In August 2009, I wrote about a trip we took with our oldest grandson. We called it our “Grand Adventure” since it included grandparents (my husband and me) and our 13-year-old grandson, along with our friends and their teenage grandson. Two years have passed, and I’m eager to share a second grandparent/grandchild 17-day trip we titled “Paige’s Princess Adventure,” because we were on the Ocean Princess cruise ship and because Paige is truly her grandma and grandpa’s 12-year-old princess! ... Read More

Valencia is Spain’s third-largest city, but in terms of tourism, it is way down this beautiful country’s list, with smaller places such as Toledo and Córdoba outmuscling it. You get the impression that the Valencianos rather like it that way. Some recommendations:... Read More

     I never considered myself an escorted tour kind of person. Until I took one. Like many Americans, I thought escorted tours were like the one depicted in that old movie, If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium. You know, you pile on and off sightseeing buses with 40 other tourists on a trip that crams so many countries into two weeks that you forget which city you're in. In this 40th anniversary year of the film’s release, that image remains in the public consciousness. But a 12-day... Read More