I didn't intend for this to be such a domestically focused travel year. It just worked out that way. Thanks in part to my expertise in the Southern region, many trips I took were close to home. But I also vowed to see more of my own country this year, which was accomplished during a trip out west … [Read more...] about The Beauty of America’s National Parks
Hawaii
How to Spend a Week in Hawaii
Perhaps no place has surprised me as much as Hawaii. I always imagined it to be overrun with tourists, all staying at all-inclusive resorts, sunning themselves over overpriced mai tais. But instead, what I found on my trip back in 2011 was hearty food with Asian influences, road trips to every … [Read more...] about How to Spend a Week in Hawaii
Visiting World War II and Holocaust Sites
It's difficult to visit anywhere in the world without encountering some form of World War II history. It's everywhere, from the remnants of bombed churches in Hamburg to the beaches of Normandy and even museums here in the United States. It's hard for many of us to understand that time period … [Read more...] about Visiting World War II and Holocaust Sites
How to Hike Diamond Head
I'm the first to admit that I'm not a morning person, nor am I a nature person. So when you combine the two, it makes for a very cranky Caroline. I thought my family had learned their lesson when we decided to go hiking in Maine, but apparently not. So when I was told we would be up at 6 a.m. to … [Read more...] about How to Hike Diamond Head
Malasadas, My One True Love
I'm suddenly wishing we had chosen the GPS option at the rental car desk. Maybe then we would have some idea of where we were going. Still feeling the jetlag from a flight back in time, from Sydney to Honolulu, I just needed some sugar in my system. If I could only find this damn bakery... But … [Read more...] about Malasadas, My One True Love