Kalabaka is next to Meteora which has the Monasteries up on the rocks. The monasteries are really just amazing - they are part of the cliff. You can’t make out so clearly where the rock ends and the monastery building begins. They hang on these cliffs seemingly precariously except that they have been here for centuries and seen countless footsteps and are quite solid. There used to be more but now there are 6 left that are still occupied in some way - most are still working monasteries with churches/chapels and residents. Fortunately they allow visitors. There is a strict dress code - men must wear long pants and women must wear a long skirt and have their arms covered. They supply wraps at the gates for those who do not meet the dress code. ... read more

Lagkadia is a beautiful place but they apparently are not used to seeing women traveling without a male - or something? We had a warm reception at our hotel but received a lot of weird looks from the locals in general - most especially the older men. In fact, we were actually turned away from a coffee place!!! That grouchy old man either did not speak English and didn't want to deal with us or he simply did not approve of women in his place. Well regardless of that, the place is beautiful and quaint and has great Baklava. As we were driving down the mountain, we came across a herd of sheep. Not kidding. The roads were narrow and twisty turny but the views were stunning. We often felt we were not possibly on the ... read more

Greece - Athens These pictures are mostly from the Arcopolis. Day 2 was a day of some jet lag. Awake at 3:30 AM and instead of tossing and turning, used time to get on the computer, get a little organized, shower before the hot water was used up and get to breakfast early. Hit the streets before most places were open but it was a nice quiet (but chilly) morning. Today we hit the tourist bus - the Hop on-hop off bus which I think is a great way to orient yourself in the city and find all the major landmarks. The tour bus drivers are incredibly talented - the streets are narrow and often lined with cars. I swear we only missed cars, motorbikes and other by inches if that!! It is a testament to ... read more

Mt. Rushmore and Carhenge - the last of the trip :( It had to happen eventually... my road trip had to have a final entry. When I realized what day it was, I knew I had to do only part of what I had in mind. The must-have's were Mt. Rushmore and Carhenge. The nice-to-have's were Devil's Tower and the Badlands. I skipped the nice-to-haves. The first picture here is Mt. Rushmore. Can't miss that right? iF you've seen one picture you've seen them all but I do have to say that it is a nice experience to actually see it in person. It is smaller than I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong - it is still an amazing feat to have carved these faces in this detail in the rock on a ... read more

Arches National Park My next day was at Arches park. I have to start off by saying that I arrived late, stayed at what has been my favorite hotel chain for this trip - a Holiday Inn Express - and went to the Center Cafe for dinner. This place specialized in serving as many local foods as possible and it was just a great pick. The food and wine were delicious, the staff friendly and helpful and although it was tucked away on a side street and I passed it twice, it is absolutely worth looking for if you are staying in Moab. Ok on to Arches. You can probably still see the smoke in some of these pictures. My first stop was the petrified sand dunes. They are exactly as they sound - these were ... read more