I traveled to Granada with a friend for a long weekend this past summer (2009). A couple days in Granada seems good while taking the time to get out in the Sierra Nevada area after that. We took in an interesting small town called Guejar Sierra that I would recommend. If I get the chance to go back I would like to do some hiking in the mountains. In Granada take a full day to take in the Alhambra and then make sure to spend time in the adjoining Albaicin neighborhood. Take some time to wonder the back streets there. Some [View Full Entry]

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This summer (2009) I spent six weeks in Prague teaching a study abroad course. The city is incredibly well-preserved and an architect's dream. I would highly recommend just taking a few days to wonder around the city streets to take in the city. I wasn't much into Czech food but there are other options. I definitely enjoyed time off the beaten path and would recommend that to anyone with a few days to spend in Prague. Yes, take in the castle area, the Charles Bridge, and Old Town Square but then venture out to some neighborhoods and parks--try walking up Petrin [View Full Entry]

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A trip to Switzerland in September of 2006 made me fall in love with the Alps forever. Some of my fondest travel memories to date come from backpacking from village to village in the Jungfrau region around the Eiger and Lauterbrunnen Valley. I flew into Geneva, took a trip to the Jungfrau region, came back to Geneva for a conference, and then headed out to Zermatt for a couple days with two friends. I didn't find the people in Geneva to be overly friendly but I found the historic part of Geneva to be a wonderful place to walk around and [View Full Entry]

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In July of 2008 I spent about 11 days in Cyprus. I was lucky because a good friend of mine, Theano, is from Cyprus and was there when I visited. She and her sister, Petroula, were great tour guides and I was fortunate enough to get to spend time with their family and to eating great meals with them! I was also able to visit with families of two other friends Maria and Theodora and I felt like all I did was eat . . . Maria's Mom makes the best cake! . . . and Theodora's family had so much [View Full Entry]

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This past summer (July, 2008) I had the opportunity to get over to Bratislava for just a day when I was staying in Vienna. I am very glad I took the trip and would recommend it for others who might be exploring nearby Austria. I really only had time to take in the historic downtown so I can't really comment on greater Bratislava. Take some time to wonder around the historic part of town with its beautiful buildings and the church and castle the anchor the west side. I really enjoyed the quirky statues spread out in the downtown. Also, the [View Full Entry]

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In 2003 I took a trip to Costa Rica. It was a wonderful experience particularly the visit to the Corcovado Rain Forest on the Osa Penninsula. I would highly recommend staying at a tent camp and exploring the Corovado park if you want a more authentic experience in the jungle. Within the first 10 minutes of being in the tent campus a troop of white faced monkeys were making their way through camp and we had spotted a toucan. Getting to the camp is quite an adventure as you take a small plane from San Jose, then jump on a rural [View Full Entry]

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These pictures are from three different trips to Finland (about 8 weeks total) in 2007. If you like the outdoors then I can't think of a place on Earth that is better. The whole country is one big forest with many, many lakes spread throughout. It is a runner's and hiker's dream with trails everywhere! Most of the pictures to follow are from central and eastern Finland along with some pics around Helsinki. Helsinki was an interesting city to visit. I was especially excited to see the Olympic Stadium and statue of the great Paavo Nurmi (namesake of my dog). I [View Full Entry]

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In the summer of 2005 I had the opportunity to see some beautiful sights in Greece while on a conference trip. The trip took me first to Athens with a side trip to Hydra, Poros, and Aegina. Being a huge fan of the Olympics it was interesting to see the stadium of the first modern Olympic games in Athens. Also, the Parthenon and area around it was fun to explore. The Parthenon itself is difficult to get a picture of minus people or scaffolding but is still a great thing to see nonetheless. A friend who had also traveled to the [View Full Entry]

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Monument Valley was our last stop cruising through the national parks in Utah (March, 2008). We timed it just right driving into the valley about an hour before sunset. The views and light at that time are incredible. There is a great view from the road where Forrest Gump stopped running in the movie. We didn't pay to do the drive through the Navajo Reservation but we got the effect anyway. The view made famous by Director John Ford is on the "pay for" drive so shell out the $4/person fee if you have time and want that perspective. Also, the [View Full Entry]

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We visited Arches National Park (March, 2008) after Zion, Bryce, and Coral Reef. It is very impressive and more populated. We had become accustomed to seeing only a handful of people on the park trails until we came here. The diversity of arches here is impressive indeed. We attempted to see nearly the entire park in one day but still left not seeing the arches in the middle of the park, particularly around balanced rock. Seeing Delicate Arch during sunset though is a must. It was quite chilly waiting when we were there but definitely worth it. The arch itself is [View Full Entry]

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