There are any number of people who have a vision of southern California being warm all year around. In part, we have Hollywood movie producers to thank for that as they always show women in scantily clad clothing no matter the time of year. California locals laugh at tourists when they show up during the LA winter expecting to wear t-shirts and flip-flops. While an LA winter is no reason to pack the snow boots, you need to be prepared and dress appropriately. Layering is the key. Fortunately, we’ve lived in CA enough years to know this so once we bought our Rose Bowl tickets we made plans to bring a proper coat and gloves back from Florida when we were there for the Christmas Holiday. Driving before the break of dawn toward Pasadena, we focus ... read more

Sounds like the start of a good song At times -- Time and distance makes being together challenging in our consulting line of work. We’ve been apart for 18 days….18 miserable days for us. In over 20+ years, nothing had separated us this long, until now. With MJ starting a new job out on the left coast in California and Dave finishing up a contract in Arkansas, the timing was off….but now that has been corrected. Only one thing to do once we get reunited……head to The Crossroads. The Mississippi Delta the birthplace of the blues music. Our souls needed some nurturing and the blues is the cure. Many a blues fan from around the world dream of the drive through Delta blues country from Memphis to New Orleans via Clarksdale and Vicksburg Mississippi. The tales ... read more

Authenticity is often hard to come by. We all seek it as it provides a feeling of both truth and originality. As travelers, this is one of the reasons we travel, to see things that are not necessarily contrived or otherwise. But when you visit the Mississippi Delta region and roll in to Clarksdale, you instantly discover that you’ve entered a place where something is real and true…..The Blues. Now the quote above is attributed to McKinley Morganfield....you may know him as Muddy Waters. Ask any rock 'n roll artist from the 1960's and they'll tell you the same......the blues begat rock 'n roll. As a matter of lore, Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the devil at what is widely known as “The Crossroads.” This is where highway 49 and highway 61 intersect. Great ... read more

It’s eight pm on March 26th and we’re sitting in a restaurant called Pramil, sipping wine, chatting with our friend Michael and thankful that we are celebrating our 22ndwedding anniversary in Paris, enjoying great friendship and food. Evenings like these are precious and this is one we won’t forget soon. Michael joined us for a time in Myanmar back in 2012 as we bounced around that beautiful nation, both on the highway and even during couple of earthquakes in Mandalay. We find ourselves reflective at times like these, as earlier that day we had met another TravelBlogger, John We are often fascinated at the journeys that people take in life, whether it be actual traveling, or even a more personal journey. Any time we can meet a fellow traveler, we are always enthralled by their journeys ... read more

We both agree that train travel is incredibly romantic. We’ve probably watched too many movies….but we’re Americans. We live in a country where railroads are something that blocks traffic at exactly the wrong time while you sit and watch tanker cars, spray painted by exuberant artists roll by while you just sit….but we know that in other countries, it is a way people actually travel…and we find this wonderful. As the train pulls out of the station we are grateful to be on such a wonderful trip. We’d heard about a famous train called “The Glacier Express” that went through the Swiss Alps and we wanted to go. This train offers grand windows and so the world seems only a touch away. This is one of those rare occasions you have a moment where you find ... read more