DAY 3: Ashville, North Carolina → Atlanta, Georgia. This was my first real day of wandering. We got a taste of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, as we took back roads from Etowah, NC to Atlanta, GA. In my original plan, I had intended to … Continue readingBlue Ridge Mountains
DAY 2: Weston, West Virginia → Ashville, North Carolina It was another long day of driving on mostly highway, but we took an unplanned stop to briefly explore the newest national park, the New River Gorge in West Virginia. There is no doubt that we need … Continue readingFood Rules, Goats and Chickens
DAY 1: Canandaigua → Weston, West Virginia. We were finishing the build right up to the last minute. Scott was putting the final touches on the shelves and closet, and I was mapping things out a bit further. The gear and supplies were organized and … Continue readingOn the Road
It has been a year since I set out to explore the USA. With Zeke as my co-pilot and a van I had converted into a comfy little home, we set out south to find warm weather, and then we proceeded to chase spring and … Continue readingUSA 2021
Ponta Delgada is the largest city and administrative capital of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in Portugal. Located on Sao Miguel Island, its population is about 69,000. Founded in the 15th century, its scale is small and intimate. Here we stayed in a very nice hostel, which was an … Continue readingPonta Delgada
There is great food to be had in the Azores, but it’s worth planning for to avoid frustration. We had reservations for about half the nights (some documented elsewhere on the blog), and then returned to a couple of favorites. We didn’t always grab photos … Continue readingGreat Food in the Azores
Our last two days in the Azores had us back in Sao Miguel, this time staying in the main city of Ponta Delgada. Here we had scheduled whale watching with Sea Colors Expeditions, and it was truly one of the highlights of the trip. The … Continue readingWhale Watching with Sea Colors Expeditions
On our last day on Pico, we enjoyed some quiet time at the beautiful house, and then set off to check out more of the western side of the island. In Madalena, we came across another natural pool, created in the sea by lava flow. … Continue readingMore Exploring Pico
With the necessary shift in the schedule to accommodate the whale watching rebooking, we had only a short window to visit Faial Island. It’s a quick ferry ride from Madalena to Horta. (Times are limited and not entirely convenient off-season, so be sure to check … Continue readingColorful Port of Horta
We set off again the next morning for whale watching, and were warned seas were rough but we went out. It was an experience! The boat was small, the ride was rough, and we got very wet, but we had the wonderful opportunity to see … Continue readingWhale Watching with Espaço Talassa