Day trip to Harbour Island, Bahamas

This was definitely the highlight of our trip to the Bahamas. While in the Executive Lounge at the Hilton, one of the fellow guests mentioned their day trip to Harbour Island, which included a 'fast ferry' to the Island, golf cart rental and meal/drink vouchers. Hmmm, that could be fun.

So, we signed up for the day trip...despite the $200 per person price tag. Although, that did entitle us to passage on the fast ferry in the First Class upper cabin, which we had all to ourselves on the return trip.

After the 2 hour ferry ride, which included some amazing views along the way, we made a quick stop at the Spanish Wells, then continued on another 30 minutes to Harbour Island. Once on the island, we had a quick 'tour' of some local restaurants in our golf carts and then were on our own for the next 4 hours.

Harbour Island is filled with golf carts and only a few vehicles. The beaches are filled with lovely pink sands and flecks of pink coral are suspended in the surf as it crashes against the beaches.

I'd return to Harbour Island in a heartbeat. Here are a few pictures.

Cruise ship central - Nassau, Bahamas

Several months ago I found amazing airfare prices to Nassau, Bahamas (under $200 a person round trip). I quickly booked the flights and Hilton hotel for a week in November.


Generally, any beach location receives top marks from me. I'll pack my pre-loaded nook, a few magazines, the camera and sunscreen and I'm happy as a clam. I must be getting picky and now require a certain level of privacy. The Hilton British Colonial in Nassau is located near the cruise ship dock. While it is nice to watch the large floating cities pull in, it gets old. And, after the third, fourth, and fifth ship in port....you almost begin to send vibes that the darn things will go back to sea.


Given the proximity to the dock, quite a few cruisers try to infiltrate the Hilton's beach and it quickly goes from peaceful reading time under a palapa to screaming kids and 20 somethings smoking who knows what upwind from my lovely location. Um, yes, I despise everything smoke-related!


Aside from the hotel's location, the staff were quite friendly, especially the 6th floor housekeeping staff. On the day that the hotel water main broke, then was restored (but not our room), Donna quickly found another room for us to duck in and take a shower until maintenance was able to fix our water pressure.


Would I go back to Nassau? No, but I might head to one of the other Bahamian islands like Harbour Island or Eleuthra.


A few pictures from Nassau.

Atlantis on Paradise Island

The view from our room...yes 5, count them, 5 ships!

4E

Oh, how I love an upgrade. Economy extra is great for the long haul rides, but Business/First is soooo much better. And it always helps when one of the (male) flight attendants is extra nice and tries to get you drunk....um, Chuck was in Economy extra.....

The menu...

Snack - lomo, caperberry, sun-dried olive

Green leaf salad with balsamic vinegarette
First course - hot smoked salmon with lime cream
Main course options -
poached pike-perch, sauteed spinach, mushrooms, lobster sauce
yellow curry chicken, jasmine rice, sauteed vegetables
beef tournedos, broccoli and cauliflower gratin, mashed potato, thyme sauce
bulgur wheat, green beans, carrots, potatoes, spicy tomato sauce

Cheese - bornzola, yellow Kristian, fig compote

Dessert - forest berry tart, fruit salad

Buffet with coffee, espresso, cappuccino, tea, soft drinks, fresh fruit, sweets, snacks

Open sandwiches - Prawns with sauce verte & cured duck breast, balsamic cream, grilled artichoke heart

Dessert - Opera cake

On an 8.5 hour flight, with a considerable amount of turbulence, drinks of the alcoholic variety are always welcome. A little champagne, a Bloody Mary (or two) and some wine with dinner quickly put me at ease. Did you know that I'm a nervous flier?

Don't worry, Chuck was privy to some nice amenities in Economy extra, too.

Where has the time gone?

It is amazing how the doldrums of life get in the way of the adventures of travel. Living in Europe afforded us the opportunity to hop in the car and explore a new city on any given weekend. After moving back to the Midwest, most, if not all traveling involves an airplane...and the lovely Ryanair is nowhere to be found! Needless to say, our travels have slowed a bit, but I'm sure they will pick up again!

We've been on the road, in the air, on the rails, and on the water for the past two weeks, so I have some catching up to do.

Top 10 European Destinations

Europe is filled with amazing cities. There are varying opinions on the top 10 European destinations, but most include the big cities of London, Paris, Amsterdam and Barcelona. All of these cities are beautiful and have great things to offer travelers; however there are several cities that I love.

One of the attractions to the normal 'big cities' is that you can easily spend a week in the location because there is sooo much to do. However, in my opinion, it's much harder in the 'big cities' to find that (what we Americans call the) European feeling, that coziness, that deep connection to history. It's there, just a little harder to find.

Here is my top 10:

1. Munich, Germany - (Post 2) Have a beer in one of the many beer gardens, stroll through the marienplatz and escape the touristy stuff by heading to English Garden and lake (Englischer Garten).
   
2. Cinque Terre, Italy - Hike the miles and miles of trails, many of which you will have all to yourself! Pick one city as home base and explore the others by train, trails or the ferry. Manarola is my favorite! You will not find a McDonalds anywhere in CT, which is wonderful!



3. Madrid, Spain - Enjoy some vino at Plaza Mayor, visit Palacio Real, enjoy the museums on the Prado, then escape the touristy stuff by walking through Retiro Park and the botanical garden.


4. Florence, Italy - Where to start? The pedestrian central city lends itself to that deep connection with history. Stroll from il Duomo down the cobblestone pedestrian street to Piazza Signoria, stop in Uffizi, then over the Ponte Vecchio. Spend an afternoon walking through Palazzo Pitti, the Medici residence and the beautiful gardens.




5. Paris, France - Cliche? Perhaps. After having your fill of tourists at the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, Pompidou Center, take a bike ride through the Latin Quarter or stroll through Luxembourg Gardens. Find a quiet bench in the Tuileries.


6. London, England and surrounding area - You could easily spend a week in London. You could spend several weeks in London and still not visit all the usual tourist sites. After spending a day or two in the city, head out to the surrounding area...Oxford, Bath, Salisbury, the Cotswolds.


7. Lucerne, Switzerland - A respite from the hustle and bustle of Zurich, which is about 1 hour away. Walk along the river, cross the famous wooden bridge, shop, take a lake cruise, take the cogwheel train to Mt. Pilatus, zip past the swiss cows (complete with bells) on a summer tobogan, shop, chug along in the tourist train, oh, and did I mention...shop!






Strasbourg, France - two words...Petite France.





Berlin, Germany - After taking in the usual tourist sites and museums, walk from the Brandenburg Gate and through the Tiergarten. Do as the locals do, bring a frisbee, a picnic lunch and enjoy nature. Spend some time at Schloss Charlottenburg. Simply spectacular!


Budapest, Hungary - Have a beer at one of the many sidewalk cafes along the Danube. On the Pest side, make your way to Heroes Plaza and the surrounding park. On the Buda side, stroll through Castle Hill and the Royal Palace. Enjoy the views of Pest from Fisherman's Bastion, which are amazing at night.

There are oodles and oodles of wonderful cities in Europe. So, limiting my top 10 list to just 10 wasn't an easy task. My honorable mentions would be...Rome and Tuscany, Italy.

Northern Wisconsin

(from June 2009)


While visiting the US in June, my mom, sister and I took a driving tour through northern Wisconsin. Stops along the way were Minocqua, Ashland, Bayfield, and Cornucopia. The boys (dad and Kasey's husband Kelly) got to stay home and babysit Lincoln...Chuck got to stay in Denmark to work (and fund my travel addiction)....Jesse was in Chi-town working.

I had a list of things to do and see, based upon recommendations, TripAdvisor, and travel guides. Some of these folks should be out of business!!!

The Gourmet Garage was highly recommended on TripAdvisor. What a bust. I would skip it and advise that you skip it too. The Gourmet Garage is a small bakery in a transformed garage of a three-bedroom ranch single family home. The 'gourmet' part is truly a misnomer. As you walk through the door you are greeted by a wall of stainless steel sinks and racks...turn to the right and there is a small bakery display case. Behind the display case are racks and racks of 'stuff'. The place has so much potential and could be a cute little bakery, but instead it comes off as a garage that has barely passed the health inspector's review. Yuck! Oh, and once you walk in, you are under the watchful eye of a staff member, so the pressure is on to buy something, anything. We had Kasey's husband be the taste-tester of the apple turnover....verdict...no need to buy that again!

We rented a condo in Bayfield called the Ada O'Day condos through the Winfield Inn. We stayed in Unit 1, which was a huge 2 bedroom condo that was decorated very nicely and in a great location! I can only assume the other units looked just as nice and they were lucky enough to get a fabulous view of Lake Superior. Our unit, even though it was advertised as having a view, didn't.

We shopped quite a bit on the trip as there really wasn't much else to do. There was one cute little general store that had big barrels of salt water taffy. In a matter of 3 days, I think we visited the store no less than 5 times!

Some pictures from our trip.

I love the last part of the sign!

Bayfield Pier

Ashland coastline

Bayfield coastline

Bayfield

What's in my carry-on?

I travel quite a bit and I actually enjoy it. But, I enjoy it because I choose the destination and the time frame...no one is telling me when and where to go. It's a control thing, typical of being a "Type A" and a first-born.

Sitting in economy class (when I don't have enough miles to upgrade) is always a trying time for me. I get bored easily and being confined to a tin can for hours with sneezing, coughing, and snoring people is just a bit much to handle.

Here's what you can find in my carry-on to make the long flight a little more bearable.

• Vera Bradley Baby Bag (works great as a carry-on)


• Ziplock plastic bag with all my liquids (the freezer bags hold up better)


• Hempz hand lotion


• True Blue Lip Balm


• Toothbrush and toothpaste


• Makeup bag


• Empty water bottle to fill on the other side of security


• Gum


• Pill container with Aleve and motion sickness drugs


• Cris Notti sleep mask
• Anti-bacterial hand sanitizing spray


• Ipod


• Camera and extra batteries, misc. cords


• Book


• A few pages from my sudoku book


• Slippers


• A snack, usually dried cranberries and cashews or almonds


• Hard candy, in case I start coughing or someone around me is hacking away

Quick turnaround time

The US Embassy in Copenhagen ROCKS!

Empty pages in my passport book were pretty scarce and it was taking border control agents long and longer to flip through to find an open space for the entry/exit stamp. And, as they flipped, they would look...ooooooh, a Danish visa....what's this a China visa.

So, it was time to figure out how to add pages to my book.

I sent my passport in on Monday, August 3. I had my passport back, in my hands, on Friday, August 7. Seriously. Five, count them, five days including travel time.

Let the trip-booking begin!

Updated--Places to See Before you Die

We officially hit the 100-mark (in Europe) on the Places to see before you die and we aren't even half-way through with our summer holiday.

So excited to add another trip to the list....

drum roll, please.......Beijing, China (photos borrowed from stock pictures on the internet)

I cannot believe it. Actually, it's hard to contain my excitement. Chuck will be working and I'll be a tourist. Lots of things to get done before we go; the most important one...a visit to the Chinese Embassy in Copenhagen to get our visas.

Number of Countries Visited

1. United States
2. Mexico
3. Bahamas
4. Grand Cayman
5. US Virgin Islands
6. British Virgin Islands
7. Dominican Republic
8. Denmark
9. Germany
10. Netherlands
11. Belgium
12. Switzerland
13. Czech Republic
14. Austria
15. Poland
16. Greece
17. England
18. Slovania (Chuck reminded me that his work trip to Slovania should be on the list...W)
19. China
20. Italy
21. France
22. Sweden
23. Spain
24. Hungary
25. Scotland
26. Ireland
27. Canada (Holly's solo trip)
28. Norway
29. Argentina (Chuck's solo trip)
30. Barbados

World Travel - Places to See Before You Die

When the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A traveler's life list by Patricia Schultz came out in 2003, I picked up a copy. I wanted to see what places in the world were 'must-see' locations on our travels. Granted, not all 1,000 places appeal to us, so we'll never make it to all of them. However, here's our progress so far.

I've also added a few (designated by ***) to the list that should definitely be a 'must-see' but were not included is Ms. Schultz's book.

I'll update the list as we continue our travels.

USA and Canada

1. Mt. McKinley Denali National Park, Alaska (5/1988...from a distance)
2. Kenai Peninsula, Alaska (5/1988)
3. ***Zephyr Train ride in Stillwater, Minnesota (10/2000)
4. Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, California (9/2006)
5. Cable Cars in San Francisco, California (9/2005, 7/2010)
6. Wine Country in California (4/2008, 7/2010)
7. Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, Colorado (5/1999)
8. Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida (12/2003)
9. Sanibel and Captiva Islands in Florida (4/1998)
10. The Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada (9/2005)
11. New York City, New York (4/2007)
12. Museums in New York City, New York (4/2007)
13. Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington (5/2007)
14. National Mall in Washington, DC (3/2007)
15. Smithsonian in Washington, DC (3/2007)
16. River Walk in San Antonio, Texas (9/2006)
17. Apostle Island, Wisconsin (6/2009)
18. ***Door County, Wisconsin (5/2010)
19. ***Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri (5/2007)
20. Monterey Peninsula in California (7/2010)
21. Pacific Coast Highway in California (7/2010)
22. ***Walking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California (7/2010)
23. ***Lunching at the Hog's Breath restaurant in Carmel by the sea (7/2010)
24. ***Driving the 17 mile scenic road in Monterey Peninsula, California (7/2010)
25. Niagara Falls, Canada (7/2010)
26. ***CN Tower in Toronto, Canada (7/2010)
27. Pennsylvania Dutch Country in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (5/2011)
28. Freedom Trail in Boston, Massachusetts (7/2011)
29. Cape Cod National Seashore (7/2011)
30. Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts (7/2011)
31. Plymouth, Massachusetts (7/2011)
32. Cliff walk in Newport, Rhode Island (7/2011)
33. Grand Canyon in Arizona (9/2011)
34. Red Rock Canyon in Sedona, Arizona (9/2011)
35. ***Verde Valley Train Ride near Sedona, Arizona (9/2011)
36. Mesa Verde in Cortez, Colorado (9/2011)
37. Monument Valley in Utah (9/2011)
38. Route 66 in New Mexico and Arizona (9/2011)
39. ***Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas (4/2012)
40. French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana (4/2012)
41. Restaurants (po' boys, muffulettas, jambalaya, gumbo, pralines, pecan pie, red beans and rice) in New Orleans, Louisiana (4/2012)
42. New Orleans Jazz in New Orleans, Louisiana (4/2012)
43. Preservation Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana (4/2012)
44. ***Cooking class in New Orleans, Louisiana (4/2012)
45. Memphis Rib Joints in Memphis, Tennessee (5/2012)
46. Natchez Trail, Mississippi (5/2012)
47. Outer Banks, North Carolina (9/2012)
48. Stowe, VT (9/2012)
49. Woodstock, Vermont (9/2012)
50. Lava beaches, Waipio Valley, Mauna Kea, Kona coffee region, Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii (11/2012)
51. Road to Hana, Hookipa Beach, Kapalua, Wailea, Lahaina on Maui, Hawaii (11/2012)
52. ***Sunrise and Biking down Haleakala on Maui, Hawaii (11/2012)
53. Honolulu, Waikiki, North Shore, Pearl Harbor, Kailua on Oahu, Hawaii (11/2012)
54. ***Learning to surf on Oahu, Hawaii (11/2012)
55. South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida (5/2013)
56. Villa Vizcaya in Miami, Florida (5/2013)
57. Key West, Florida (5/2013)
58. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio (6/2013)
59. ***Cherry Blossoms in Washington, D.C. (4/2014)
60. Kentucky Derby museum in Louisville, Kentucky (4/2014)
61. ***Louisville Slugger museum in Louisville, Kentucky (4/2014)

Europe

1. Belvedere Palace in Vienna, Austria (7/2008)
2. Stephansdom in Vienna, Austria (7/2008)
3. Imperial Hapsburg Palace in Vienna, Austria (7/2008)
4. ***Oldest operational salt mine in Hallstatt, Austria (7/2008)
5. ***Salzburg, Austria (7/2008)
6. La Grand Place (Grote Markt) in Brussels, Belgium (10/2008)
7. Brugges, Belgium (10/2013)
8. Castle District in Prague, Czech Republic (7/2008)
9. Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic (7/2008)
10. Old town square in Prague, Czech Republic (7/2008)
11. Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark (5/2007)
12. ***Driving the many bridges in Denmark: Great Belt and Oresund (4/2009, 8/2010)
13. Kronborg Slot in Helsingborg, Denmark (4/2009)
14. ***Fredriksborg Slot in Hillerod, Denmark (4/2009)
15. Egeskov Slot on the island of Funen in Denmark (10/2009)
16. Buckingham Palace in London, England (3/2009)
17. St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England (3/2009, 8/2009, 12/2009)
18. Tate Gallery in London, England (3/2009)
19. Tower of London in London, England (3/2009, 12/2009)
20. ***Champagne Flight on the London Eye in London, England (3/2009)
21. ***Tower Bridge in London, England (3/2009)
22. Hyde Park /Kensington Gardens in London, England (5/2009)
23. Oxford University in Oxford, England (5/2009)
24. Bath in Somerset, England (5/2009)
25. Salisbury Cathedral in Salisbury, England (5/2009)
26. Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England (5/2009)
27. The Cotswolds near London, England (8/2009)
28. Westminster Abby in London, England (8/2009)
29. Shopping at Fortnum & Mason, Portobello Market in Notting Hill, Harrods, Liberty in London, England (8/2009)
30. Windsor Castle in Windsor, England (12/2009)
31. Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France (5/2009)
32. Pompidou Center in Paris, France (5/2009)
33. Eiffel Tower in Paris, France (5/2009)
34. Notre Dame in Paris, France (5/2009)
35. Ile St. Louis in Paris, France (5/2009)
36. ***eating ice cream at Berthillon in Paris, France (5/2009)
37. Tuileries Gardens in Paris, France (5/2009)
38. ***Hot chocolate at Angelina's cafe in Paris, France (5/2009)
39. ***leisurely bike tour around Paris in Paris, France (5/2009)
40. Chateau and gardens at Versailles in Paris (5/2009)
41. Cathedral Notre Dame in Strasbourg, France (7/2009)
42. ***Petite France in Strasbourg, France (7/2009)
43. Champagne region of Reims, France (10/2013)
44. Mont St. Michel, France (10/2013)
45. Normandy D-Day beaches, France (10/2013)
46. Lubeck, Germany (5/2008, 12/2009)
47. Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany (5/2008, 9/2010)
48. Museums in Berlin, Germany (5/2008, 9/2010)
49. ***Fernsehturm (television tower) in Berlin, Germany (5/2008)
50. ***Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin, Germany (5/2008, 9/2010)
51. Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany (7/2008)
52. Baden-Baden, Germany (7/2008)
53. ***Munich's 850th Birthday party in Munich, Germany (7/2008)
54. Rhine Valley, Germany (7/2008)
55. The Zwinger in Dresden, Germany (12/2008)
56. ***Kaiserburg in Nuremberg, Germany (7/2009)
57. ***German National Museum in Nuremberg, Germany (7/2009)
58. ***Rathus in Hamburg, Germany (1/2010, 8/2010)
59. ***Stade, Germany (8/2010)
60. ***East Side Gallery in Berlin, Germany (8/2010)
61. ***Roemer in Frankfurt, Germany (7/2009)
62. ***Museum street in Frankfurt, Germany (7/2009)
63. German Christmas Markets (Lubeck, Dresden, Flensburg, Bremen) (12/2008 and 2009)
64. The Acropolis in Athens, Greece (12/2008)
65. National Archeology Museum in Athens, Greece (12/2008)
66. ***Ringing in the New Year w/ fireworks over the Parthenon in Athens, Greece (1/2009)
67. ***Temple of Poseidon in Cape Sounion, Greece (12/2008)
68. Castle Hill in Budapest, Hungary (9/2009)
69. The Danube (and the Chain Bridge) in Budapest, Hungary (9/2009)
70. The book of Kells at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland (12/2009)
71. The pubs of Dublin, Ireland (12/2009)
72. Galway, Ireland (12/2009)
73. ***The burren in western Ireland (12/2009)
74. ***Malahide and Dublin Castles in greater Dublin, Ireland (12/2009)
75. ***Cliffs of Moher in western Ireland (12/2009)
76. Capri, Italy (4/2009)
77. ***Boating around the Island of Capri (4/2009)
78. ***Taking a single chairlift to the top of the Island of Capri in Anacapri, Italy (4/2009)
79. Pompeii, Italy (4/2009)
80. Amalfi Coast, Italy (4/2009)
81. Positano, Italy (4/2009)
82. Sorrento, Italy (4/2009)
83. Borghese Gallery in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
84. Coliseum in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
85. Piazza Campidoglioi n Rome, Italy (4/2009)
86. Capitoline Museum in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
87. Pantheon in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
88. Roman Forum in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
89. Spanish Steps in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
90. Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
91. Vatican City in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
92. Market at Campo dei Fiori in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
93. Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
94. Shopping on Via Condotti in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
95. ***Attending the Papal Address at St. Peter's Basilica (4/2009)
96. Sistine Chapel in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
97. Church of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
98. Church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
99. Galleria Dell ’Accademia in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
100. Il Duomo in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
101. Medici Chapels in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
102. Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
103. Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
104. Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
105. Il Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
106. Mercato San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
107. Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
108. Quadrilateral in Bologna, Italy (7/2009)
109. Church of the Friars in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
110. Church of St. John and St. Paul in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
111. Doge’s Palace in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
112. Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
113. Basilica di San Marco in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
114. Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
115. Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
116. ***Water taxi through the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
117. ***Francois Pinnoult musuems in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
118. ***Glass factories on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
119. Cinque Terre, Italy (7/2009)
120. Bellagio, Italy (7/2009)
121. Chianti and San Gimignano, Italy (7/2009)
122. ***Cooking class (Castello di Oliveto) in Tuscany, Italy (7/2009)
123. Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy (7/2009)
124. Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, Netherlands (4/2008, 12/2009)
125. Canal Cruises and Tulips in Netherlands (4/2008, 12/2009)
126. ***Keukenhof Gardens in Netherlands (4/2008)
127. Oude Kerk Church in Amsterdam, Netherlands (4/2008)
128. Red Light District in Amsterdam, Netherlands (4/2008)
129. Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands (4/2008)
130. ***Zaanse-schans in Zaandam, Netherlands (12/2009)
131. Bergen and Troldhaugen in Norway (9/2010)
132. ***Norway in a Nutshell (Flåm Railway, the Aurlandsfjord, Nærøyfjord, Stalheimskleiva) near Bergen, Norway (9/2010)
133. Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland (11/2009)
134. La Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona, Spain (9/2009)
135. Museu Picasso in Barcelona, Spain (9/2009)
136. ***Montserrat Monestary near Barcelona, Spain (9/2009)
137. Palacio Real in Madrid, Spain (9/2009)
138. The Prado in Madrid, Spain (9/2009)
139. Thyssen-Bonemisza Museum in Madrid, Spain (9/2009)
140. Plaza Mayor in Madrid, Spain (9/2009)
141. ***Ale's Stenar in Ystad, Sweden (4/2009)
142. ***Glimminghus in Sweden (4/2009)
143. Lucerne, Switzerland (7/2008)
144. ***Mt. Pilatus in Lucerne, Switzerland (7/2008)
145. Jungfrau near Interlaken, Switzerland (7/2008)

Mexico, Central America, South America

1. Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos, Mexico (11/2007)
2. Whale Watching in Los Cabos, Mexico (3/1994)
3. Acapulco Bay in Mexico (11/1993)
4. Taxco, Mexico (11/1993)
5. Teoteihuacan and National Museums in Mexico City, Mexico (10/1993)
6. ***Tenochtitlan near Mexico City, Mexico (10/1993)
7. Las Mananitas in Cuernavaca, Mexico (9/1993)
8. Chichen Itza in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (4/1991, 5/2000, 4/2004)
9. El Dia de los muertos celebrated in Mexico (11/1993)
10. ***Uxmal in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (4/1991)

Caribbean

1. Old San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico (12/2001)
2. Buck Island in St. Croix, USVI (12/2001)
3. Caneel Bay in St. John, USVI (9/2007)
4. Reef Trail in Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI (9/2007)
5. Magens Bay in St. Thomas, USVI (5/2006, 9/2007)
6. ***Stingray City in Grand Cayman Island (8/1996)
7. Pink sand beaches of Harbour Island, Bahamas (11/2010)
8. Barbados (3/2011)

Asia

1. Classic restaurants in Beijing, China (4/2009)
2. Forbidden City in Beijing, China (4/2009)
3. Climbing the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall (4/2009)
4. Walking through the Hutongs of Beijing, China (4/2009)
5. ***Bargaining for goods at Silk Street, Tea Street, Yaxiu Market, and Pearl Market in Beijing, China (4/2009)