One of the media’s favorite pre-Olympics topics was security threats at the Sochi Games. When we were traveling in Europe prior to arriving in Sochi, we could tell when the U.S. media ramped up the hype on how unsafe our destination was going to be. We got many email and social media messages from concerned …
We arrived in Sochi Friday night after a long layover in Chisinau from Bucharest. First impressions were favorable. The Adler airport is modern, and because most Olympic visitors appeared to have arrived for the Opening Ceremonies ahead of us, there was relatively little hassle processing through Russian passport control, and no customs check whatsoever. It …
We visited Kilkenny, a lovely medieval city just southwest of Dublin, on our way to Waterford on Ireland’s southeast coast. A charming, if confusing, labyrinth of narrow streets lined with picturesque shops, hotels and restaurants leads you across the River Nore to Kilkenny Castle. Originally a wooden tower structure, the castle was built in the …
We didn’t set out to visit Ireland as part of our trip to the Winter Olympics in Sochi. But, instead of paying for round-trip air from Kauai to a European hub such as Frankfurt or Amsterdam, it was a no-brainer to take advantage of a six-day package – air, accommodations and car – that cost …
By the time we arrived in Ireland recently, we’d been on the go for about 48 hours straight, or so it seemed. Our flight left Lihue around 10 in the evening; after 5 hours we arrived in Los Angeles for a 90 minute layover. We boarded a second five hour flight for Newark, where we …
The Kilauea Lighthouse on Kauai is a don’t miss for visitors. We love taking our guests to the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge overlook, and then into the Lighthouse grounds for more looking around. Kilauea is on the northeast side of Kauai; if you’re coming from Poipu or another area on the south side, it’s …
How do people afford to live in Hawaii? Before you throw your favorite flip flops and aloha shirt in your sayonara suitcase, heed our best advice for moving to Hawaii. It’s deep midwinter on the Mainland as I write this and with it, a virtual polar vortex of emails and blog visitors who are wondering: …