Bringing Down the White Picket Fence
A Couple's Quest to Live Globally
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In July of 2022, we celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary on a trip to San Diego and Los Angeles. Still a bit unsure of the Covid situation, we decided against flying to Europe and masked up for a plane ride back to California. San Diego was great; LA was tolerable. Paul returned with Covid; I somehow returned without it. It’s May 2023 now; well into a very new year. I’m just allowing… Read More
Before I start this post about Healdsburg and Santa Rosa, I’d like to take some time to talk seriously about the English muffin experience we had in St. Helena. If you read the First Stop: Yountville post, then you know we made a stop at The Model Bakery on the way to Calistoga to get our very first taste of Oprah’s favorite English muffin. After reflecting on this experience over the last… Read More
Downtown Calistoga is an old western town with modern amenities. As the northernmost place to visit in Napa Valley, it’s rustic yet charming with a laidback vibe and relaxing atmosphere. Eateries line the main thoroughfare with craft brews and vegan lasagna, while a community of friendly and hardworking citizens gather at the Calistoga Inn to raise a glass to a hard day’s work in the tasting rooms and vineyards. Accommodations range from… Read More
We’ve been embracing train travel more than ever these days. Amtrak has become therapeutic in delivering us from point A to point B without the stress and exhaustion of navigating a car on America’s increasingly dangerous highways. We are comforted by the chug of the train beneath us as we pop in our AirPods and watch the window show. It thrills us that we are well on our way to earning a… Read More
This past weekend, we enjoyed some time away in New York City. We love to stay downtown near the Financial District. Here it is always sleepy on the weekends, with great restaurants and magnificent views. The best part is, we are just steps away from the Governor’s Island Ferry or a subway ride or ferry into Brooklyn. Here are some scenes from our recent venture into downtown Manhattan.
I never got to eat at Dooky Chase’s restaurant, and because of that, I never had the honor of meeting Leah Chase, a culinary icon of New Orleans. Sadly, Leah Chase died on June 1st at the age of 96, leaving behind a legacy bigger and more famous than the delicious gumbo she served up to presidents, civil right’s activists, celebrities, and travelers. Leah Chase transformed her husband’s small sandwich shop in… Read More
What do you know about this quote carved into the marble of the southeast wall of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.? If, like me, you read the words and thought, that’s powerful and pertinent, but what’s the context? Did he say it? Write it? Who was it directed at? So, I did a little research. This is from a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to Samuel Kercheval, a Virginia lawyer and… Read More
Of all of the photos that Paul has taken over the years, this is one of my favorites. The lady in the hat, sitting by the Seine in front of the Louvre. It is often assumed that I posed for this photo, but I assure you, my arms and legs aren’t nearly that toned, and I do not own a purse or hat that glamorous. The tourists flock to the museum to… Read More
This city exceeded our expectations. From food to friendly, Cleveland rates 10 + on the cities we love list. Every local treated us as if we were their friend. Many tried to talk us into moving. The exploration of a new city can sometimes leave you feeling slightly unsure of how you will be greeted upon arrival. Will you feel safe? Will you feel welcome? Cleveland will make you feel all of… Read More
I don’t like to be stuck in a city in the rain; I don’t have good hair for it. I do prefer to sit in a window and watch other people dash through it, some of them so elegant, others so mysterious. Paul always seems to capture these breathtaking moments of people walking through the city. He can usually find the one person with the most stylish patterned umbrella as they delicately… Read More
Bringing Down the White Picket Fence 