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Today, I invite you to visit Wonderland.  Yes, that same place Alice went on a trip.  Well, at least this is my version of Wonderland. Before you guys start to roll your eyes (even if you are already rolling them), let me explain. The real name of the Wonderland I am referring to is Paraty.  This Portuguese colonial town is located in the biggest country of South America, no other than Brazil. It is sandwiched between the bay of Paraty (part of the Costa Verde) and the Serra do Mare mountains. Therefore, the town is not only graced with human created exquisiteness but is also surrounded by natural lure. Paraty (which means “river of fish” in the Tupi language) was once an important gold port.  It was the end of the infamous “Gold Trail”.  At the end of the 1600s, gold was discovered in what is today the Minas Gerais state.  A road was built to connect the town of Diamantina (in Minas Gerias) with Paraty. After arriving to Paraty, the gold was later transported to Rio de Janeiro or P...

Dear Readers: If you come across a contest takes little effort to enter and has no repercussions afterward, there’s no reason not to enter.  Play your cards right and you could win a nice dinner out.  Or a car. OR you could win a trip to Stockholm. At World Travel Market last year, I dropped my business card into a fishbowl at the Visit Sweden table.  I knew there was a prize, but I didn’t look at it closely.  My card was the one picked, and to my great shock, I had won a free trip to Stockholm! And so this October, I made it to my 34th country, setting foot in Sweden for the first time.  Though my visit was brief, I enjoyed Stockholm greatly. Stockholm is BEAUTIFUL. After visiting Stockholm, I can confirm that it’s one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.  The first thing that you notice about the city is just what a spectacular natural setting it has, set on hundreds of islands in a lagoon.  Stockholm’s old town, the Gamla Stan, is where you find the most ...

Some of my proudest moments have come from traveling to unusual destinations — the Faroe Islands, southern Laos, Shetland, Liechtenstein. But what about the destinations that I really should have visited by now, but haven’t?  Obvious places.  Places that I really should have hit considering where I’ve been already (like much of North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia), but for some reason, I’ve never actually visited. Here are my most egregious travel oversights (so far!): Amsterdam It’s one of the most popular cities to visit in Europe — but not only have I never been to Amsterdam, I’ve never been to the Netherlands! Amsterdam is just one of those places that has never happened for me.  I haven’t prioritized it, thinking that an opportunity to visit would pop up in the near future.  And while those opportunities do pop up, they also tend to disappear quickly, so I still haven’t made it here. Maybe a trip to Amsterdam paire...

A few weeks ago, I contributed to the “Sh*t Travel Bloggers Say” video, put together by the incredibly talented Cailin O’Neal of the Travel Yourself TV show. If you’ve seen the videos spun off by the popular “Sh*t Girls Say” video (my favorites: Sh*t Boston Girls Say, Sh*t Asian Girls Say, Sh*t Southern Gay Guys Say), you probably knew that this one was coming! To put the video together, we solicited for suggestions in travel blogger discussion groups and then did filming.  I filmed myself in Chester with my Flip Mino HD; Cailin and Corbin filmed in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Cailin put the final product together. Oh, and hilarity ensued. 😉 Enjoy!

In my list, a city is a winner if its culinary scene surpasses my expectations. Tucson is one of those cities that took me entirely by surprise.  I was aware of all the delicious Sonora style dishes available thought the city but was not prepared for a smorgasbord of Italian, Asian and New American options. I already wrote about how to try several dishes in a short period of time by doing a food tour and recommended establishments offering delicious breakfast, lunch and dining options. Since food is one of my greatest passions, I tend to present every city I visit with a la carte touch (did you get that?).  The reality is that Tucson is full of sights related to its hundreds of years of history. And, that is great since we all need a break between meals. Right? Even though Tucson is Arizona’s second largest city, the small town feeling is everywhere.  You’ll miss Downtown if you blink while driving the I-10 Freeway.  Parking spots are widely available, waiting times to get a table...