I recently spent a week traveling through the beautiful countryside of southern France while my luggage stayed behind somewhere in Charles de Gaulle Airport. Fortunately, my make up and basic toiletries were in my carry-on bag but everything else, my clothes, shoes, shampoo and lotions…
I think most of us harbor a secret belief that at the right time, with the right partner, in the right place, with the right music, in the right costume and with a few good lessons, we could Tango like a pro. That’s the appeal…
When you first see the medieval walled Cité' of Carcassonne, depending on the direction from which you approach, it can appear unexpectedly on the landscape. Like the magic castle in a storybook. The high stone walls and tall towers wrap ribbonlike around the rocky top…
My granddaughter is suddenly a toddler. Over the last few months we’ve watched her crawl then, almost overnight, put one foot in front of another learning first to walk and then run. Her mother, my daughter, is trained to work with patients with mobility issues…
Our small group, an assortment of travelers from the US, Canada and Germany, gathered as Ivan Karlic, our guide, leashed up Blackie, the sweet, specially trained dog who would sniff out truffles buried at the base of oak trees growing in a small grove on…
My friend called to say she’d just put a ticket to London on her credit card. “Is the card you’re trying to pay off, the one you were going to cut up?” I asked. There was a long pause and then a deep sigh. “Yes.”…
It’s easy to spend a fortune on suitcase accessories, but you’d be surprised how many items you already have around the house can make traveling easier and cheaper. Here are five of my favorite 'recycle and reuse' packing tips: Read and Recycle: I usually pack…
I pushed away my plate and picked up my purse to leave The Fisherman’s Wife and move on, but at the last minute I pulled out my phone and took a photo of the only bite left on my plate. One crescent of cornbread was…
Nothing takes the shine off a travel adventure like finding yourself sick away from home. Even the healthiest of us can fall--Colds happen. Germs find us. Stomachs revolt--so it pays to think ahead and pack for those unexpected headaches, troubled tummies and painful blisters. Here…
I woke up early, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, slipped into a sweater and walked out into the cool morning, closing the door behind me. Following the short path to the beach, I stepped onto the soft, damp, sand and began to walk the…
The family vacation season is almost here. Soon, the kids will be out of school and families will set out to spend some time together and see a few things along the way. There’s nothing wrong with the traditional road trip (‘Don’t make me pull…
The dark water of the New River slips silently downstream, continuing to carry my kayak forward whenever I lift my paddles, allowing me to float quietly for a few minutes absorbing the sights and sounds and the lush North Florida landscape around me. Tall Tupelo…
It shouldn’t cost a fortune to outfit your travel kit and many of the most practical items you can pack are things you may already have around the house. I sometimes fly out on short notice so my bag stays ready to go. Here are…
Packing up the kids for a family road trip is one thing, but flying off to Europe with a teen is a totally different experience. With a little planning and patience you can share a travel experience that you’ll both cherish. Here are five tips…
I followed the thread of passengers though the 737 to my aisle seat. The man sitting in what my boarding pass indicated was my seat was a friendly giant. He was huge in that former-college-linebacker-who-has-put-on-a-lot-of-weight way, and he smiled up at me while I stood…
If I’d known then what I know now, it would have been no surprise that three of my four children came into the world after waking me up from a sound sleep. (The fourth missed out only because we beat her to the punch and…
So often when the subject of travel comes up, someone will invariably mention their 'bucket list.' They will talk about a city or continent, a monument or some kind of natural wonder or even an event they want to see before they die. Before, as…
There is a house down the street from where I live and I often pass it on my afternoon walks through the neighborhood. It is a small white house, a classic Cape Cod, probably built in the lean years before the second World War. There…
I had three nights and three tries to see and photograph the Northern Lights over Churchill, Manitoba. The first night, after flying in to the small airport on the edge of Hudson Bay and checking into the Tundra Hotel, after dinner in one of the…
The routine is always the same. I walk into our kitchen, a place that is deeply familiar and filled with all the pleasant associations of my family, and I pull out everything I will need. Methodically, listening to the radio or letting my mind wander,…
There are many reasons that Bruges is always on the must-see list for tourists visiting Belgium. Walking down the narrow streets and across the arching bridges of Bruges, it’s easy to fall into the trap of appreciating the city for its beauty alone. And Bruges…
I have a friend about to depart on a month-long solo trip to Paris. She’s excited and a bit nervous about striking out on her own, but exhilarated by the freedom to finally do what she wants. The number of women choosing to travel alone…
I don’t want much. I just want the perfect suitcase. I spend hours looking at suitcases and duffles and carry-on bags. I shop online, in department stores and at specialty shops. I read reviews and ask my friends for recommendations. I weigh the merits of…
When I arrived in the Northwest in the late 1990s, one of the first pieces of advice someone gave me was to find a way to enjoy the long winters, like taking up skiing--downhill or cross-country--or snowshoeing. The point was to embrace it, not simply…
You hear a lot about how uncomfortable modern travel has become and it’s all true. Long lines, security screenings, cancelled flights and cramped seats can take the fun out of getting from one place to another. But, for the sake of argument, I’d like to…
Cheryl-Anne Millsap's Home Planet column appears each week in the Wednesday "Pinch" supplement. Cheryl-Anne is a regular contributor to Spokane Public Radio and her essays can be heard on Public Radio stations across the country.
