Buzz's Travel History

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2015 - My First Trips 🇨🇦

September, 2015 🇨🇦

My first solo international trip took me to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for a long weekend.

October, 2015 🇨🇦

After having so much fun in Vancouver, BC, I quickly went back to British Columbia to visit the provincial capital of Victoria

November, 2015 🇨🇦

I was now feeling comfortable traveling by myself, so I decided to visit Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  This trip was my first experience in a foreign country (or part of a foreign country) where English was not the main spoken language.

Capilano Suspension Bridge
Capilano Suspension Bridge - Vancouver, BC, Canada

2016 - Leaving North America 🇺🇸 🇸🇪 🇫🇷 🇨🇱 🇵🇷

February, 2016 🇺🇸

My longest flight is a 6-hour journey from LAX to Honolulu, Hawaii.  This trip also marked the first time I’ve left the Continental 48.

April, 2016 🇸🇪 🇫🇷

After four trips, I leave North America for the first time visiting Stockholm, Sweden, and Paris, France.  Highlights include a walking tour of Stockholm, a visit to the Vasa Museum, Drottningholm Palace, the Eiffel Tower, a pre-fire visit to Notre Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, Sacré-Cœur, the Arc de Triomphe, getting lost in the Louvre, and a day trip to Versailles.  

August, 2016 🇨🇱

My first visit to South America took me to the beautiful country of Chile.  After spending 48 hours in the capital city of Santiago, I spent a few days in the resort towns of Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar.  The highlight of my trip was touring the Atacama Desert from the town of San Pedro de Atacama. My tours included the Piedras Rojas/Lagunas Altiplanicas, Valle de la Muerte, and Chaxa Lagoon.

October, 2016 🇵🇷

A quick trip to the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico took me to Old San Juan, El Morro Fort, San Cristobal Fort, and El Yunque National Forest.

The Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles near Paris, France
Piedras Rojas - Atacama Desert, Chile
Piedras Rojas - Atacama Desert, Chile

2017 - Back to Europe Twice 🇳🇱 🇮🇹 🇻🇦🇮🇸 🇪🇸 🇦🇩 🇬🇧

March, 2017 🇳🇱 🇮🇹🇻🇦

After enjoying my first visit to Europe, I find an incredible deal on a flight to Amsterdam.  I spend a few days in Amsterdam walking the canals, visiting the Museum Quarter, and even seeing a special state visit from the President of Argentina at the Royal Palace.

From Amsterdam, it was a quick flight to Rome. The Roman portion of this trip included visits to the Roman Colosseum, Ostia Antica, and the Vatican City.

August, 2017 🇮🇸 🇪🇸 🇦🇩 🇬🇧

This trip was my longest trip to date; another European trip that visited four countries. My third visit to Europe began with a flight to Iceland. Before heading to my hotel, I stopped off at the Blue Lagoon. Once settled in Reykjavik, I enjoyed touring the Golden Circle and the South Coast Waterfalls with a glacier climb. During the time between tours, I climbed to the observation deck of the Hallgrímskirkja Church.

After a few days in Iceland, I traveled to Barcelona, Spain, where I enjoyed a sightseeing cruise of Barcelona’s Mediterranean Coast, the Sagrada Familia BasilicaPlaca d’Espanya, and a tour of FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou Stadium.

From Barcelona, I traveled to the tiny nation of Andorra, which is a tax haven for shopping

After a bus ride back to Barcelona, I flew to London to visit my second-cousin and take in the sights of the British capital city. Highlights included: a self-guided walking tour, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, a quick visit to the British Museum, a song service at Westminster Abbey, and taking some beautiful photographs from the top of the Shard.

Approaching the Skógafoss Waterfall
Iceland's Skógafoss Waterfall
Walking Across the Tower Bridge
Walking Across the Tower Bridge in London

2018 - Visiting Asia for the First Time 🇳🇴 🇫🇮 🇭🇰 🇹🇼 🇯🇵 🇭🇷

March 2018 🇳🇴 🇫🇮

My first time being above the Arctic Circle took me to the beautiful city of Tromsø, Norway. In Tromsø, I saw the Northern Lights for the first time in my life, although the first night was a failed Northern Lights chase that took us all the way to Finland. Other highlights included: riding the Fjellheisen Cable Car, taking a tour of the fjords, walking across the Tromsø Bridge, and photographing the Arctic Cathedral.

August 2018 🇭🇰 🇹🇼 🇯🇵

This trip was my first trip to Asia and included my longest flight, a non-stop flight from Dallas to Hong Kong. I was only in Hong Kong for a few hours to transfer flights, with Taipei, Taiwan being my first destination.

In Taipei, I visited the Longshan and Qingshan Temples, Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Park and Hall, 2-28 Memorial Peace Park, and went to the top of Taipei 101, which was once the world’s tallest building. In addition to spending time in Taipei, I took a day trip to Hualien to visit Taroko Gorge National Park.

After a few days in Taiwan, I flew to Tokyo to begin the Japan portion of this trip. I used the JR Rail Pass to get around, splitting time between Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima.

In Tokyo, I visited the Odaiba Area, went to the top of the Tokyo Skytree, and visited the Sensoji Temple. I also had a disastrous day attempting to visit Hakone. Due to a severe storm, I wasn’t able to see Mt. Fuji or ride on the cable car or ropeway.

In Kyoto, I stayed in the Arashiyama area and visited the Iwatayama Monkey Park while making day trips to the Kinkakuji Temple, Sanjūsangen-dō Temple, and Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine.
Finally, I traveled to Hiroshima, where I visited the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Park, as well as spending a day on Miyajima Island.

December 2018 🇭🇷

I decided to visit Croatia, which is a country I have heard wonderful things about. To get around Croatia, I mostly flew domestically due to only having a week of total travel time.

My first stop was Dubrovnik, where I visited Old Town Dubrovnik, walked the City Walls, and rode the Dubrovnik Cable Car to the top of Mt. Srd.

From Dubrovnik, I went to Split and had my best hotel experience. I also enjoyed walking around Split taking in the historic buildings.

Finally, I flew to Zagreb, where I took a day trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park before ringing in 2019 in Zagreb.

A Fjord Near Tromsø, Norway
A Fjord Near Tromsø, Norway
Kinkakuji Temple
Kinkakuji Temple in Kyoto, Japan
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Croatia's Plitvice Lakes National Park

2019 - To the "Land Down Under" 🇸🇪 🇫🇷 🇲🇨 🇮🇹 🇩🇰 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 🇺🇸 🇲🇽 🇦🇷 🇧🇷

March 2019 🇸🇪 🇫🇷 🇲🇨 🇮🇹 🇩🇰

This trip began with my first time in lie-flat business on a flight from Chicago O’Hare to Stockholm. Once in Stockholm, I connected to spend some time in Nice, France.

From Nice, I took a day trip to the tiny country of Monaco before flying to Venice, Italy. I was amazed by the transportation options in Venice and enjoyed visiting the La Fenice Opera House and walking around Piazza San Marco.

On the way home, I took advantage of a long layover in Copenhagen, Denmark, which provided me with almost eight hours to see the city.

August 2019 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 🇺🇸

This trip was my longest to date, having spent almost three weeks in Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.

After close to 15 hours on a Virgin Australia flight, I landed in beautiful Sydney, where I had a wonderful view of Sydney Harbour from my hotel room. Other highlights in Sydney included: the Darling Harbour area, taking the public water transportation, Bondi Beach, and a trip to the Featherdale Wildlife Park.

The next stop on my Australia trip was the town of Alice Springs, where I toured the West MacDonnell Range and took a marathon day tour to Uluru/Kata Tjuta National Park.

My final days in Australia were spent in Melbourne, where I took a tour of the Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island.

From Australia, I flew Air New Zealand to Queenstown, where I had planned on touring the Milford Sound. Unfortunately, I felt sick and had to postpone the tour, which was then canceled the next day due to poor weather. My room in Queenstown was upgraded by Hilton so I had a great view while I recovered from being under the weather.

Before leaving New Zealand, I spent a day in Auckland, where I enjoyed staying at the Sky City Hotel.

On the way home from New Zealand, I stopped in Hawaii and spent three days on the Island of Kauai. It was a relaxing trip, and I definitely needed a vacation from my vacation.

December 2019 🇲🇽 🇦🇷 🇧🇷

My final trip before the COVID-19 Pandemic took me to South America. After flying from Chicago to Mexico City, I enjoyed a great flight on AeroMexico from Mexico City to Buenos Aires.

I spent Christmas Day in Buenos Aires and felt like I had the entire city to myself. After the holiday was over, I spent a few days seeing the main sights that Buenos Aires had to offer.

From Buenos Aires, I flew to Puerto Iguazú and spent a full day touring the Argentinian side of Iguazú Falls. 

The next day I took a tour across the border to the Brazilian Side of Iguacu Falls. On the way, we stopped at a wonderful bird sanctuary where I saw my first toucan.

A Mega Yacht in Monaco's Port Hercule
A Mega Yacht in Monaco's Port Hercule
Sydney Harbour at Night
Sydney Harbour at Night
Uluru - Northern Territory, Australia
Uluru - Northern Territory, Australia
Salto Garganta de Diablo (Devil's Throat Waterfall) - Iguazú Falls
Salto Garganta de Diablo (Devil's Throat Waterfall) - Iguazú Falls

2020 - The COVID Pandemic Begins 🇺🇸 🇲🇽

March, 2020 ❌

Due to COVID-19, I canceled my trip to Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. I am a teacher, and my students switch to full time distance learning for the remainder of the year.

August, 2020 ❌ 🇺🇸

Due to COVID-19, I postpone my trip to Panama and Costa Rica until 2021. Instead, I stayed in the United States and took a trip to Yellowstone National Park. This was my first trip since the COVID-19 Pandemic began, and I was joined by my brother and his family. We had a great time seeing all the sights that Yellowstone National Park had to offer.

December, 2020 🇲🇽

My first time leaving the country since the COVID-19 Pandemic began took me to the Cancun area of Mexico. After spending a few nights in Cancun’s Hotel Zone, I traveled to Isla Mujeres, where I spent two days seeing the sights of this beautiful tropical island. 

After traveling back to Cancun, I took day trips to Tulum and Chichén Itzá. It was amazing to see these places without the crowds due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Before heading back to Cancun, I swam in a sacred Cenote to cool off.

On the way home, I was able to secure a flight on an American Airlines 787 with a lie-flat business class. This flight was my second time in lie-flat business class.

Hard to Social Distance While Viewing
Doing our Best to Socially Distance Near Yellowstone's Grand Prismatic Spring
This Side of the Temple of Kukulkan Has Not Been Restored or Renovated
Temple of Kukulcan at Chichén Itzá

2021 - Year Two of the COVID-19 Pandemic 🇺🇸 🇵🇦 🇨🇷 🇲🇽

March, 2021 🇺🇸

With the COVID-19 Pandemic still wreaking havoc on international travel, I chose to stay home and visit a few of the states that I hadn’t been to. My trip took me to the Gulf of Mexico and the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Highlights included a tour of the Honey Island Swamp, Vicksburg Military Park, Alligator Alley, and watching the sunset on Dauphin Island.

August, 2021 🇵🇦 🇨🇷

This trip took me to Panama and Costa Rica, which was based on my canceled trip in the summer of 2020. I flew to Panama first and enjoyed taking a Panama City Tour as well as a tour of Monkey Island.

I then flew on Copa Airlines from Panama City to San Jose, where I spent a night at an airport hotel before flying SANSA Airlines domestically to La Fortuna.

In La Fortuna, I took a marathon tour of the Mistico Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, and Arenal Volcano. The next day, I traveled across Lake Arenal to Monteverde, where I stayed in a wonderful cabin. Although it rained the entire time I was in Monteverde, I was able to enjoy a visit to the Monteverde Cloud Preserve and the Skywalk Hanging Bridges and Sky Tram.

The final part of my Costa Rica trip took me to Manuel Antonio, where I once again had beautiful accommodations in my own personal cabin. I enjoyed a full day at Manuel Antonio National Park.

October, 2021 🇺🇸

I decided to cross another state off my list with a trip to Alaska. After flying into Anchorage, I stopped at Beluga Point on my way to the Portage Glacier. After spending a few nights in Seward and touring the Kenai Peninsula, I finished my trip with a visit to Denali.

December, 2021 🇲🇽

I was set to take a trip to Colombia when the Omicron Variant caused a cancelation of my trip.

Instead, I decided to go to Mexico, where I toured the Mayan Ruins of Palenque and then swam in the Misol Ha Waterfall. 

The highlight of this trip was summiting the Chichonal Volcano and then climbing down into the crater. This climb was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

I also reviewed two Mexican airlines, Viva Aerobus and Aeromar Airlines.

Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges
Místico Hanging Bridges - La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Sloth in the Tree at Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park
A Sloth - Photographed in La Fortuna, Costa Rica
A Close-Up of Denali from the South Viewpoint
A Close-Up of Denali from the South Viewpoint
An Amazing View from the Summit of the Chichonal Volcano
An Amazing View from the Summit of the Chichonal Volcano

2022 - Returning to Normal Travel Conditions 🇵🇪 🇨🇦 🇨🇭 🇱🇮 🇲🇦 🇹🇷 🇰🇪 🇹🇿 🇪🇬 🇵🇱

March, 2022 🇵🇪

I was finally starting to feel like travel was returning to its pre-pandemic levels. This trip took me to Peru, where I set up my base in the city of Cusco. After spending some time acclimating to the altitude, I did a two-day tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas and Machu Picchu.

There was one disappointment, as Rainbow Mountain was closed due to a protest. I ended up visiting Palccoyo, which was beautiful but not quite the same as Rainbow Mountain.

On the way back to Cusco, I had a chance to review Sky Airline, a South American low-cost carrier.

June, 2022 🇨🇦

With travel restrictions lifted on entry into Canada, I decided it was time for another trip to our neighbors to the north. This trip began at Niagara Falls, where I recreated a trip from my childhood.

From Niagara Falls, I drove to Toronto and immediately went to the top of the CN Tower. The next day, I took a day trip to Toronto Island and then photographed Graffiti Alley.

After two days in Toronto, I drove to Ottawa for the final portion of my trip. It was fun to walk around the Canadian Capital and look at the parliament and the other Canadian Government buildings.

August, 2022 🇨🇭 🇱🇮

Travel restrictions were completely lifted for Switzerland about a month before my August 2022 trip. After flying into Zurich, I used my 8-Day Swiss Rail Pass to travel all over the country.

My first base was in Interlaken, where I hiked the mountains near Schynige Platte. The next day, I traveled to Jungfraujoch but couldn’t see much due to the clouds and fog.

It continued to rain, and I spent much of day three in my rental apartment but did manage to take a day trip to Lucerne. The weather finally cleared, and before I left Interlaken, I was able to go to the observation deck at Harder Kulm.

My next base would be Geneva, Switzerland’s French city. On the way to Geneva, I had to switch trains in Bern, and I spent a few hours walking around Bern’s Old Town. Once I arrived in Geneva, I went on a self-guided walking tour and took a sightseeing cruise on Lake Geneva.

After leaving Geneva, I traveled to the tiny town of Randa, where I hiked to the Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge. This hike was one of the hardest hikes I’ve ever done.

My final stop was in the town of Bad Ragaz, where I took the bus to Liechtenstein and walked around the capital city of Vaduz. On the way back to Switzerland, I decided to walk across the Old Rhine Bridge.

My final day in Switzerland was spent walking around Zurich before flying back home via Stockholm on SAS Airlines.

October, 2022 🇨🇦

Vancouver was the first place that I traveled to as a solo traveler, and I decided it would be fun to repeat this trip almost seven years later. After flying from Minneapolis to Toronto, I flew on an Air Canada 777-300 from Toronto to Vancouver.

The first thing I did in Vancouver was to walk along the Vancouver Seawall from Canada Place to Stanley Park. After visiting Stanley Park, I went to the Vancouver Lookout at the top of the Harbour Centre Building to get a great view of the Greater Vancouver Area.

The next two days were spent with day trips to the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Steveston, British Columbia, for a whale-watching tour. I found the whale-watching tour quite successful as it was the first time in my life that I saw a whale in the wild.

December, 2022 🇲🇦 🇹🇷 🇰🇪 🇹🇿 🇪🇬 🇵🇱

In December of 2022, I took my first trip to the African Continent. After completing my trip to Africa, I have now visited every continent except Antarctica. To get to Africa, I flew from Washington Dulles to Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc. 

I spent a few days in Casablanca to help acclimate myself to the new time zone. In addition to resting for a day, I took a tour of the City of Casablanca and enjoyed a visit to the Hassan II Mosque.

After spending three days in Casablanca, I took the train from Casablanca Voyagers Station to Marrakech. Once in Marrakech, I spent a full day walking around the Medina of Marrakech. The next day, I got up early and set off for a three-day tour of the Sahara Desert

The first day of my Sahara Desert tour was spent traveling through the Atlas Mountains. Stops along the way included Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate. After spending the night near the Dades Gorge, our tour group got up early to visit a Berber Village. 

I purchased a beautiful Berber Carpet, although negotiating the price was an extremely stressful event. Our Sahara Desert tour continued with a visit to the Dadas Gorge before finally arriving in Merzouga.

Merzouga is the gateway to the Sahara Desert and the Dunes of Erg Chebbi. A one-hour camel ride took us to a beautiful location to watch the sunset. We then rode our camels a bit further to our accommodations for the night. Our night two accommodations would be in a Berber Camp deep in the Sahara Desert. 

The next morning, we woke up early and were back on the camels before sunrise. We stopped to find a beautiful location to watch the sunrise. Then, we continued back to Merzouga, where it would take 10 hours by van to arrive back in Marrakech.

The next day, I flew from Marrakech to Istanbul, Turkey, for an overnight layover. This flight was my first experience on Turkish Airlines.

After landing at Istanbul International Airport, I took a taxi to my hotel, which was located right near the Hagia Sophia Mosque.

I only had about sixteen hours in Istanbul and decided to focus on visiting the Hagia Sophia Mosque. The Hagia Sophia has always been fascinating to me as it began as a Christian Church and then became a Muslim Mosque. After being a museum for a brief time, the Hagia Sophia was converted back into a Mosque in 2018.

After touring the Hagia Sophia Mosque, it was time to return to the airport for my flight from Istanbul to Nairobi. Once again, this flight was on Turkish Airlines. I was extremely impressed with Turkish Airlines and understood why it is one of the world’s top-ranked airlines.

I landed in Nairobi around 4:00 am and went straight to my hotel. Since I had been traveling non-stop, I decided to use this day as a rest day and barely left my hotel. 

The next day I would depart for a three-day Safari at Maasai Mara National Reserve. My guide picked me up at my hotel around 7:00 am. After picking up the other four tour members, we left for Maasai Mara National Reserve. The drive was just over seven hours, and we made multiple stops, including at a stunning viewpoint for photographing the Great Rift Valley.

When we finally arrived at Maasai Mara, we went directly into the park for a brief safari. We drove around viewing animals until dark, and our guide took us to our accommodations. I had superior accommodation (tent camp) for the first night and was extremely impressed with the quality of my tent.

The next day we woke up early and spent over twelve hours on safari. We drove all around Maasai Mara National Reserve and saw many different species of animals, including lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, hippos, Zebras, wildebeests, baboons, African buffalo, hyenas, impala, gazelles, topi, ostriches, crocodiles, warthogs, mongoose, and a variety of birds.

Our guide even drove to the border of Kenya and Tanzania so we could walk into Tanzania, which I proudly added to my list of countries that I had visited. 

My night two accommodations were at a budget camp. These accommodations were not nearly as nice and I found myself struggling to fall asleep.

The next day, we woke up early and visited a Maasai Village. I teach about the Maasai, and it was an amazing experience to visit their village and learn about their culture first-hand. We then loaded back into the van and began the long drive back to Nairobi. 

I spent the night in Nairobi before an early morning flight from Nairobi to Cairo. This flight would be my first experience with Egypt Airlines.

After arriving in Cairo, I went to my hotel and relaxed for the remainder of the day. I would go on two marathon tours in Cairo and wanted to make sure I was well rested.

The next day, I woke up early and headed back to the airport, where I would catch an early morning flight from Cairo to Luxor. This flight was on Nile Air, my first and only experience with this airline.

After landing in Luxor, I was met by a wonderful guide named Nermeen, who would show me the main attractions of Luxor

The highlight of my trip to Luxor was a visit to the Valley of the Kings, where I went inside the tombs of Rameses IV, Tutankhamun, Merenptah, Rameses I, and Rameses V/VI. At this point in my travels, I’d been to almost 40 countries, and I felt like the Valley of the Kings might have been the most spectacular place I’d ever visited.

While visiting Luxor, I also visited the Colossi of Memnon, Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple, the Karnak Temple, and the Luxor Temple.

After a long day of touring, I returned to Luxor Airport and flew back to Cairo on Egypt Air. I would have a few hours to rest before a second big day of touring.

My second day in Egypt would focus on the Pyramids. I booked a tour that included visits to the Pyramids of Giza as well as the Saqqara and Dahshur Complexes. In my opinion, the pyramids at Saqqara and Dahshur were more fun to visit than the Pyramids of Giza.

This tour would conclude my time in Egypt. The next day, I flew home with a stop in Warsaw, Poland. I was supposed to have a ten-hour layover in Warsaw, but a last-minute schedule change negated my layover.

Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
A Rainbow Seen Near Niagara Falls
A Rainbow Seen Near Niagara Falls
The View from the Edge of the Harder Kulm Viewing Platform
The View from the Edge of the Harder Kulm Viewing Platform
Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge - Randa, Switzerland
Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge - Randa, Switzerland
Humpback Whale - Seen Whale Watching Near Vancouver
Humpback Whale - Seen Whale Watching Near Vancouver
Exterior of the Hassan II Mosque
The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco
Our Camels Shadows Against the Dunes of Erg Chebbi
Our Camels Shadows Against the Dunes of Erg Chebbi
The Hagia Sophia's Main Prayer Hall - Istanbul, Turkey
Inside the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey
A Safari Vehicle at Maasai Mara National Reserve
A Safari Vehicle at Maasai Mara National Reserve
Zoomed in on a Lion at Maasai Mara National Reserve
A Lion at Maasai Mara National Reserve
The Pillared Chamber in the Tomb of Rameses V and VI
Inside the Tomb of Rameses V/VI
The Step Pyramid of Djoser
The Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara

2023 - Surpassing 40 Countries Visited 🇺🇸 🇵🇱 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 🇯🇴 🇩🇪 🇦🇹 🇸🇮

July, 2023 🇺🇸 🇵🇱 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 🇯🇴

After taking the spring off to recover financially from my Africa trip, I began 2023 traveling to Southern California to visit Disneyland with my parents, brothers, and nieces and nephews. I chose not to create a page on Disneyland as there are already so many pages dedicated to the park. Also, I didn’t want to violate any copyrights with the Disney characters. Instead, I focused my page on our visit to the LA Beach Cities.

My traveling in July continued with my big trip of the summer, which was to the country of Israel. I was so lucky that I was able to visit Israel before the war broke out in October of 2023. My flight to Israel had a long layover in Warsaw, Poland, and I was able to spend almost a full day exploring the Polish capital city.

When I arrived in Israel, I spent the first few days based in Tel Aviv. From Tel Aviv, I walked along the Tel Aviv Beaches to the Old Port of Jaffa. I also took day trips to float in the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea was not what I expected, and between the air extremely high air temperature and water temperature, it wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as I thought it would be.

During my day trip to the Dead Sea, I also visited the Jewish Fortress of Masada. Other day trips from Tel Aviv included a long day visiting NazarethCapernaum, the Town of Jesus, and the Yardenit Baptism Site on the Jordan River.

After spending the first part of my trip in Tel Aviv, I switched my base city to Jerusalem. I spent my first day in Jerusalem, visiting the Holy Sites of the Old City of Jerusalem. Those sites included the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Dome of the Rock.

The next day, I entered the Palestinian-controlled portion of the West Bank and visited Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ. During my time in the Palestinian-controlled portion of the West Bank, I also visited Jericho, the oldest city in the world, as well as the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ.

Before heading back to the United States, I took a marathon day trip from Jerusalem to Petra, Jordan. This trip was exhausting as it was four hours from Jerusalem to the Israel/Jordan border and then another two hours to Petra. It was worth the long trip as Petra was one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever visited.

The next day, I took the train from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion Airport and flew home to the US via Warsaw, Poland.

October, 2023 🇨🇦

In October of 2023, I traveled from Minneapolis to Edmonton on Westjet Airlines. I spent my time in Banff and Jasper National Park. One of the highlights was a trip to the top of Sulphur Mountain on the Banff Gondola. I also enjoyed driving the entirety of Icefields Parkway, which connects Banff to Jasper.

One of the most exciting events of my trip to Alberta was not planned. On the second to last night, my Aurora App showed there was a decent chance of seeing the Northern Lights. When I got to a good viewing area, I was able to see and photograph the Northern Lights. I have seen the Northern Lights once before, but they were not nearly as spectacular as this sighting.

December, 2023 ❌

I was supposed to travel to India, Bangladesh, and Qatar in December of 2023. Unfortunately, I came down with COVID the night before I was supposed to depart. Although I was disappointed to have to reschedule this trip, I am thankful that I didn’t get sick on the flight.

December, 2023 🇩🇪 🇦🇹 🇸🇮

It took me a week to recover from COVID-19, and then I could travel. While India had to wait, I was able to book a flight using my American Airlines miles to Munich, Germany.

After arriving in Munich, I took the train to Salzburg, Austria. In Salzburg, I spent the majority of my time walking around and touring Old Town Salzburg. Located directly above Old Town Salzburg is a castle known as Fortress Hohensalzburg. Visiting Fortress Hohensalzburg was one of the highlights of my visit to Salzburg.

Before leaving Salzburg to head to Slovenia, I spent some time walking around the Salzburg Christmas Markets.

I left Salzburg and took the train to Ljubljana, Slovenia. My first day in Ljubljana was Christmas Day. It was a fun experience to walk around Old Town Ljubljana without the crowds. I was happy to learn that Ljubljana Castle was open on Christmas Day. Ljubljana Castle has some of the best views of Old Town Ljubljana.

The next day, I was back on the train traveling to beautiful Lake Bled, and due to construction on the rails, I ended up having to walk from Lesce-Bled Station to the shores of Lake Bled. Despite the detour, I had a great time, and Lake Bled was like something out of a fairytale. I am glad that I hiked fifteen minutes up a steep incline to spend some time walking around Bled Castle.

There was not a lot of rest time during this trip. After Lake Bled, I was exploring Slovenia again the next day. This time, I traveled by bus to Piran, a gem on the Slovenian Coast. Piran reminded me a lot of Venice, Italy, which is no surprise as Piran used to be part of the Republic of Venice.

Throughout the trip, I struggled to use the kiosk to buy train tickets so I made this video. My final day in Slovenia was spent touring Postojna Cave. Postojna Cave was spectacular, but it was hard to capture the true feeling of being inside the cave on camera.

The next day, I traveled back to Munich, where I had one full day to explore the city before my flight home. I walked around Marienplatz before ending up in the English Gardens. At the English Gardens, I was mesmerized by people surfing in the Eisbach River.

Looking Towards Castle Square from the Warsaw Tower
Warsaw, Poland's Castle Square
Israeli Flag Flying Above Masada
Israeli Flag Flying Above Masada
The Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall
The Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall
Northern Lights Photo - Obed Lake Provincial Park - Near Hinton, Alberta, Canada
Northern Lights - Obed Lake Provincial Park - Near Hinton, Alberta, Canada
Looking up the Salzach River from the Hohensalzburg Observation Platform
Looking up the Salzach River from the Hohensalzburg - Salzburg, Austria
Bled Island - Located in the Middle of Lake Bled
Bled Island - Located in the Middle of Lake Bled - Bled, Slovenia

2024 - Will I Visit My 50th Country? 🇺🇸 🇭🇺 🇷🇴 🇨🇿 🇸🇰 🇬🇧 🇮🇪

June, 2024 🇺🇸

In June of 2024, I visited Utqiagvik, Alaska. This city used to be known as Barrow until 2016 – when the residents changed the name back to its native name of Utqiagvik. There are no roads that lead to Utqiagvik, so it is only possible to travel by airplane. Utqiagvik only has three hotels, so accommodations are extremely limited.

Not only do people have to arrive by airplane, but all food and supplies must be flown in as well. Flying in food leads to the most expensive grocery prices in the United States, and I ate all of my meals at the local restaurants.

Highlights of my trip to the northernmost city in the United States included visiting the Iconic Whale Bone Arch and taking the Polar Bear Plunge.

August, 2024 🇭🇺 🇷🇴 🇨🇿 🇸🇰 🇬🇧 🇮🇪

I will be in Eastern Europe visiting Hungary, Romania, Czechia, and Slovakia. I will also have overnight layovers in the UK and Ireland.

Utqiagvik Whale Bone Arch
Utqiagvik Whale Bone Arch and the Arctic Ocean - Utqiagvik, Alaska, USA