations, and missed connections. One occurred in the US while the other two happened in Europe. Looking back on each situation it makes me wonder which came first – horrible European airline customer service or extremely low expectations by European […]
My Top 10 Most Influential Travel Bloggers in the World List

I saw a blog post the other day, a very extensive and detailed list naming the top ONE THOUSAND travel bloggers in the world. The list was broken down into categories: solo female travelers, couples, families, etc. And despite my thorough search through each list, I couldn’t find my name anywhere. Maybe next year they’ll […]
Time to Escape the Threat of “The Donald”? Here’s how…

I recently read an article on CNN.com regarding the potential Vice Presidential candidates who may be asked to run on a Trump ticket. Most don’t want it. Some have even responded with a “Hahahahahahaha!”. Now that Ted Cruz and John Kasich have both dropped out, it looks like it’ll be The Donald vs Hillary. And […]
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Favorite Travel Quotes of an Aging Backpacker

It’s a beautiful, sunny afternoon in Chiang Mai and I’m sitting in a quirky café, snacking on a rubbery banana pancake and a monster sized iced latte. It’s a perfect spot for people-watching, my favorite spectator sport while traveling. I’ve just finished another cheap pedicure, indulging in more selfish pampering while in Thailand, and I […]
Top 8 Chick-Flick Travel Movies to Inspire You

I’ve loved the magic of movies ever since I was a child and Great Aunt Helen took me to see “The Sound of Music”. Back then, I was drawn to the singing Von Trapp kids, totally missing the point of the Nazi story but still very entertained. I’ve seen it probably hundreds of time since […]