Day Trips Out of Dublin, Ireland

October 26, 2026 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

Visiting Ireland has been on our travel bucket list for quite some time. My wife and I had planned to be at the Emerald Isle in April of 2026, but illness forced us to postpone the trip a few months to September. The delay still placed us squarely in the country’s shoulder season for tourism, which to our delight turned out to be just about perfect. We could not have asked for better temperatures or weather in a place that embraces the traditional idiom: “It’d be a grand country if you could just put a roof on it.”

In her reliable travel wisdom, my wife arranged for us to anchor in Dublin and scheduled three separate day trips to explore places of interest on the southern part of the island, all inside the Republic of Ireland. We spent our first couple of days and our last full day exploring Dublin, but we left the city for three consecutive days heading southwest, south, and west, in that order.

The other brilliant idea my wife had was to hire a driver to take us to various spots of interest we had researched well in advance for the day trips. The roads in Ireland are notoriously narrow – barely single-lane in many locations – and driving safely takes a level of skill we didn’t think we had, especially while occupying the left side of the road. We also thought it would be terribly frustrating to rent a car for one of us to drive white-knuckled and never look anywhere except straight ahead while the other one of us was praying with closed eyes the entire time we were on the road. We wouldn’t have seen a single inch of the magnificent countryside or curiosities along the way to our destinations.

We didn’t know exactly what a wise decision hiring a driver was until we had been comfortably seated for an hour in a passenger van driven by a fine Irishman named Alan Ingoldsby. The concierge at our hotel in Dublin recommended him. He was gold. Going far beyond getting us from point A to point B, Alan was a wealth of cultural and historical knowledge about all things Ireland. He was a genuine tour guide and a mighty fine one at that. In his conversations with us, he learned about our interests and a little bit about our personalities that allowed him to tailor our travels accordingly. He was incredibly accommodating – my wife never opened the door of the van to exit or enter. Alan was always there before she could even reach for the handle!

On our first day trip, we headed toward the harbor town of Cork located at the southern end of the island on the Celtic Sea. Our first stop on the way was the Rock of Cashel, an impressive collection of medieval stone buildings and graves of royalty and dignitaries dating as far back as the 16^th century. This was the only place during our entire time in Ireland that we had rain, which was really more of a drizzle than a downpour. We were prepared with our raincoats and were not altogether disappointed because the weather offered an appropriate environment for wandering among the stone ruins and the ancient gravestones, tilting or even toppled from centuries of exposure on the massive limestone outcropping overlooking the Plain of Tipperary.

Our next stop on day one was the ever-popular Blarney Castle just outside Cork. Most tourists will spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour standing in line to enter this iconic medieval stronghold, climb the tower, lean upside down from the battlements, and kiss the legendary Blarney Stone in hopes of being granted the gift of persuasion. We are not most tourists (forgive the snobbery). We were much more satisfied to spend our time wandering the 60 acres of magnificent castle grounds, featuring a variety of gardens, arboretums, trails, and streams. It really is a beautiful place.

Finally, we drove through Cork, the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland. We went around the harbor to the township of Cobh, where we took a walk along the water’s edge and saw the historic White Star Line building, the site of the final port of call for the RMS Titanic, which launched on her maiden and only voyage there on April 11, 1912. Before heading back to Dublin, we took a few moments to visit St. Colman’s Cathedral positioned on a hill overlooking the harbor at Cobh.

St. Colman's Cathedral — St. Colman’s Cathedral

Our second day trip took us due east from the city to explore Dublin Bay, where we saw some of the locals taking a dip in the frigid water, just above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. We strolled along the rocky shore and walked past the James Joyce Tower, which is a Martello stone structure located at Sandycove Point in Dún Laoghaire. Although the Irish writer only stayed here for six nights in 1904, he used the location as a setting for the opening scene of his masterpiece, Ulysses.

During our trip the previous day, Alan learned that I am a musician, which prompted plenty of conversations about music and even listening to a few of his favorite Irish tunes off his playlist. On this second day, he slightly altered our tour to take us by the entrances to two musically significant properties situated on the Dublin Bay: the copper and iron gate leading to the residence of Bono with the band U2 and the miniature castle that is the home of Enya, the Irish singer-songwriter of haunting Celtic music. This side excursion was a real treat and took us to places we would not have even known to look for on our own.

This second day trip took us down to Wicklow and to the amazing gardens of the Powerscourt Estate. The 13th century castle was redesigned in the 18th century as a Palladian mansion by architect Richard Cassels. The structure is impressive, but we were much more enchanted by the collection of gardens, both formal and natural, stretching out over 47 acres. There are fountains and ponds, enormous trees, beautiful beds of blooming plants and vines, and a serene Japanese garden that is simply stunning.

From Powerscourt we traveled to nearby Glendalough where we walked around the ruins of the famous monastery and cemetery just outside of town. Founded in the late 6th century by a hermit monk named Saint Kevin, this monastery grew to become a respected center of learning and pilgrimage that lasted for over 900 years. From the ruins we followed a paved path to see the upper and lower Glendalough Lakes nestled in the Wicklow Mountains, which is quite a sight to behold. We drove on through scenic countryside to a hilly region near Wicklow where we stood on a high bluff to look down in the valley at Guinness Lake, so named because of its brown color and foamy shoreline, which mimics a pint of the most famous brew in Ireland.

We rounded out our second day with a sheepdog demonstration at Cullen Sheep Farm just outside Wicklow. On this fourth generation working family farm, Richard Cullen explains how border collies are trained and how their natural herding instincts make them perfect for the job of corralling sheep, moving them around the fields, and keeping them safe. Richard’s whistles and verbal commands are fascinating, and the way his dog follows those commands at lightening speed is incredible. Someone at the demonstration asked, “How do you think the sheep feel about the whole process?” Richard gave a subtle smile and replied in his thick Irish accent, “The sheep would be perfectly happy if they never saw a dog ever again.”

Alan Ingoldsby was ill on our third excursion day, so he sent us a substitute named Les who was delightful and quite knowledgeable about all things Ireland, especially our final day trip destinations. We headed west out of Dublin, and our first stop was a completely unexpected surprise: Barak Obama Plaza! This indoor and outdoor exhibit space is located at a Circle K service station of all places just off the M7 motorway. The small museum on the second floor of the station highlights Irish-American presidential history, but it also commemorates President Obama’s historic 2011 visit to nearby Moneygall, which is the documented ancestral home of his third great-grandfather, Falmouth Kearney.

Our second stop that day was at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. This iconic 15th-century tower house sits on a strategic bend of the Ratty River and is likely the most complete, authentic restored medieval fortress in Ireland. The adjacent recreated village offers a glimpse at what life may have been like in this part of Ireland much later in the 19th century. We spent a while exploring the 26-acre property and its structures.

From Bunratty we continued west until we reached the island’s western coast and the spectacular Cliffs of Moher. These majestic sandstone cliffs rise from the Atlantic Ocean to a maximum height of 702 feet and stretch over eight miles along the rugged coastline. Geologists estimate it took over 300 million years for these cliffs to form. There are plenty of days out of the year when the weather makes it all but impossible to see anything from the top of the cliffs due to rain and fog. We had initially scheduled our trip to the cliffs for our first day, but Alan Ingoldsby suggested we swap our first and third days because he knew the weather would be more favorable on our final day to see the cliffs. This type of foresight, planning, and flexibility is why a driver-guide like Alan is so valuable and worth every Euro we spent to hire him and Les.

Instead of heading straight back to Dublin, Les drove us through the coastal village of Doolin and along the glacio-karst landscape of The Burren on Galway Bay, where we witnessed gigantic waves crashing against rock outcroppings and beaches. The sound, smells, and scenery reminded me somewhat of the northwest Pacific coast of Oregon. It’s another one of those places that a camera cannot not fully capture or reproduce – you have to feel it.

We strongly advise hiring a driving guide for seeing the countryside and sites of interest in Ireland, especially for those who have any reservations about maneuvering a vehicle along narrow roads in unfamiliar settings. It is an expensive luxury perhaps, but we learned so much about life, culture, politics, and history in the Republic from these two gentlemen. They were clever and funny but never silly or obnoxious. They were opinionated but never rude or argumentative. They were proud of and honest about their homeland but eager to know more about life in the U.S., even though they interact with Americans all the time. We never felt like we were being lectured, but we were definitely in a learning environment for three full days. We loved every minute of it.

A Room with a View

September 14, 2026 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

For folks who enjoy travel like my wife and I do, there are so many elements of a trip to consider during the planning process. Now that we are early in our retirement phase and also in the last half of our sixties, our priorities for travel have changed to some degree. We are still physically fit and able to get around fine; however, we no longer try to fill each hour of every day trying to hit all the museums, monuments, theatres, churches, etc. in the places we visit. We have become more selective while leaving plenty of time to relax and observe the scenery and the people. It’s a different experience than what we once had when I felt compelled to see as much as possible in the short time we had available to us. My wife has been so gracious over the years in this regard.

I don’t know how much time travelers spend thinking about their hotel rooms or other available lodging options, but in recent years we have been much more deliberate about not only where we stay but the views available to us while we are in our rooms. Perhaps one of the best examples of this new approach was our room in Paris in 2024. My wife handles virtually all our arrangements when we travel, primarily because she is quite good at it but also because she enjoys it – lucky me. She booked a room for us in Paris on an upper floor with a panoramic view of the Parisian skyline that was postcard perfect, especially at night.

We are willing to splurge for an ocean front room if at all possible when we are on the coast. Sitting on a balcony looking out over the water and hearing the constant sound of waves crashing onto the sand is about as peaceful as it gets. The same can be said for views of mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, cityscapes, and other vistas. We both like to read, and a beautiful landscape serves as the perfect backdrop for curling up with a good book or magazine. We have spent countless hours just enjoying this simple pleasure on most of our trips. Here is a small collection of views from our rooms in various locations from our travels.

A Day Trip to Bern, the Capital of Switzerland

July 20, 2026 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ 1 Comment

During our vacation to Paris and various locations in Switzerland in 2024, my wife and I spent the better part of a day in the lovely city of Bern. Although it is the capital of Switzerland, Bern is only the fifth largest city in the country, which means that it is not so bustling from a tourism standpoint. It is built on a peninsula formed by a sharp bend of the picturesque Aare River. The Old Town section traces its origins back to the 12^th century, and the architecture is reminiscent of the medieval period at this UNESCO World Heritage site. We took the morning train to Bern from Zurich where we were staying during our time in Switzerland and hit the highlights of the city’s historic district completely on foot.

Our first stop was the iconic Zytglogge Clock Tower, a 13^th century structure located at the end of the Marktgasse, which is a main thoroughfare in Old Town lined with charming sandstone arcades and traditional Swiss buildings. The Martgasse serves as an active hub for both locals and tourists, offering a variety of shops, cafes, and restaurants. This avenue is also a key part of Bern’s vibrant cultural scene, often hosting events and markets that reflect the city’s rich heritage. The Zytglogge tower contains an astronomical clock featuring moving puppets that perform a show just before the top of every hour.

Zytglogge Clock Tower in Bern, Switzerland

We followed another avenue called the Kramgasse then crossed the Aere River and climbed a fairly steep hill to visit the Rosengarten, which offers fantastic views of Old Town and the river. With approximately six acres of gardens, this lovely greenspace features over 200 varieties of roses along with other flowering plants, shrubs, and ornamental trees. There are water features, walking paths, large lawns, a playground, and a restaurant. We wandered all around the grounds, and I took way too many pics.

Walking back down the hill, we paused for a few moments to get a drink and to check out the Bear Pit, or the Bärengraben. Featured in the city’s coat of arms, the bear is a symbol of the city and the surrounding canton. The plural for bear in German is Bären. According to legend, Duke Berthold V of Zähringen named the city he founded in the late 12^th century because the bear was the first animal he hunted in the region, and Bern sounds like Bären. The city has kept bears in captivity along the river since at least the early 16^th century.

Bärengraben (Bear Pit) in Bern, Switzerland

On our way back through Old Town, we stopped for a quick self-guided tour at Einsteinhaus, the former apartment where Albert Einstein lived when he developed his theory of relativity in 1905. Then we walked a couple of blocks south to see Berner Münster or Bern Cathedral. This Swiss Reformed Gothic cathedral is the tallest one in the country and features a 100 meter spire. The cathedral is filled with gorgeous stained-glass windows and one of the most complete collections of Late Gothic sculpture in Europe.

We ended our visit to Bern wandering around Bundesplatz (Federal Square), the impressive heart of the city that is dominated by the Swiss Parliament Building or Bundeshaus. The plaza features 26 fountains that erupt in random patterns from the stone pavement. Bundesplatz serves as the political and financial center of Switzerland. In addition to the parliament building, the plaza is flanked by the Central Swiss Bank on the east and the Berner Kantonalbank on the west. Before heading back to our train, we strolled along the Bundesterrasse or the Parliament Terrace, a spectacular, cliff-edge balcony located directly behind the Bundeshaus and perched above the river. This vantage point offers panoramic views of the Marzili public baths, Gurten Mountain, and the Swiss Alps far in the distance.

Views from Bundeshaus terrace in Bern, Switzerland

Sometimes capital cities can be overwhelming: DC, London, Paris, Berlin, and Rome. It is refreshing to visit a nation’s capital that is compact, walkable, historic, and beautiful. Bern is such a city. Although it is easy to get around on foot, Bern boasts an excellent and punctual public tram and bus network. The city is a major transportation hub. It connects to Zurich in less than 90 minutes and to Interlaken in roughly one hour. We highly recommend at least a half day in the charming city of Bern for anyone visiting Switzerland.

Walking through Arizona’s Oak Creek Canyon

March 16, 2026 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

During our extended winter retreat to Phoenix for 2026, my wife and I hiked some familiar trails but also explored a few we had never tried. We also took a day trip up to Sedona, one of our favorite spots in the state. We walked around some of the shops, bought some clothes and shoes, and had a fabulous lunch at the regional airport’s cafe, of all places. They had some cocktail specials we couldn’t resist, and the food was excellent. Before all that, we drove north of town on Highway 89A towards Flagstaff for a morning walk on West Fork Trail in an area called Oak Creek Canyon.

West Fork Trail of Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona

We had driven through Oak Creek Canyon many years ago but had never taken the time to explore the area, which boasts a landscape quite different from the desert environment of the Phoenix basin. The West Fork Trail is 14 miles long, but we only walked the first couple of miles. Literature and websites warn hikers to prepare to get their feet wet, which is fair considering the trail crisscrosses the creek numerous times. During our short walk we forded the creek three times over wet rocks and fallen logs. Even with our hiking poles, we decided a fourth crossing was pushing our luck, especially considering we didn’t bring a change of clothes along in case we slipped and took an unplanned dip.

The section of the trail that we walked is flat and sandy, following closely to the creek through forests of ponderosa pines, maples, and of course, oaks. Not far from the trailhead are the stone ruins of Mayhew Lodge, an old hunting cabin converted into a resort that attracted celebrities such as Jimmy Stewart, Walt Disney, Clark Gable, and President Herbert Hoover. It burned to the ground in 1980, leaving behind only the ruins that are adjacent to the first part of the trail, which is the most accessible portion of West Fork.

According to the Visit Arizona website, the trail becomes more challenging after the early creek crossings. “The canyon walls begin to close in, forcing the creek through a slot canyon. After wading through the creek to get back to the trail, hikers can expect bouldering, swimming and bushwhacking to complete the entire trek.” Visitors to Sedona who enjoy the outdoors will be well rewarded by taking the short drive north to witness the rock pinnacles, natural arches, and deep canyons on the West Fork Trail.

The Bourbon Trail: Sipping Our Way Through Kentucky

October 28, 2025 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

My wife and I were joined by a dear friend from Arizona recently for a trip to Louisville, Kentucky, which served as our anchor location to visit four different distilleries. These distilleries are among many in the north central part of the state that the Kentucky Distillers’ Association collectively brands as the Bourbon Trail. As most folks know, Kentucky promotes itself as the only legitimate home of bourbon production in the country, if not the world, because of its rich soil for growing corn and its limestone-rich water for ideal fermentation. By definition, bourbon must contain at least 51% corn mash, which gives the spirit its sweet taste and robust flavor. When Scots-Irish immigrants settled into what is now the state of Kentucky in the late 18^th century, they brought with them their grain distilling knowledge and methods, which over time produced a product that was unique and became identified with the state.

The major bourbon distilleries are all located within an hour or so from Louisville, so we decided to stay in the city and visit two distilleries one day and another two the next day. My wife is very skilled at planning all our trips, but she knocked it out of the park this time. Taking a standard tour of all these places would have gotten quite repetitive and eventually boring. She managed to coordinate and schedule completely different experiences at each of the four distilleries we visited. We never felt rushed during the day and had plenty of time to get back to Louisville each evening for an early dinner.

We drove into the city on a Tuesday afternoon and had dinner at The Porch Kitchen & Bar, a hip after-work spot that has an impressive beverage and food menu. The signature old fashioned is made with Elijah Craig bourbon, vanilla demerara, and black walnut bitters – the second one was even better than the first. The braised short rib served on a bed of cheese grits was incredible. We all three shared two desserts: a bourbon butter cake with vanilla ice cream drizzled with bourbon sauce along with a banana foster pie. Oh my!

The next morning, we headed out around 9:00 to the Wild Turkey Distillery Visitor Center near Lawrenceburg. The facility was only a few months old and included a wonderful mix of old-style architecture of exposed beams and concrete floors with large video screens featuring the Wild Turkey product line. We were scheduled for a 10:30 tasting flight (yes, I know that’s early to start drinking), which also included a brief but informative history of the distillery, an overview of the master distillers, and some information about the distilling process. With origins going back to the mid-19^th century, Wild Turkey bourbon has a short list of long-serving distillers. Jimmy Russell is in his 90s and is still working at Wild Turkey. He is a 60-year whiskey veteran and the longest-tenured active Master Distiller in the global spirits industry. Our presenter and server that morning was middle-age fellow who was entertaining, articulate, and impressively knowledgeable. This program and tasting offered us a perfect way to start our bourbon trail adventure because it served as an introduction to the industry and distilling process. And that first snort at 116 proof could have doubled as a tonsillectomy, although the fine folks in the industry call it the “Kentucky Hug.”

Our next stop was Maker’s Mark Distillery near Loretto. We arrived just in time for lunch at the distillery’s Star Hill farm-to-table restaurant. Before leaving the restaurant, we ordered cocktails to “stroll and sip,” an activity the management encourages because there is plenty to see on the 36-acre campus, including a visitor center, an historic residence, the restaurant, a cellar, an old barrel house, a bottling facility, a gift shop, and much more. The grounds resemble a small village with signage, murals, exhibits, and displays all among the buildings. A major highlight of the site is an indoor and outdoor installation of art by Dale Chihuly whose career in glasswork spans over fifty years. His colorful sculptures have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide.

We returned to Louisville for another early dinner at a fun place called Mussel & Burger Bar. Instead of a bourbon cocktail, I went with another one of my whiskey favorites: the Manhattan. I prefer this rye-based drink very cold in a chilled martini glass straight up, and the bartender was happy to indulge me. Our friend ordered a plate of mussels, which I really like, but I was craving a bacon cheeseburger. Our great waiter served it with a heaping helping of “chips” (French fries) in a paper cone nested in a metal cup, much like the Brits do. Dessert was out of the question – no room.

The next morning we headed out to Shelbyville, a quaint town due east of Louisville. After a short stroll up and down Main Street, we ate lunch at McKinley’s Eating Establishment. This charming little deli had delicious sandwiches, salads, soups, and a tempting selection of pastries and cookies. We were highly impressed. Just outside of town was our next Bourbon Trail destination: the Bulleit Distilling Company Visitor Center. My wife had booked us for a program called “Anatomy of a Single-Barrel,” where we were joined by seven other visitors in a private tasting room to sample three different single-barrel bottles and the flagship Bulleit Bourbon. Our guide pointed out the notes of each specific yeast strain and how they contribute to the overall flavor profile. Like our first host at Wild Turkey, this younger man was extremely knowledgeable, energetic, and entertaining. When you sip these whiskeys side-by-side over a short period of only 20 minutes, the nuances and differences become obvious. Our guide facilitated this type of discernment by offering us both palate cleansing (water) and nose cleansing (coffee beans and other fragrance devices) between the samples.

Our final stop on the trail later that afternoon was Woodford Reserve Distillery outside Versailles, which is surrounded by some of the most beautiful horse ranches and equestrian estates I’ve ever seen. After all, Louisville is the home of Churchill Downs. Woodford’s campus stretches out on either side of McCracken Pike, a country road that winds its way through horse country. Much like the Maker’s Mark campus, the Woodford site is composed of a collection of buildings, several of which are open for guided tours. Our group event this time was called “A Classic Mixology Experience.” We were joined by seven other visitors in a modern tasting room at the Gristmill House where a young bartender talked about the history of my cocktail of choice, the old fashioned. The details he shared about how the drink evolved from its origins in the 1880s at the Pendennis Club in Louisville to the variations that bartenders have created over the decades were fascinating. He then proceeded to mix five different versions of the drink, explaining as he prepared each one about the specific contents: whiskeys, sugars and syrups, flavored bitters, and citrus peels (no cherries, which were added later during Prohibition – I asked). He expertly poured each mixture, one after another, into small cube-shaped glasses, and the participants creased and squeezed their respective citrus peels, including orange, lemon, and grapefruit. The audience did not agree on their favorites. As for me, the classic one he mixed at the very beginning was the best. It’s hard to improve on perfection.

To round out our trail excursion, we returned to Louisville that evening for an amazing dinner at Porcini, an Italian restaurant located in the city’s historic Crescent Hill neighborhood. We drank wonderful wine and splurged on some of the best fried calamari I have ever tasted. My entrée was the chef’s special for the evening: pan-seared redfish dressed with cream sauce served with green beans – oh my goodness. Our waiter was a seasoned professional who had been a server at the restaurant twenty years before and had returned. He made our dining experience even more enjoyable. Dinner at Porcini presented us with the perfect opportunity to reflect on our Bourbon Trail trek, a trip I’m sure we will remember for a long time. And of course, we took home treasures and souvenirs from the gift shops of each of the distilleries: magnets, hats, shirts, cocktail glasses, flavored bitters, and bottle openers to name a few. We consider ourselves travelers, but our touristy tendencies are never far away. Cheers!

Hanging Out in Hermann, Missouri

August 13, 2025 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

To celebrate my 65^th birthday this year, which included qualifying for Medicare (woo hoo!), my wife and I took a short trip to the charming town of Hermann, Missouri. We spent two nights and the better part of two days exploring this tourist “dorf” located on the south bank of the Missouri River, a place that is influenced by its German heritage in food, drink, architecture, place names, and to some extent, culture. Founded as a colony in 1836 by the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia, Hermann was named for a northern European Germanic warrior who led an army in 9 CE to oppose the intrusion of three Roman legions into their homeland at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. By 1849, the village had established a German newspaper and a German school. Hermann became a river shipping point where viticulture and wineries flourished, which is still an important part of the town’s economy today.

Based on a friend’s recommendation, we booked a room at Hermann Hill Vineyard Inn and Spa. This lovely boutique hotel has eight guest rooms overlooking a small vineyard with magnificent views of the valley below where the main part of the town is situated. From our corner room we could even see a small portion of the Missouri River in the distance. The service and amenities at Hermann Hill are amazing. We were treated with wine, bread, cheese, and grapes in our room upon arrival after a brief tour of the facility. The inn has a spa (we didn’t take advantage of that service), a small gift shop, a cozy sitting area, a dining room, a kitchen with free snacks and drinks for guests, and outside spaces with grills, tables, and chairs. There are frozen margarita machines in the kitchen!

We stayed in one of the nicest rooms the inn offers, on the top floor with a small balcony. Our room had a gas fireplace, small glass table with two swivel chairs, a desk and chair, a spacious closet, a comfy king-size bed with soft sheets (we bought a set down in the gift shop), and a spacious bathroom with a spa tub and a steamer shower. A staff member brings ice cream and cookies to all the rooms in the evening around 8:00 p.m.

We were required to order breakfast ahead of our arrival, which we only took advantage of the first morning we were there. A staff member brought coffee and tea to our room at 7:45 that morning, and then we were served a full breakfast at 9:00 in the downstairs dining room, which we had to ourselves on a Monday. Other guests were eating on the outside deck. Hermann Hill exceeded our expectations, and before checking out the next morning, we booked a room for October 2026, when we hope to see fall color and enjoy cooler temperatures.

For the 45 hours we spent in Hermann, we essentially scouted the town for a quick getaway but also to determine if we wanted to return sometime in the future. Our first stop was Sunday lunch and a wine tasting at Stone Hill Winery, located toward the south end of town. We were impressed enough with a couple of the wines to buy a bottle of each and a few other fun items in the winery gift shop. In the early afternoon, we strolled around the downtown area shops and restaurants and took a walk through a park on the banks of the river. The weather was incredibly pleasant that day for early August.

We checked into our room at Hermann Hill around 3:00. Once we discovered there was pizza, drinks, and snacks in the kitchen and that we were going to be served dessert later, we decided to just hang out on the property for the rest of the evening. The view from our room made us feel like we were gazing out at a European village, especially as the sun went down and the lights from the valley began to appear. It was enchanting. My wife and I are perhaps more content than some travelers to spend time relaxing in hotels wherever we go, especially if we have a room with a view. I can spend hours reading on a balcony or at a window.

After breakfast the next morning, we headed back downtown to check out some of the shops while getting some good walking exercise. Later we had lunch before visiting the Black Shire Distillery tasting room. Out on a shaded patio, we sampled several different varieties of gin, bourbon, and blended whiskey. Some of them were quite good. We bought a bottle of gin to take home. We drove around a bit and spent more time back at the hotel before returning later for an early dinner at a downtown deli. We needed to get back home by around noon the next day, so we rose early, checked out of our room, and made a quick stop at a coffee shop for caffeine and some of the best scones I have ever tasted. Then we took the bridge and crossed “the wide Missouri,” to make our way back home. We look forward to returning next year.

Wide Open Spaces

July 10, 2025 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ 1 Comment

In 1998, a female band called Dixie Chicks (now called The Chicks) released a song titled “Wide Open Spaces,” which stayed four weeks at the number one spot on the U.S. Country Singles Chart and landed at 41 on the U.S. Pop Singles Chart. The lyrics tap into the familiar theme of a young woman striking out on her own to find independence, freedom, adventure, and her future. The clear message is that she needs plenty of space to put all this in motion. She needs room to make mistakes and learn from them. She needs big sky to expand her vision. She needs plenty of depth, breadth, and no ceiling. The opening line of the song proclaims how this deep-seated desire is an essential part of the human spirit: “Who doesn’t know what I’m talking about?”

In our travels across the country and overseas, my wife and I are usually drawn to wide open spaces. We love expansive vistas where the terrain stretches out before us for miles on end, and the view of the canopy above is unobstructed. And although these destinations are physical or geographical, they lend themselves to mental and emotional experiences that transport us far beyond the landscape alone. We like to say that these moments are good for our souls, when perhaps we are reminded of how small we are and how big the world, or even the universe, truly is.

Some of our favorite locations to see such grandeur are in the American West, but we have also witnessed breathtaking scenes in other places in the South, Northwest, Midwest, and in Europe. I have written other posts about how we value wide open spaces, but I thought it might be nice to share some images here of locations where we have felt the power and majesty of the natural world, from mountains, valleys, and deserts to shorelines, lakes, and streams, and always an abundance of big sky. After all, when it comes to appreciating the wonder of the natural world, who doesn’t know what I’m talking about?

Top of the Rock and Table Rock Lake, Missouri

Highway One at Hurricane Point, California

All Aboard the Glacier Express

March 22, 2025 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

The modern word “express” originates from the Latin “pressare,” which is where we also get the word “pressure.” It refers to the action of pressing or creating pressure. Of course, the prefix “ex” simply means “out.” So, roughly speaking, express means to press outward, or onward, at considerable speed and without pausing. When applied as an adjective to transportation, and more specifically rail transportation, express implies a locomotive that makes few intermediate stops and reaches its destination quickly. According to multiple sources, the Shanghai Maglev in China, also known as the Shanghai Transrapid, is the fastest train in the world with a maximum operating speed of 460km/h or 268 mph. And who claims the dubious ranking for the slowest express train in the world, averaging just 42 km/h or 26 mph? That would be the Glacier Express in Switzerland, and it is a record they are proud to hold.

As a highlight of a vacation my wife and I took to Paris and Switzerland in late summer 2024, we booked a ride on this magnificent train that travels through the Swiss Alps, skirting along just north of the Swiss-Italian border between the two cities of Zermatt and St. Moritz. Our major goal of discretionary spending and travel in retirement centers on creating memorable experiences, and if we think it is warranted, we will make financial sacrifices to take those once-in-a-lifetime trips. The eight-hour excursion on the Glacier Express definitely fell into this category.

We decided to take full advantage of the journey by upgrading to Excellence Class, a single car of the locomotive that accommodates only twenty people. Nestled in reclining seats positioned next to large windows, we were facing each other across a small table where, during the 180-mile ride, two wait staff served us a five-course Alpine meal prepared on board the train, complete with champagne and a selection of wine paired with each course. The food was quite good, served on china with silver cutlery and plated as elegantly as one would find in any fine restaurant. My wife wisely passed on the steak tartare, which is a French term for raw ground beef sprinkled with Worcestershire sauce. I ate one bite and immediately decided hamburger is best served at least at medium temperature for my taste. Otherwise, everything was really tasty.

Excellence Class provides each passenger an electronic tablet and headphones loaded with information about the train, history of the Glacier Express, relevant maps, and points of interest along the route. Onboard wi-fi is also available on the device. Guests have access to dedicated concierge service, luggage handling and storage, and a private bar. The car is roomy with a large central aisle and small space behind each seat for small carryon luggage like the backpacks we had with us. Souvenirs are available for purchase and delivered to passengers at the end of the journey. We treated ourselves to a magnet and two cute tilted glasses embossed with the train’s logo.

When we originally began contemplating a ride on the Glacier Express, I envisioned tracks running through flat valleys, offering us panoramic views of the Swiss Alps from a distance. While that scenario was indeed part of the trip, this train ends up traveling from a low point of 1,919 feet and climbing to an elevation of 6,670 feet at the highest point at Oberalp Pass. In other words, we were gazing up through our windows at soaring peaks just above us, some of which were covered in snow. At other times our eyes were treated to enormous green hillsides and valleys dotted with quaint villages and farmland populated by sheep. There was an abundance of ponds and waterfalls, along with cascading streams, creeks, and rivers.

My wife is not a big fan of bridges, so of course, she was thrilled to learn that the Glacier Express crosses over a total of 291 bridges along the way, including the world famous Landwasser Viaduct. This single-track limestone railway passage is constructed of six tall arches rising 213 feet above the ravine with a span of over 1,500 feet. As we approached the viaduct, our train began to slow down considerably, which we expected. Several of us in Excellence Class (my wife not included) walked a few cars down where our concierge told us we could get a better view to take photos from the train’s open windows. As the train started over the bridge, the concierge clapped her hands and excitedly announced to my wife and those passengers remaining in our car, “Oh, this is the first time in my three years on the Glacier Express that the train is actually going to stop on the viaduct!” My traveling companion was not amused.

Landwasser Viaduct from the Glacier Express

The Albula Line first opened in 1903, and the Glacier Express made its debut journey on the track in 1930. With the opening of the Furka Base Tunnel in 1982, which protected against avalanches, the Express was able to run year-round. The company began offering Excellence Class in 2019 and are continuing to add amenities into the future. The train excursion is wonderful as a stand-alone opportunity, but considering how enchanting both Zermatt and St. Moritz are as bookends to the trip, riding the Glacier Express makes for an unforgettable travel experience.

Walking Through Luxembourg Garden in Paris

February 7, 2025 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

I have written about gardens several times in this blog. They are among my most favorite places in the world. I love them in all their many forms: small residential gardens, larger private ones, arboretums, botanical gardens, public gardens, and those you find at houses of worship, city parks, river walks, and even businesses. They brighten up any space with texture, structure, color, and incredible beauty. They are places of refuge and contemplation. There are so many features to enjoy, including ponds, streams, waterfalls, varying terrain, rocks, boulders, statuary, fountains, and other built structures. Whenever my wife and I travel, we almost always look for gardens to visit or revisit.

In September 2024, we took a two-week trip to Paris and various locations in Switzerland. On our last day in Paris, we spent the better part of the morning wandering around one of the most spectacular spots in the city, Luxembourg Garden. Located in the 6^th arrondissement in an artsy part of the city, the Jardin du Luxembourg comprises 25 hectares (56.8 acres) adjacent to the grand building that houses the French Senate, thus its more familiar name for Parisians, Jardin du Sénat. The Luxembourg Garden comprises formal English gardens, 3,000 trees of various species, 5,000 square meters of flower beds, an orchard containing more than 500 old varieties of pear and apple trees, a collection of exceptional orchids, and 102 statues and monuments, including the famous Médicis fountain.

French Senate building at Luxembourg Garden

The garden’s origins date back to the 17^th century when Marie de Médicis, the widow of Henry IV, built an Italian palace on property once owned by François, Duke of Piney-Luxembourg. The French Senate took over ownership of the garden in the early 1800s after the palace became the home of the governing body in 1799. It wasn’t until the last half of the 19^th century with the restoration projects in Paris under Napolean III that the garden began to take its more modern shape. Luxembourg Garden has appeared in numerous works of literature by authors such as Victor Hugo, Henry James, and William Faulkner.

As we entered the garden that Sunday morning at the Porte Gay-Lussac, we were greeted by the sounds of music coming from what appeared to be a small community orchestra at the nearby Kiosque à musique. We made our way counterclockwise to the Médicis fountain and then past the Senate building, protected by a high metal fence and guards with firearms. We continued around the perimeter of the garden, making side trips into the interior from time to time. Before leaving, we spent a few moments near the Grand Bassin, a large octagonal basin of water surrounded by raised balustraded terraces adorned with a series of statues of former French queens, saints, and other historical figures.

What impressed me most about this garden is how brilliantly the built environment blends with and enhances the horticultural surroundings. Walkways wind through trees, hedges, shrubs, lawns, and planted beds, encouraging us to meander and gaze. Statues, sculpture, and other features are spaced out and in the open or tucked neatly into nooks and crannies, inviting us to explore and pause to appreciate and learn. Luxembourg Garden is truly an oasis we can enjoy simply for its beauty and design. However, it’s also an outdoor classroom for aspiring students of all ages who wish to be schooled in botany, art, architecture, history, and so much more.

Bacchus (Dionysus) statue at Luxembourg Garden

Key West: A Little Slice of Paradise

November 29, 2024November 30, 2024 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

During the week before Thanksgiving in 2024, my wife and I took a four-night vacation to Key West, Florida. Neither of us had ever visited the island, which holds an oversized place in the American cultural imagination. Key West has attracted a wide range of celebrities over the years like Ernest Hemingway, Jimmy Buffett, Tennessee Williams, John James Audubon, several U.S. Presidents, and countless movie stars and musicians. Harry S. Truman was so charmed by the place that he had a Little White House there, where he spent 175 days over eleven visits during his administration.

Key West sunrise from Southernmost Resort

Key West - Harry S. Truman Little White House — Key West – Harry S. Truman Little White House

Most people believe that Key West is as far as you can go south and still be in the country, but the true southernmost point of the continental U.S. is Ballast Key located south and west of Key West. Nevertheless, Key West has adopted the “southernmost” tourism brand for itself, complete with a photo-op concrete buoy and numerous locations using the moniker. The southern tip of the island is a mere 81 nautical miles from the north coast of Cuba. We stayed at a lovely property called Southernmost Beach Resort with a balcony room on the third floor overlooking the ocean. The water was rough for our first two days, and it was wonderful listening to the waves crashing against the massive concrete sea wall just below our room.

Key West - Southernmost Point Buoy — Key West – Southernmost Point Buoy

Running four miles long and about two miles wide, Key West is a very walkable island. We walked the entire width, north on historic Duval Street, which carried us from our resort up to the marinas and cruise ship docks. We wandered around the tourist attractions in that area, including the shops at Mallory Square. We also spent some time strolling through the Old Town historic district, which is filled with beautifully restored 19^th century homes, some of which are now bed and breakfast accommodations, although many are still private residences. The following is a list of highlights from our trip to this tropical paradise, which truly exceeded our expectations.

Duval Street: Named for the first territorial governor of Florida, William Pope Duval, this is Key West’s main drag and is filled with shops, restaurants, bars, and vintage hotels that are reminiscent of what I think of as “Old Florida” that flourished during the golden age of tourism in the 1950s and 60s. We walked up and down Duval numerous times for shopping, dining, and drinking (as the locals say, “It’s Key West”).

Hemingway Home and Museum: The author of classics such as The Old Man and the Sea and For Whom the Bell Tolls lived with his wife, Pauline Pfeiffer, in this two-story residence during the 1930s. After eight years of residing at the house, Hemingway moved to Cuba in 1939 and divorced Pauline the following year. Pauline lived in the house until her death in 1951. The only full-time residents now are the famous six-toed cats that lounge around the property, in and outside the house.

Key West - Hemingway House Front Entrance — Key West – Hemingway House Front Entrance

Mansion on the Sea: Built in 1897, the iconic Mansion on the Sea, was originally home to Judge Vining Harris and his wife Florida Curry, the youngest daughter of the state’s first millionaire, William Curry. Wanting only the best for his youngest daughter, Curry commissioned Thomas Edison to install the electricity in the one-bedroom home. Over the years, the Mansion evolved and took on many different purposes. During Prohibition (1919-1933) the Mansion served as a destination for many notorious gangsters and other famous travelers. Five U.S. Presidents, including, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Richard M. Nixon, and James E. Carter, Jr. were guests here. The Mansion is now a boutique inn. We had drinks and coconut shrimp at the outside bar the Mansion our first night on the island.

Key West - Mansion on the Sea - Southernmost House — Key West – Mansion on the Sea – Southernmost House

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church: This the fourth building on this site and houses the oldest church in the Florida Diocese. Established in 1832, this oldest U.S. congregation south of St. Augustine has been served by dozens of priests throughout almost two centuries. The church building and grounds at the corner of Duval and Eaton Streets are open daily for prayer, meditation, and visitation.

Key West - Saint Paul's Episcopal Church — Key West – Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church

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