Gran Bahia Principe Tulum - A Mexican Paradise in Akumal

I don't usually like to portray myself as a hypocrite, but sometimes I have to admit when I'm wrong. (Do you hear that, my loving husband? Ha ha!)

In a previous post about visiting the lovely country of Mexico, I berated people for never leaving their resorts and staying too attached to hotel life. However, after staying for a mere four days at the beautiful Gran Bahia Principe Tulum resort (and getting to visit its sister resorts of Coba and Akumal), I can actually see how some travelers and tourists could enjoy just lounging around the resort grounds for an entire vacation. That's not what I did, once again, but at least now I can see the appeal.

Ride a Paddleboat down the Mighty Mississippi (And Other Things in New Orleans that Might be Overrated)

I love trip planning. Researching the highlights of a destination, contacting tour offices for tips and tricks, and discovering hidden jewels gives me a thrill. By the time I head out for my journey, I have a list of "things-to-see-and-do" about a mile long. And, usually to the dismay of my husband, I try to hit everything on my list (because I'm so darned excited about each and every item).

Backyard Bucket List: Drumheller Hoodoos and the Suspension Bridge

A couple of months ago, I posted a comment on Twitter about some of the great natural wonders one can visit when traveling to Alberta.  Among the items listed, I mentioned seeing the hoodoos in the Drumheller Badlands.  A Twitter friend from Germany questioned me about the hoodoos - she thought I had made some sort of strange typo.  I do admit, the word 'hoodoo' is a weird term, but it is a fitting word considering the absurd nature of the formation it describes.  Since summer is almost here, and lots of people are planning road trips and vacations, I'd like to encourage visitors to try checking out the ever-interesting hoodoos of Drumheller!

Louisiana Swamp Tour: Part Deux

I won't belabor this topic too much, since I have already written one post on this blog about touring the swamps and bayous of Louisiana during my 2008 trip, and wrote a guest post on the site "We Said Go Travel" about my 'gator-spottin' experiences.  But going on another trip to the swamps was a fun part of my most recent visit to New Orleans, and I'd like to share some highlights with you.

Buried Above Ground: Strange Tales of Death from New Orleans

If you are any type of fan of this blog, which might amount to a whopping total of five people (up five from last year), you'll know that I gravitate a bit towards the morbid side of history. I love wandering through old cemeteries, learning about epidemics and diseases that swept through medieval cities and towns, and educating myself about customs surrounding funeral rites and burials. These topics might be gross to some, I realize, but I personally find it fascinating how humans deal with the everlasting mystery of 'death'.