Best things to do in the Phoenix area for art and culture enthusiasts We’ve got a lot of sunshine, golf courses, hiking trails, and spa resorts here in the Phoenix Metro Area, but there’s much more for visitors to discover. I’ve compiled this quick reference guide of some of the best things to do in Phoenix and nearby communities for art and culture lovers based on those that Mr. TWS and I have experienced. In some cases, I’ve included excerpts and links to previous articles about particular venues. For the art lover in you! LOVE sculpture by Robert Indiana at Civic Center Mall, Scottsdale ..read more

Two hikes in the Tonto National Forest at Hohokam sites There are so many great trails in and around Scottsdale, Arizona, that we usually hike our favorites close to home. But sometimes we venture further afield to explore more of Arizona and other great hiking spots in beautiful places. As an update to our previous articles about some of the great hikes we’ve taken, here’s a report on two mostly easy hikes in the Tonto National Forest of Arizona that offer good exercise, great views, and a look at interesting remains of Hohokam Native American history and culture. Sears-Kay Ruins Trail (near ..read more

Why you should take a Collette guided tour in Morocco Following our trip to the Balkans in 2022, we posted about the reasons we felt a Collette tour (our first guided land tour) was a great way to see these countries of the former Yugoslavia. Now we can apply those same reasons to the Colors of Morocco tour we took in October, 2023. This was our first time in Morocco and also our first time in Africa. If you’re considering if a Collette guided tour in Morocco or other destinations makes sense for you, we hope our experience will be helpful. This post also includes links to our other articles ..read more

Five days in London: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry Happy Holidays to all! Mr. TWS and I have had a tradition for the past 14 years that we hope to continue for years to come. We’ve been kicking off the holidays (and celebrating Mr. TWS’s birthday) by traveling to festive destinations in early December. We’ve visited European Christmas markets, cruised along the Danube, discovered Christmas traditions in France, celebrated right here in the USA in Chicago and New York, and had many other memorable experiences. This year we went back to a destination we’ve been visited several times before and where ..read more

What an experience! Two nights at a luxury Sahara Desert camp Of many highlights during our Collette Colors of Morocco tour, our two nights at a Sahara Desert camp stands out as one of the best. Ever since I was very young, I dreamed of seeing the Sahara Desert which held a great deal of mystique for me. But somehow it always seemed out of reach until our Morocco guided tour gave us the perfect opportunity to make those dreams a reality. Our camel caravan in the Sahara It was a special and different experience for us to stay in a luxury desert tent, enjoy Berber music around a bonfire, gaze ..read more

Special experiences on a Collette Morocco guided tour One of the things we appreciate about traveling is how new places and experiences give us a better understanding of the world and its people. During our “Colors of Morocco” guided tour with Collette, our first visit to Morocco and to the continent of Africa, we eagerly embraced every new experience. We were intrigued, educated, enchanted, and well-fed as we visited cities, rural areas, and the great Sahara Desert, broadening our horizons with a diversity of activities, locations, and interactions with the locals. Sunset in the Sahara Dese ..read more

Viking Expedition cruise of Canada and the Atlantic Coastline We’re back home in Scottsdale, Arizona after 15 days at sea with Viking on one of their incredible expedition ships, the Octantis. We’ll have much to share in future posts about the sights, excursions, onboard experiences, and sailing the St. Lawrence Seaway and North Atlantic Ocean. For now, we’re going to recap a few highlights of our trip that you may have missed on social media while we were on the cruise. This is a fairly new cruise for Viking as part of their Longitudinal World Cruises from the Great Lakes to Antarctica. Some ..read more

Three days in Taormina — A perfect ending to 11 days in Sicily Taormina is one of the most picturesque places in Sicily with its setting on a mountainside high above the Ionian Sea that provided profound literary inspiration for writers like D.H. Lawrence and Oscar Wilde. There is also plenty of history (including the conquests by Romans, Greeks, and Normans over the centuries), and dramatic and enchanting Mt. Etna and its thriving vineyards are nearby. Recently, Taormina has become even more popular for being the main setting of the second season of HBO’s series White Lotus. Mr. TWS and I th ..read more

Two days in Siracusa and Ortigia Island — Best things to do Following our two days in Ragusa, we ended the driving portion of our 11-day Sicily itinerary in Siracusa. A car is definitely not needed when visiting Siracusa unless you plan day trips. Even then, guided tours or travel by train or bus might be the best way to get around. Siracusa waterfront at dusk Siracusa features some of the top reasons visitors love to visit Sicily. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, founded by the Greeks who came here in 733 BC. The city grew quickly to become one of the largest cities of Greek and Roman an ..read more

Two days in Sicily’s Val de Noto — Things to do in Ragusa The original plans for our stay in Ragusa during our 11-day Sicily itinerary included a day trip to Modica (one of the other important Baroque towns of the area especially known for its chocolate) and other sites, but we decided to stay focused on Ragusa. We’re glad we did as two days was just right for seeing the sights here at a moderate pace. Ragusa How we got to Ragusa From Agrigento where we toured the Valley of the Temples and spent one night, we drove about 2-1/2 hours to Ragusa, partially close to the coastline and through a ..read more