Today I join with some of my fellow travel bloggers in Photo Friday, a day to celebrate the photographic side of traveling.
Whether our photos are professional quality, or merely serve as a memory of a wonderful adventure, photos have become an increasingly important part of travel.  And in the era of so many digital options, from cameras to online storage to editing software and more, there’s no reason for it to be a complicated process. (I’ve been trying out some new products so look for some reviews coming up soon!)
My photo today is a wonderful memory of a trip …read more

One of my favorite places in Paris was the Pantheon, a neo-Classical church in the Latin Quarter.  It was modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, and topped with a dome similar to Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London.  Although it was originally an abbey, it now primarily serves as a burial place for many famous French heroes, leaders, artists, and writers.
This beautiful building was constructed as a result of a promise made by King Louis XV in 1744.  He was suffering from a serious and mysterious illness (later believed to be gout), and vowed that if he recovered he would …read more

With the Presidential inauguration just a couple weeks away, it’s a good time to think about our former Presidents and the place they occupy in history.  Putting politics aside, that’s just what the National Park Service has done – put Presidential PLACES on display – with the new Discover Our Shared Heritage on-line travel itinerary site.
The American Presidents itinerary explores the lives, contributions and historical sites of all 43 presidents.  (President-elect Obama is not yet on the list.)  Among the sites listed are birthplaces, home and memorials.  There’s also a general presidential itinerary that includes the White House, Mount …read more

Standing in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle (also called the Place de l’Étoile) at the western end of the Champs-Élyseés, the Arc de Triomphe is the largest triumphal arch in the world. 
It honors those who bravely fought for France, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars.  ,  Beneath the arch is the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War I, marked by the very first eternal flame.  The flame burns in memory of those who died, but were not identified, in both WWI and WWII.  An inscription reads “Here lies a French soldier who died for …read more