They say “April showers bring May flowers”. I don’t know what they say about rain in May, but for Maryland at least, this past week the mantra has been “enough already”. According to this month’s weather statistics, Hagerstown has received 3.55 inches of rain so far this month. I’d say most of that has come in the past week. The rain culminated in a freak storm this past Thursday that dumped an incredible amount of water on Southern Washington County…
My wife and I have always tried to raise our daughters (one now seventeen and one fourteen) to be strong, independent women – critical thinkers who don’t just believe what they are told, but who are eager to dive into a subject, whatever it is, research the facts, and develop their own opinions. It is with this mindset that I was approached by my eldest a few weeks ago with the question – “can we go to the ‘March For…
It’s time for the final installment, recapping my recent “bucket list” vacation to the Tuscan region of Italy. I hope you’ve enjoyed the sights and sounds of Italy as I relayed them to you each week throughout this series. If you missed a week, check the archives to get caught up! Wrapping it Up – A Last Day of Shopping, a Final Dinner, and Time to Come Home After the previous night’s revelries, we had the chance to sleep in…
It’s time for “Day 6” of a recap of my recent “bucket list” vacation to the Tuscan region of Italy. We’re nearing the end of the journey, and I hope you’re enjoying the sights and sounds of Italy as I relay them to you each week. Let’s get back to our Tuscan adventure! Day 6: It’s My Birthday! An Unbelievable Wine Tour, Pasta Making, and a Communal Meal for the Ages Today I turned 50! What a way to celebrate! …
It’s time for “Day 5” of a recap of my recent “bucket list” vacation to the Tuscan region of Italy. I hope you’re enjoying the sights and sounds of Italy as I relay them to you each week. We’re more than halfway through the trip, and I hope you’ll stay until the end. Let’s get back to our Tuscan adventure! Day 5: Sights of Pienza, an Olive Oil Tasting, and Roof-Top Cocktails in Castelmuzio The sun was gently warming the…
Welcome back for “Day 4” of a recap of my recent “bucket list” vacation to the Tuscan region of Italy. I hope you’re enjoying the sights and sounds of Italy as I relay them to you each week. We’re halfway through the trip, and I hope you’ll stay until the end. Let’s get back to our Tuscan adventure! Day 4: A Tour of Siena and a Glimpse of Italian TV We awoke to another picture-perfect Italian morning. Not a cloud…
Welcome back for “Day 3” of a recap of my recent “bucket list” vacation to the Tuscan region of Italy. The memories flow back to me as I write this column each week, and I hope you are enjoying the trip so far. I hope you’ll stick around each week until we reach the end. Let’s get started on another day in the Tuscan countryside! Day 3: A Farm Tour, “Light Lunch”, and Our First Dinner in a “Real” Italian…
Welcome back for “Day 2” of a recap of my recent “bucket list” vacation to the Tuscan region of Italy. Your response so far to the trip has been extremely positive (thank you!), and I hope you’ll stick around each week until we reach the end. Let’s get started on another day in Italy, shall we? Day 2: Orientation at the Agriturismo and Our First Winery Tour The morning is overcast and cool. I’m sitting on the terrace, nursing a…
As I mentioned in the last post, my wife and I were headed off last week for a “bucket list” vacation to the Tuscan region of Italy. It truly was one of the best weeks of our lives, and I hope to relay some sense of our adventure to you in the coming weeks. I’ll focus on one day of our trip in each post, and I hope you’ll come along for the ride. Day 1: Getting There is Part…
Ahhh, Europe. You’ve always wanted to go. Imagine wandering the museums of Paris, riding the London Eye for a bird’s eye view of the city, hoisting a pint in an authentic Irish pub, or hiking the wild highlands of Scotland. If you have the wandering soul of a world traveler, then these destinations may have always seemed out of reach due to cost, – right? Wrong! As a travel and food writer, I’m always on the lookout for good deals. …