Veronica James's Blog, page 174

Which Witch is Which? A True Salem Story

We fully admit we were drawn to Salem by its sordid past.

However, we were horrified to see that tourist trap economics trumped ugly, historical facts in Salem.

There are plenty of wonderful historical sites in the beautiful seaside town, including the famous… CONTINUE READING >>

Journey to the Most Active Volcano in Costa Rica

Costa Rica sits right smack on the Pacific Ring of Fire and we couldn’t imagine a visit without seeing one of the country’s six active volcanoes.

Our journey covered an amazing amount of territory in one day. We saw everything from urban to small town, cloud forest to volcano, without ever once getting lost. And for bonus not-getting-lost points, we still had time to spend a pampered afternoon lounging in nature’s hot tubs…. CONTINUE READING >>

Big, Big, BIG News! Going Gypsy and the Story of its Cover (you may judge the book by it)!

Remember that big news we’ve been spouting off about? The news we were afraid to talk about because we couldn’t believe it was actually happening?

Well here it is (drumroll please!):

We have a book coming out!

Can you imagine how hard this has been for over-sharing me to not say anything?

But, before we get into the details, I want to tell you the story about the cover.

Last December… CONTINUE READING >>

The Isthmus of Why We Speak English

Sandwiched between our explorations of Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and Halifax we discovered an often overlooked, and historically important, stretch of Atlantic Canada.

Travel with us through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and discover The Bay of Fundy, with the highest tides in the world, learn how folks got around before cars, overdose on blueberries, and find out how the Scots made it to the New World… CONTINUE READING >>

5 Things Not to Miss in The Galapagos Islands

The Blue-footed Boobie
The Top 5, not to miss, incredible experiences in the Galapagos Islands!… CONTINUE READING >>

Sea Lions are so Funny on Land!

Of all of the fabulous animals in The Galapagos Islands, the one that made it hardest to obey the strict always-stay-six-feet-away-from-the-animals rule… See more of our favorite things to do! >>

We’ve Been Selected as Viator Ambassadors!

We’re pleased to announce that we’ve been selected as 2014 Viator Ambassadors!

What does this mean, you ask? It means that we, and six other lucky travel bloggers, get to share our Viator experiences from all over the globe!

The only problem? How will we ever choose where to go first?…  CONTINUE READING >> 

Yin and Yang: Ancient Meets Modern in Shanghai

How does a city with a jaw-dropping skyline and  the fastest train in the world also embrace its roots?

Join us as we discover Shanghai — the old and the new — through her art, religion, architecture and food (soup dumplings!)… CONTINUE READING >>

Beautiful Ceremony at City God Temple, Shanghai

Music is an important part of Taoist ceremonies. Watch this group of monks don colorful robes and play a variety of intriguing instruments… See more about City God Temple >>

The Old College Pry

How do we know when we’ve become too involved in our offspring’s college education?

Is it okay to call a professor to dispute a test score? Should we proofread papers? Should we have access to grades if we are paying tuition? Should we storm the Dean’s office?

This recovering helicopter mom got the straight dope from college professors – and you won’t believe their stories… CONTINUE READING >>