Jordan has so much to offer, and luckily it's easy to travel around. When most people think about Jordan, they think about Petra and the famed Treasury from the Indiana Jones movie. Petra really is amazing and a definite must see. However, Jordan offers so much more. A 10 day trip can cover a number of amazing sites including Roman ruins, religious historical locations, and jaw-dropping landscapes. Roman Ruins of Jerash in Jordan I can’t believe I took so long to write about Jordan. I …
What to do in Valley of Fire
Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada is full of stunning red rocks and even some petroglyphs from over 2,000 years ago. Many of these beautiful structures can be seen from the roads that cross through the park. Short hikes offer viewpoints of varying landscapes throughout the valley. Here are the top things to do and see in Valley of Fire. Driving into Valley of Fire as the sun starts to rise. In 1912 a road named the Arrowhead Trail that connected Salt Lake City to Los Angeles was …
Belize: Cave tubing in San Ignacio and taking it too slow in Caye Caulker
On this short trip to Belize, we only spent 2 nights in San Ignacio and then headed to the island of Caye Caulker for 5 nights. In retrospect, 5 nights on Caye Caulker was far too many and we wish we had spent more time in San Ignacio. San Ignacio After leaving Tikal and riding in a local bus to the border with Belize, we passed through immigration and grabbed a taxi to the nearby town of San Ignacio. We only booked two nights in San Ignacio, so we had to pick only one activity while in …
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48 Hours in Tikal, Guatemala
Nestled in the jungle of northern Guatemala, hide the remains of one of the largest Mayan civilizations ever to exist. Tikal was inhabited from the 6th century BCE to the 10th Century CE. After it was abandoned, the jungle swallowed up this great city. Steep, awe-inspiring, limestone temples that have been uncovered and reconstructed rise up from the green vegetation. Many more temples are still hidden under the jungle. We spent a little under 48 hours in Tikal National …
Guimarães and Braga
Guimarães and Braga are two historic cities near Porto. While many people combine these two cities in a single day trip, I believe they deserve at least a day each. Guimarães This charming city in the north is fondly referred to as the birthplace of Portugal. The first king, Afonso Henrique was born here and fought the Battle of Sao Mamede nearby, which led to Portugal’s independence. Guimarães became Portugal’s first capital in the 12th century. Imagine yourself in …
Historic Porto, Portugal
Blue and white tiled churches, mosaic sidewalks, colorful apartments, bridges, hills, and port wine. This is Porto and it's delightful. Porto is the 2nd largest city in Portugal and was the capital before Lisbon. It was spared by the terrible 1755 earthquake that devastated Lisbon. Therefore, more historic buildings remain in the older districts. Porto is full of small winding streets, many with mosaic tiles (known as Portuguese pavement) creating the sidewalks. Layers of …