The mountains just north of Lisbon abound with the fantastical architectural gems of Sintra. We took a day trip experience them. There were two main places I wanted to see, Pena Palace and La Quinta da Regaliera, but we got … Continued
I really wanted to see wildlife while in Mongolia. I finally got to see some at Hustai National Park. Thanks to my friends at New Milestone Tours I got to see some spectacular wildlife. One encounter made up for the … Continued
One Week in the Gobi Desert One does not have a truly Mongolian experience without getting out of the city. Thankfully, I had several opportunities to enjoy the beautiful, natural countryside of the steppe. In addition to a few day … Continued
Much of the wild land in and around Cape Town, South Africa, is part of Table Mountain National Park. This includes the stretch of nature down to the tips of land known as the Cape of Good Hope and Cape … Continued
Cape Town is a beautiful city! It is where the South Africans go for vacation, and was a joy to explore. As my final stop in South Africa, it was an exclamation point! My hotel was in Green Point, so … Continued
After hiking down Tianzi Mountain in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, we still had some evening hours left, so we went to Huanglong Cave (Yellow Dragon Cave). This cave system is part of the UNESCO World Heritage designation and is very … Continued
Our second day in Zhangjiajie took us back up the mountain to do some more hiking around the Yuanjiajie Scenic Zone and the Tianzi Mountain Scenic Zone. Both were recommendations from our hotel. Tianbo Mansion Tianbo Mansion is a set … Continued
Yuanjiajie, our next destination within the park, and final for the day, is probably the most popular and crowded section of the park. Hordes of bus tours crowded the trails squawking and barking and littering their way through. There were … Continued
Slender stone columns reach out of canyons lush with forest transporting visitors to an otherworldly natural wonderland. It inspires the mind to think of alien landscapes from science fiction or the ethereal and mystical images from traditional Chinese ink paintings. … Continued
Ephesus is magnificent! This ancient city was one of the most important cities in the ancient world, and one of its largest. Ephesus was a major sea port and home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It … Continued