Category: Uncategorized

19 Cool Things to Do During Summer in Maryland (2023)

Summer in Maryland is one of the best times to visit this bayside state. There are lots of fun things to do when people enjoy being outside, celebrating the longer days and warmer weather. Since I live here, I’ve compiled a list of places to visit and things to do during summer in Maryland. Hopefully this list will give you new ideas of what my home state has to offer!

This post is updated for the 2023 season but new events will be added as they are announced.

Please note that this post does not include Juneteenth, 4th of July … Continue reading

Why You Should Visit Baltimore on a Day Trip

Baltimore isn’t known for its tourism industry. Some people visit Baltimore on a day trip but many people, even those who live nearby, don’t visit it at all. For some reason our beautiful areas, events, and museums have flown under the radar so that many people say, “What’s there to do in Baltimore besides the aquarium?” Well, there’s actually a lot! And I’d like to show you why you should visit Baltimore on a day trip, at least.

Which one are you?

The Art Lover
The Historian
The Black Historian
The Foodie
The Beer Enthusiast
The Family
The Sports Fanatic

The Walled Tuscan Town of Lucca, Italy – Things to Do & Travel Guide

Lucca, Italy is said to be one of the most charming places in Tuscany, known for its unique amphitheatre, so I couldn’t help but visit for myself. A lot of people say there isn’t much to do in Lucca but I found a few places to visit and got to see it all for myself. So without further adieu, here’s my report on the beautiful walled town of Lucca.

A History of Lucca, Italy

Modern Lucca started off as a Roman town in 180 BC – not surprisingly, as the site of the amphitheatre is still very prominent today. In … Continue reading

Exploring Florence, Italy – Things to Do & Travel Guide

Florence is one of Italy’s most popular cities, and it’s very deserving of the status. This beautiful place is steeped in history, mainly Renaissance history, and of course art. Florence is an absolute must-visit for art lovers, who will find that there’s a lot to do.

The History of Florence

Florence actually dates to the times of Julius Caesar when it was established as an ancient Roman city. It’s even in this period that Florence was part of “Tuscia” (Tuscany). But as Rome is famous for its ancient history, Florence is famous for its Renaissance history. Florence became a central … Continue reading

Exploring Bath, England: Things to Do & Travel Guide

Popularised as a home of Jane Austen, Bath is one of England’s most popular cities to explore. Having been a Jane Austen fan, I’d wanted to visit Bath for so long – and it completely blew me away. There’s a lot to see in this charming city, so without further adieu, here’s a look at Bath, England (without a focus on Jane Austen).

Also be sure to see my other post on essential Jane Austen sites to see in Bath.

The History of Bath

Bath has been inhabited for a long, long time. Most notably, it was a Roman town … Continue reading

Exploring Medieval Toledo, Spain: Things to Do & Travel Guide

Toledo has always been very high on my bucket list. I was incredibly excited to visit Toledo as a day trip from Madrid but quickly cancelled my day trip to Segovia and replaced it with a second day in Toledo. I absolutely loved this place.

Some of Toledo, Spain’s History

Toledo is a small place steeped in rich history. It’s been inhabited since before the Roman times by Celtic tribes, and was then conquered and became a Roman town. In the 6th-7th centuries, the Visigoths captured Toledo and used it as the center of political activity, participating in what are … Continue reading

In the Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe: Places to Visit in Boston, Baltimore, and Beyond

Edgar Allan Poe has been an icon of English language literature for over a century. Between the chilling and killing of Annabel Lee to a raven rapping at a chamber door, his works are amongst some of the most celebrated and reenacted in our culture. A Poe fan, but not an expert, I’ve stopped in many places where Mr. Poe lived during my travels. And it occurred to me: just how many sites are there to visit for Poe enthusiasts?

Surprisingly, I couldn’t find a comprehensive list of Edgar Allan Poe sites. I did some digging around and compiled this … Continue reading

The 2021 Travel Recap

Usually, New Year’s is a sad time for me as I look back at time passed – even time well spent. Not last year or this year. I’m quite happy to be a year closer to the end of this awful pandemic.

(Which will end, by the way. Pandemics have happened before and they’ve ended before. Remember that.)

But I don’t want to focus on the bad. I’m happy to report that this year, though far from “perfect,” was fun. Productive. Memorable. And it came with its share of joyous moments.

So, without further adieu, here’s my 2021 Travel Recap!… Continue reading

The Top 10 Places On My Bucket List (2021)

I am not joking when I say I have a world of a bucket list.

A few years ago, I started my ultimate bucket list to keep track of places that I’d like to see. So when someone says, “hey, you should check out this off-the-radar museum,” I’ll have a place to put it. I can then reference this list when planning a trip (something else I love to do). When the pandemic hit, I decided to go back to this bucket list and start from scratch.

I researched the best places and things to do in over 100 countries … Continue reading

Should you get your ancestry DNA tested? My experience

I guess it’s just human curiosity that propels us to buy ancestry DNA tests that tell us where are ancestors are from. After thinking about it for years (because they’re so pricey), I actually decided to brave the cost and get some DNA tests! There’s a saying that goes along the lines of, “the truth is in between both sides” – so that’s why I got 3 DNA tests instead of one.

It was a definitely splurge and I don’t want to bore you, so I’ll get straight to the point: I regret it. Nothing really came out of it. … Continue reading