latest trips

This was my second week of a two week hiking adventure in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. My Northern Coast hiking trip with Wilderness Ireland ended in Derry, Northern Ireland and my second week of hiking with Wilderness Ireland would be starting in Galway, Ireland the following morning. I had originally booked a seat on the Expressway 64 bus from Derry to Galway, which was to be a six hour bus ride. Nicola, a fellow hiker from the Northern Coast tour, offered me a ride in her rental car instead as she was driving to Limerick in the Republic of Ireland to visit family and I graciously accepted. Our route took us south through Letterkenny and into County Donegal, then past the impressive

In May 2024, I embarked on my first international adventure that blended solo travel with a group experience: a journey to the breathtaking landscapes of Scotland. I spent five days independently exploring the historic charm of Edinburgh and the scenic beauty of Inverness before joining a remarkable group of women on a hiking tour with Wild Women Expeditions (WWE).  Wild Women Expeditions, a Canadian company founded by a woman, partners with local outfitters to lead their international trips. For our Scottish adventure, WWE collaborated with Wilderness Scotland, a company whose professionalism and passion deeply impressed me. So much so, that by the end of the trip I found myself researching how I might return – this time to hike, the iconic West Highland Way with

My 2025 Ireland hiking tours were slated to start in Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland (United Kingdom), and finish in Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland. I like to arrive in a foreign country a few days early if I am on a scheduled tour to allow for any potential travel delays. For this trip, I chose to explore Belfast before my tours began. The main reason was because I really wanted to visit Titanic Belfast, but also, I had a half day at the end of the trip to explore Dublin. Day 1 Dublin to Belfast My direct flight from Boston to Dublin arrived on time around 8:30 AM.  I had pre-booked a seat on the 9:50 AM Dublin Express

Day 1 Arrival in Terlingua, Texas Our Southwest flight #892 departed Providence on time, with the cabin pleasantly sparse at just 55% capacity. We touched down in Chicago Midway a full 35 minutes ahead of schedule. With a generous four-hour layover ahead, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at Gene’s Bistro in Terminal B, followed by a mile-long stroll through the adjoining terminals to stretch our legs and get some steps in. I took the opportunity to write and send off a few postcards before we boarded our connecting flight. Southwest flight #1441 to El Paso departed promptly at 12:50 PM. We landed 20 minutes early, at 2:50 PM MST, greeted by a stunning panoramic view of the Franklin Mountains. Our good fortune continued: our checked

As part of our 10 day Best of the Dolomites Trek in September 2024 I scheduled two rest days in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.  On most of our adventures I try to schedule something that is somewhat outside of my comfort zone, whether it be parasailing in Aruba, hot air ballooning in Utah, paragliding in Switzerland, or glacier hiking in Iceland.  For the Dolomites, it was an easy decision – try a Via ferrata.  Via ferrata translates to “iron path” and consists of a protected hiking/climbing route.  The protection consists of cables, rungs, ladders, and railings embedded into the rock along the route.  The hiker wears a special harness that has two leashes which the hiker affixes to the cable along the route with caribiners. If

Ever since Colin and I visited the Swiss Alps (Jungfrau region) in 2019, I have been yearning to get back to that part of Europe. I’m a mountain girl at heart and the scenery in the Swiss Alps was surreal. It is still my favorite vacation ever, beating out Iceland and narrowly surpassing the Scottish Highlands. I felt like I was in a fairytale with the majestic mountains, gushing waterfalls, and green meadows filled with wildflowers, and of course I can’t forget the cows with their clanging bells. The Mont Blanc Trek (105+ mile trek around Mont Blanc , the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus mountain), the Haute Route, (137 mile trek from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland), and the Alta Via 1

Day 1 Arrival in Chiusa/Klausen Prior to the start of our 10 Day Best of the Dolomites trek in September 2024, Colin and I spent 3 nights in Chiusa/Klaussen, Italy. This allowed us to get over any jet lag we may have encountered and also to allow a cushion for any travel delays. The 7 hours and 45 minute non-stop, Lufthansa flight departed Boston approximately 15 minutes late and arrived in Münich 30 minutes late. It was an uneventful flight and we were served both dinner and breakfast.  Upon landing, there was a delay in our plane getting its luggage. This caused us to miss our train reservation which I had purchased on the DB Deutsche Bahn website prior to our trip.  We caught the

My Scotland Adventure began on May 12, 2024 when I landed in Edinburgh, Scotland after a red-eye flight from Boston. The first 5 days I was traveling solo, exploring the lovely city of Edinburgh before making my way by train to Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands. My Edinburgh experience is chronicled in a separate blog. It was in Inverness that I began the second leg of my adventure – hiking in the Scottish Highlands with a group of women, booked thru Wild Women Expeditions, a Canadian adventure tour company specializing in women only tours. After finishing this tour, I would highly recommend this company and look forward to booking future adventures with them. Day 1 – Loch Ness, Eilean Donan Castle, & Plockton

My Scottish adventure began on Sunday, May 12th, 2024, when I arrived at Edinburgh Airport early in the morning, after a red-eye flight from Boston. This trip had two components: 4 days solo traveling in Edinburgh and the surrounding towns, followed by 8 days hiking in the Scottish Highlands on a group tour booked with Wild Women Expeditions. The entire trip was a success and I equally enjoyed the different aspects of traveling solo as well as traveling on a small group tour. This blog chronicles my solo traveling in the Edinburgh area. Day 1 – Holyroodhouse Palace, Arthur’s Seat, & Calton Hill Immigration was quick and easy at Edinburgh Airport.  It was fully automated and all you did was scan your passport and look