You Go Girls! Travel

06/23/2026

Sooooo- here we are in Paris with 4 adults and an 8 year old. The Notre Dame Tower climb was canceled today. We were able to get in the church. It’s all about trying to survive the temps. Flexibility is key here! Lots of gelato helps

06/20/2026

Our mosaic class in Mykonos was lots of fun. Highly recommend. It took less than 2 hours and the instructors were so kind.
Obviously the donkey one was a project of the artist. She far outshined us.

06/19/2026

You know it’s not a trip without at least one good bathroom sign. This one is from Ephesus.

06/19/2026

This piece of art caught my attention the day we boarded the Odyssey of the Seas. Turns out it is just one of Peter Gronquist’s onboard. Peter went to Lincoln HS with my sons. Had to go halfway around the world to see it. Small world.

06/16/2026

Where am I? This museum seems a bit hung up on wine!

06/07/2026

ULTIMATE TRAVEL TIP

The anticipation of a trip, its planning, packing, and list making, is exhilarating. Returning home to an empty refrigerator is not.

Now that the clothes are packed, I’m tackling the leftovers and prepping a homecoming meal.

The 4 onions slowly carmelizing, have been saved from 3 weeks of sprouting on the counter. Popped out of the freezer, I’ll have golden sweetness ready for later.

For an easier re-entry to reality, there will be 4 servings of leftover lasagna paired with a rustic Italian bread that has already been brushed with garlic and spread with butter. They are well wrapped and packaged together, so I can find them in the freezer.

Bonus points for the shelf stable milk that saves a jet-lagged hazy trip to the market

Cheers- I hope this helps lighten your load.

05/21/2026

Part of this advice I can support. That would be the first part about where NOT to hide valuables. From there, I would delete the section on where TO hide them and skip to the last point.
DO NOT TRAVEL WITH ANYTHING YOU VALUE, AND KEEP ANYTHING IMPORTANT ON YOUR BODY.

Before you stash your rings, watches, or passport in a “clever” spot, read this. A jewelry expert shares where thieves look first in hotel rooms—plus smarter, low-effort ways to store valuables while you travel.

05/10/2026

Another great day. Ready for a long post?

After a good sleep, I was ready for the day.
True confession, I bought a sweet treat last night to have for my breakfast. First stop Starbucks for some needed protien - egg white bites.

First highlight- The Museum of Broadway. Opened in 2022, this is a well done look at the theater history of NYC. It is full of fun, but also reveals some hard historical facts.

Next highlight- Maybe Happy Ending at the Belasco Theater. What a poignant show. Wear waterproof mascara if you see it.
The show ended just in time to grab a very fast bite and head to,..

Oh, Mary!- a rather naughty story of Mary Todd Lincoln. NO, you do not know the ending of this one. Miya Rudolph was cast to play Mary, but was replaced by an understudy. I cannot imagine that Miya could have done a better job herself. It is a hilarious show.

Near the hotel, I have been passing a long line of people waiting for a food cart. They are mostly Middle Eastern and dressed in Islamic garb. I questioned some of the queued. They all said it is the best halal food in town. It is not there during the day. It opens at 6 PM and stays open til 5 AM. There were 7 guys working and another shift was sleeping in their vans to take over the next shift. The 40 minute wait (thankfully the pouring rain had abated) quickly passed as I made new friends with my fellow line members ---One was Lebanese (owns a restaurant), one from Ethiopia (works for DHS), and one with family from Guinea (studiying architectural engineering). They told me what to order and it was wonderful. This proved to be my least expensive meal and the best!

Last stop - Magnolia Bakery to grab a famous banana pudding that lived up to its hype.

A long soak in the tub filled with Himalayan pink bath salts was the perfect ending of a pretty perfect day.

Home tomorrow after a much appreciated break.

05/09/2026

My travel to New York was to celebrate the launch of a new collaboration by Ponant and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. WHOI is performing earth shattering and far reaching research on planet Earth. And Ponant offers a gracious French cruising experience. Together they will make a difference in how we see the world.

Our trip to Antarctica in December 2027 is the first of this teaming.

After lunch at the New York Yacht Club, we embarked on a harbor cruise, under unanticipated glorious skies.

Being in the same time and place with this remarkable team was a time of learning, inspiration, and gratitude that I am eager to share with you.

05/08/2026

A GOLDEN DAY AWAY-

It only takes a single great travel day to forget all the early morning wakeup calls, the horrible airplane food, the bad beds, and the delayed flights. Today is one of THOSE days.

Since the Blue Box Cafe at Tiffany's in NYC opened, I have been trying to have breakfast there. Today I did. It is very cute and the food was really good.

My room was ready for me to check in at 10:30AM, which was certainly not what I expected.

My room was upgraded, and chocolates were waiting for me. The chocolates were a happy accident. They had someone else's name on them. They said I can keep them. I hope Mr Valdaris does not miss them.

As I was walking, I saw 2 men with huge camera lenses trained on a building. It looked like they were watching a construction site. I asked and found out they were observing the peregrine falcon nest. One shared his binoculars. They are an endangered species but many make NYC their home.

I scored discount tickets to Titanique and Maybe Happy Ending.

It is not raining.

Next stop Macy's at Herald Square to see the annual spring flower show there.

Loving it!