Some things are worth getting up before 5 am to see. Like this:
And this………
Where do you like to watch the sun come up? Share in comments.
Traveler Interview: Amanda Krill, Web Designer
In case you haven’t noticed, our blog of four and a half years is sporting a new look, thanks to a site redesign by Amanda Krill, a web designer and marketing coach in Ohio.
Amanda is “making over the internet, one website at a time.” You can check out her work at www.AmandaKrill.com and sign up to receive her 7 Ways to Increase Your Website Traffic Now. Or you can learn more about web design from Amanda by liking her Facebook page or following her on Twitter .
We’ve only worked with Amanda virtually, so we were interested to learn more about her home state, and her take on traveling.
The Jones: Are you a traveler or do you want to be one?
Amanda: I’m absolutely a traveler. I can’t sit still for very long, and new places are exciting to me. I thrive on change, so visiting new places gets my creative juices flowing.
You’ve live in Ohio. What are some of your favorite local attractions or destinations?
Amanda: Locally, we love to see historical sites. There are a ton in this area – Fort Meigs, Grand Rapids, Ohio and tons of canal/battlefield/fort type locations.
Amanda, with her husband and three children at Chapel Beach, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Upper Peninsula, Michigan.
Why do you think that travel is important?
Amanda: For me, travel is important because I love learning about new cultures and seeing awesome new places. And as my kids get older, it’s super important to me because I want them to see that there is a bigger world out there. I didn’t travel much as a young child, and I want to make sure that they get to see it all!
Amanda's daughter enjoys Fayette State Park Beach in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
In your past travels, what destination has surprised you the most, either good or bad?
I was not terribly excited to visit Michigan’s Upper Peninsula the first time we drove up there about five years ago. I’m not a hunter, and I don’t love camping as much as the rest of my family does. But it is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.
Specifically, Grand Marais, Michigan is the most amazing place. We love it so much that we now visit there every year. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Fayette (a ghost town on the Lake Michigan side), searching for agates on the beaches of Lake Superior, old wooden shipwrecks right off the beaches – I could go on and on and on. Suffice it to say that it is GORGEOUS.
One of the gorgeous views at Fayette State Park Beach in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
From your travels, do you have a practice or insight that makes your travel experiences more enjoyable?
I try not to over-plan things. We have a rough idea of the places we want to see for sure, but we don’t plan every second, so we don’t miss cool things we don’t know about.. Like in Ireland, we knew we wanted to see Blarney Castle, the Giant’s Causeway, the Burren and the Ring of Kerry – but other than that, we were kind of let’s just see what we see. That’s how we found the Rock of Cashel, St. Michan’s cathedral (you can see the remains of a Crusader!) and Newgrange (sweet passage tomb).
We enjoy learning about other people’s travel discoveries as much as making our own. Coming soon to this blog, a Travel Chat with the illustrator of the cool new header for our blog.
What fuels your travel passion? Please share in comments.
Read More Traveler Interviews:
- “Be flexible. Un-planned events are our favorites.” A Travel Chat with the Johnsons, former European Ex-pats.
- “Travel means letting go and getting outside of your normal, stressful life.” A Travel Chat with a Lifestyle Coach.
- “When I travel, my camera is with me all day.” A Travel Chat with an Art Photographer
In May, 1997, Mr. Jones and I made our first trip together as a couple – to Hong Kong — on a spontaneous, intense five-day visit just before the July 1997 turnover of Hong Kong from the Britishto China.
While in Hong Kong we visited Victoria Peak, Stanley Market, and rode the iconic Star ferry. Jeff experienced his first roller coaster at Ocean Park. A former boss and mentor showed us the Saatchi & Saatchi ad agencies offices and invited us for dinner at his family’s high rise condo.
We sailed by catamaran to the small, car-less island of Cheung Chau, visited Macau by high speed hydrofoil a made a day trip to Shenzhen in mainland China.
In Hong Kong, despite jet lag and culture shock, we discovered we were compatible travelers.
14 years and many trips later, we are returning to Hong Kong for two brief stopovers before and after a visit to Bali.
How has Hong Kong changed since 1997?
In later posts we will share our impressions, but first we revisit some highlights from our 1997 trip (before digital cameras were prevalent.)
A Pub in Stanley Market
Mr. Jones’ First Roller Coaster Ride at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park
Fishing boats in Cheung Chau, a small island without cars
Bicycles Galore in Mainland China
A statue in Macau — a part of Portugal in 1997
Have you been to Hong Kong lately? What’s your favorite attraction? Please share in comments.
Fabulous food, wine and views in Chile’s Casablanca Valley
About half way between Santiago and the coastal city of Valparaíso along Route 68 lays Chile’s Casablanca Valley. Home to potatoes, blue berries and every kind of fruit and vegetable, Casablanca is often compared to the California Carneros wine region, growing chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, and Carménère.
In 1982 winemaker Pablo Morandé planted nearly 50 acres of white wine grapes popular for growing in California. Today, the Casablanca Valley produces most of Chile’s white wines.
We visited Santiago last November, and took a day trip to explore the Casablanca wine region. With its southern hemisphere location, November is late spring in Chile, the perfect time for wine touring.
Fabulous Food and Wine Pairings
It’s only fitting that the visionary of the valley has a superb place to showcase its wines with world class food. Our favorite stop was a wine pairing lunch at the House of Morandé.
You can site inside the contemporary glass and wood building or outside on a covered terrace – both with views of the surrounding vineyards.
We enjoyed multiple courses – from ceviche to seafood to lamb to beef to dessert – each matched with different appropriate Morandé wines. There is a gift shop where you can buy your favorite bottles. Have you been to Chile? Or, do you like Chilean wines? If so, please share your favorite in comments.
Other posts on wine tasting you may enjoy:
- Destination Discovery: Dundee Hills AVA, Oregon
- Destination Photo of the Week: Cruising into Bordeaux, France
- Visiting Napa Valley? 9 Wineries to Try
- A Perfect Lunch in Sonoma Wine Country
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