Weekend: Seattle

Updated January 2025. Seattle is just a hop, skip, and jump away from our home in Portland, which makes it an ideal weekend getaway. Nicknamed the Emerald City for its year-round greenery, it generally shares Portland’s mild climate. This can make it an attractive spot for to escape oppressive summer heat for folks in hot […]

Four Days: Medellin

Medellin, Colombia is known as the City of Eternal Spring for its year-round mild weather. And I’d spring (pun obviously intended) at the chance to return—it was my favorite city on the trip to Colombia. Yes, I loved the nightlife in Bogotá, the heat and lively neighborhoods in Cartagena, and the spectacle of Barranquilla’s Carnaval. […]

One Week: Cartagena and Barranquilla

My first visit to Colombia was anchored around the opportunity to experience Barranquilla’s Carnaval. Inspired by stories from Colombian-American friends and others who recently traveled there, we were eager to check out Carnaval, nearby Cartagena, as well as Bogota and Medellin. Check out the links above for details of the rest of our February 2023 […]

Weekend: Bogotá

In February 2023, we made our first-ever trip to Colombia. Inspired by stories from Colombian-American friends and others who recently traveled there, we were eager to check out its cities and coastal regions and look forward to going back to see more. Be sure to check out notes on Cartagena and Barranquilla and Medellin (because […]

Lessons Learned: 5 Surprises in Colombia

Colombia packed a lot of adventures and surprises. Here are a few of the unexpected things I wish I’d figured out before we went…

Travel Gadgets: Five Favorites

Everyone has their favorite things to bring along to make trips more relaxing, fun, productive, or all of the above. Maybe it’s simple like a neck pillow or a deck of cards. Or maybe it’s super functional like international power adapters or a passport wallet. Travel gadgets and accessories are subject to huge personal preference. […]

Weekend: Oregon Coast

Updated 2/2025. I originally wrote this post in September 2020 after a weekend in Coos Bay, followed by a drive north along the Oregon Coast before returning to Portland. Since then, I’ve made updates to include more detail from weekends in and around Astoria and Netarts Bay. Short story, Oregon’s Pacific coast is beautiful, and […]

10 Days: Olympic Peninsula Camping

Despite living in the Northwest for over a decade, I didn’t take my first trip into and around the Olympic Peninsula until 2020: the coast, the towering evergreens, the unspoiled lakes, and—at least for the first half—clear skies. The National Park/lack-of-airport thing got in the way before, but after pivoting to different forms of travel […]

Hard Pivot: Air Travel to Road Trips

Back in January and February 2020, I had big plans for this site: posts from Boston in April for my birthday. Norway in May to celebrate Sytten de Mai. Alaska in July … wheels up, let’s do this! Wow, how things can change. To quote Lily Tomlin as Violet Newstead in 9 to 5: “I’m […]

Quick Take: Sonoma Wine Country

Sonoma’s wine country is more than just great wine—its rolling hills, twisting old vines, and the earthy scent of harvest in the air. Whether you’re a wine lover or just chasing the views, it’s a destination I love to explore in every season.