Geo: 48.8566, 2.35097The Louvre is a big place! If you want to see some of it without huge crowds, try to get there early. That was our goal today, to arrive when the museum opened at 9. We started walking a little after 8 and, according to Google Maps, it is a 2.2 mile walk (so Mom, maybe my pedometer is not so incorrect after all). It was a cloudy and cool morning and the walk along the river was nicer than the evening before when we were already tired from a long day. We arrived at the intersection with the Champs Elysees, which is the location of the famous Obelisk. This was a gift from Egypt and is also the area where the guillotine was located during the French Revolution. Thousands of people, including Marie-Antoinette ... read more

Geo: 48.8566, 2.35097Today was a day of walking. I had found out about a free greeter program where you sign up and are assigned a greeter based on your interests. We thought this would be a great way to get an introduction to Paris and it's free so that's even better. Our tour guide was Jean-Patrick and he was to take us on a tour of Issy les Moulineaux which is in the 15th arrondissement. We left the hotel about 8:15 and stopped at a cafe for breakfast. Pain du chocolat for all and fresh squeezed orange juice for me. It was delicious! The metro was necessary to get to our greeter appointment so we learned how to buy tickets and navigate and it was very simple. I bought a book of 10 tickets, except I ... read more

Geo: 44.5192, -88.0198November 20th - Depart O'Hare @ 10:05 PM on Scandinavian Airlines. Layover in Copenhagen, Denmark and arrive in Paris @ 5:30 PM on November 21st.We are staying at the Hôtel Kleber Champs-Élysées Tour-Eiffel, which is located at 7 rue de Belloy. It's only a short walk from the Arc de Triomphe. From the website, it looks to be a hotel full of Paris charm and I hope the rooms we have look just like the pictures. http://www.kleberhotel.com/November 27 – DepartParis @ 11:10AM on Scandinavian Airlines. Again, we have a layover in Copenhagen. We arrive back at O'Hare at 6:10 PM on Thanksgiving night.While in Paris, we hope to see as many museums, churches and cathedrals as possible. A trip to Versailles, evening cruise on the Seine, obligatory Eiffel Tower photos and more are also ... read more

Geo: 32.7812, -79.9316Today I took a drive south on Highway 17 to check out Hunting Island State Park, which is south of Beaufort on Highway 21. The entrance fee is $5 per person and then an extra $2 if you want to climb the lighthouse. It was a drizzly morning, but I started off with a climb up the 167 steps to the top of the lighthouse. The view was nice, but probably would be even better on a clear day. I headed back down and then walked towards the beach even though my legs felt like jello-o! The waves were nice and big thanks to the wind and I did walk down the beach a ways even though it was drizzling. This beach is great for finding shells and I'm sure it's also nice for ... read more

Geo: 32.7812, -79.9316My very favorite place in Charleston is Drayton Hall. There are many reasons it is my favorite, but the main one is the fact that this is a place of preservation, not restoration. Drayton Hall is the oldest unrestored plantation home in America and has survived the Revolutionary War, Civil War, earthquakes and hurricanes. It has survived modern progress and is just a joy to visit. I recommend arriving early so your house tour is on the smaller side. The first time I went, it was just me. This time there were 12 of us on the tour. I even think the tour guide we had today, Tara, was the same one who was my first guide. The tour begins with information about the beginnings of the home and property. Drayton Hall was the ... read more