Author Archives: Wendy

You Know You’re Traveling Like Us When

by Wendy
Your sisters are always up for drinks over evening card or Scrabble games
Your parents can easily out-hike you, any day of the week
Your niece and nephew think of the funniest Would You Rather questions on a car trip
There is a great variety of snacks and everyone is willing to share
There is always quality coffee around Continue reading →

Meanwhile Back At The Ranch

During our family trip out West, Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort was home base. This 4,000 acre ranch next to Zion National Park is about a 90 minute drive from St. George airport and 3 hour drive from Las Vegas. So yes, it is remote, but that’s part of the beauty. We stayed in a cabin, though there are many different lodging options, including camping, glamping or even Conestoga Wagon! This is a special place. Here are some of our favorite things about the ranch. Continue reading →

Utah Four Times

by Wendy
During the past six months, I traveled to Utah four times. Once for skiing, twice for work, and most recently for an epic vacation with my husband Jack, parents Cindy and Joe, sister April, nephew J, sister Sunny, brother-in-law Jimmy, and niece MJ. Continue reading →

American Literary History in Concord

by Wendy
Louisa May Alcott was one of my favorite writers as a child. Like many girls, I adored the novel Little Women and idolized the character Jo March. I read any book I could find by Alcott and then moved on to biographies about her fascinating life and family members.

Alcott was dethroned by other literary obsessions as I grew older, and I hadn’t thought about her much in recent years. Then I watched the new PBS Masterpiece adaptation of Little Women a few weeks before a Boston trip. A quick online search confirmed that Louisa May Alcott’s family home, “Orchard House”, is in nearby Concord and can be toured. I remembered wanting to go as a kid, and now I had the opportunity thanks to Jack and our pal Steve, eternal good sport, who was up for spending a Saturday afternoon chasing literary history. Continue reading →

Remembrance of Derby Days Past

by Wendy
It’s been many years since I was in Louisville on the first Saturday of May, otherwise known as Kentucky Derby Day. But I celebrate the event every year.

You’ve no doubt seen the pomp and pageantry on the news. Southern belles with glamorous hats on head and mint juleps in hand, gents in seersucker and sunglasses, dignified horses striding sometimes proudly sometimes flippantly toward their post position. This is fabulous, but there are other Derby Day experiences. I don’t need to eat a slice of Derby pie or drink bourbon to vividly recall times past, but it certainly doesn’t hurt either. Continue reading →

Interlude at Invalides

by Wendy
We decided to go to Les Invalides because of rain in the Paris forecast. A museum day seems like a good idea, and none of us have been here before. It’s open on Tuesday, unlike The Louvre, and easy to access via Metro.

MJ, Sunny and Jimmy and I walk down a long tree-lined boulevard toward the entrance, as the sky wavers from blue to grey, bright to cloudy. Continue reading →

Philadelphia in Five Photos, 500 Words

by Wendy
Jack and I were happy to spend part of Spring Break in Philadelphia with my sister April and nephew J.

We begin a morning road trip, taking turns playing favorite U2 songs. Despite staying up the previous night to watch old episodes of The Simpsons, we are wide awake in America. The air is cool and as we get closer to Philadelphia, the day turns beautifully sunny. Continue reading →

DC Day Trip: Udvar-Hazy Center

by Wendy
Raise your hand if you love the National Air and Space Museum. Oh, I do too. One of the best things about being in DC is spending a day walking on the National Mall and visiting multiple museums. But did you know there is a second Air and Space location near Dulles Airport? The Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia is worth the short trip, even if you have to pay to park. Continue reading →