Category Archives: Travel

Tours, Guides and Travel as We Age

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endangered gray wolf

Checking In on the Wolf Hollow Plan

Hi All, Just a quick update on the Wolf Hollow adventure. I’ve been communicating with the Boston branch of GoWithGuide, and I now have contact information for three local guides. I just need to reach out and see what they have to say about a trip to Wolf Hollow.

Rethinking How I Travel

I’ve been thinking a lot about tours and guides. As an older person, I’ve sort of come to the conclusion that if I get back to traveling, it will probably be with senior tours or groups — and I have mixed feelings about that.

I’ve always liked exploring on my own. I don’t enjoy those organized “cattle call” tours where the guide marches you through a set itinerary. If there’s something you want to see and it’s not on the list, too bad. And I’m not sure how much wandering you can really do on a tightly scheduled tour. You know me — I like getting photos that are a little different from the typical tourist shots.

A Great Experience With a Small Guided Tour

We used a tour guide when we went to Pearl Harbor. It wasn’t GoWithGuide — I didn’t know about them at the time — but it was a small group. My sister and I were dubbed “the Sisters.” Our guide entertained us with stories about the morning of the raid and pointed out where the Japanese planes flew in. It gave us a great background before we reached the memorial.

Once we arrived, he turned us loose with a meeting place and a time, so we had plenty of freedom.

Afterward, he even offered to take us to a food truck the locals used. That was fantastic — and an experience we never would have had without a guide.

Why GoWithGuide Caught My Attention

GoWithGuide isn’t just a U.S. company. They’re international. One country I’d love to visit is Ireland, but I always assumed I’d either be stuck on a group tour or forced to learn to drive on the wrong side of the road. Ireland is famous for its tiny, winding roads, and that alone put me off.

Knowing I could have a personalized tour with a local guide opens up the possibilities and makes the idea so much more appealing.

Learn more about GoWithGuide’s personalized tours

It feels like the perfect solution for someone like me — someone who wants the freedom to wander but doesn’t know the territory.

What Comes Next

So next step: asking those Boston guides whether they’re brave enough to take me to Wolf Hollow. If they say yes, it’ll be the perfect chance to try out this whole “personalized tour” idea and see if it really is the right fit for someone like me who loves to wander but doesn’t know the territory.

Affiliate Disclosure

This post contains affiliate links. If you book a tour through my link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As always, I only share services I genuinely think you’ll enjoy.

 

San Marino: The Tiny Country Hiding Inside Italy

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A Place I Somehow Missed on the Map

Every now and then, I stumble across a place that makes me stop and say, “Wait… how did I not know this existed?” San Marino is one of those places.

It’s a whole country — a real one — perched on top of a mountain and completely surrounded by Italy. If you blink at the wrong moment on a map, you’ll miss it. Honestly, it looks like someone dropped a medieval fortress onto a cliff and said, “Yes, this is fine. This is a nation now.”

And I kind of love that energy.

A Republic Older Than Most Things in My House

San Marino claims to be the world’s oldest republic, founded in 301 AD. That’s older than most countries, older than most buildings, and definitely older than my patience when Banner decides 3 a.m. is parkour hour.

From everything I’ve seen, San Marino feels like stepping into a storybook:

  • Narrow stone streets curling up the mountain
  • Three dramatic towers guarding the peaks
  • Views that stretch all the way to the Adriatic Sea
  • A pace that seems slower, quieter, and somehow untouched

It’s the kind of place where you wander without a plan and let the scenery do the talking.

The Passport Stamp Moment (and a Few Fun Facts)

I’m not exactly an international traveler — I’ve technically been to Canada (Vancouver, Montreal, even the Yukon) and I’ve been to the Bahamas, but neither ever felt truly international to me. Mexico was the big one, my first real “I left the country!” moment — so the idea of collecting passport stamps still feels like a novelty to me.

One of the quirkiest things about San Marino is that you can walk into the tourist office and get your passport stamped — not because you need it, but because it’s fun. And honestly, how often do you get a stamp from a country that’s only 24 square miles with a population of around 34,000 people?

It’s tiny. Like, “you could accidentally walk out of the country while looking for gelato” tiny.

But that’s part of the charm. It’s small enough to feel intimate, but dramatic enough — perched on Mount Titano — to feel like you’ve stepped into a fantasy novel.

What I’d Do If I Ever Found Myself There

Since I haven’t been (yet!), this is pure daydreaming — but here’s what I imagine:

I’d start at Guaita Tower, the most iconic of the three, because if you’re going to climb a mountain country, you might as well start with the dramatic stuff. Then I’d wander to Cesta Tower, which apparently has a weapons museum. And even though Montale Tower is closed to the public, I’d still stare at it like a tourist who wants to climb everything.

Then I’d find a café with a view — preferably one where I could sit outside, sip something warm, and pretend I’m a character in a European novel.

If You Go (Someday… Maybe I Will Too)

  • Bring your passport — you don’t need it to enter from Italy, but you will want that novelty stamp.
  • No visa needed if you’re already in Italy; San Marino is visa‑free for tourists.
  • There’s no airport — the closest is in Rimini, Italy (about 30 minutes away).
  • You’ll likely arrive by bus from Rimini or by car if you’re road‑tripping.
  • Wear good shoes — this is a mountaintop country; everything is uphill, downhill, or both.
  • Plan for a day trip — though staying overnight means you get the towers all to yourself after the crowds leave.
  • Bring a camera — the views stretch all the way to the Adriatic Sea on a clear day.
  • Expect slow, scenic wandering — this is not a “check off 12 attractions” kind of place.

And whoever gets there first has to tell all. I’ll be waiting to hear from you while I plan my own dream trip.

 

 

Massachusetts. First in Ideas, First in Innovation

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Massachusetts Wasn’t First… Until It Decided to Be First in Everything

Jamestown may have gotten the early bragging rights in 1607, and the Pilgrims didn’t step onto Plymouth soil until 1620 — and then, just ten years later, Boston was founded in 1630. And once Massachusetts finally entered the race, we behaved exactly like Golden Tempo: lally‑gagging along at the rear of the pack for a while, just taking our sweet time… and then in the home stretch, POW. Look out world, here we come.

Some places take centuries to build a legacy.
Massachusetts took about five minutes.

And once we hit our stride? We didn’t just join the party — we started inventing half the things in the room.

🌳 1634 — Boston Common: First Public Park AND First Botanical Garden

People remember the “first public park” part.
Almost nobody remembers the “first botanical garden” part.
And here’s the kicker: the botanical garden portion sits on reclaimed marshland — Boston literally reshaped the landscape so people could stroll among curated plantings. We were cultivating beauty before most cities even had sidewalks.

💡 1716 — Boston Light: First Lighthouse in the United States

Before America had a country, Boston was already lighting the way. Built on Little Brewster Island, Boston Light guided ships into the harbor starting in 1716.

And when the British evacuated Boston in 1776, they didn’t leave quietly. They blew up the original lighthouse on their way out — a dramatic “if we can’t have it, no one can” exit.

In true Massachusetts fashion, we rebuilt it.
Stronger. Taller. Ready for another few centuries of service.
Boston Light. Still Standing, Still shining

Boston Light on Little Brewster Island

🔫 1775 — Lexington & Concord: The Shot Heard ’Round the World

And then came the big one — the first that changed everything. On April 19, 1775, in the quiet towns of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts fired the shot heard ’round the world and officially kicked off the American Revolution.

The first battles.
The first resistance.
The first spark of a brand‑new nation.

Massachusetts didn’t just make history — we started it.

🍫 1765 — First Chocolate Factory… and the Cookies That Came Later

Long before Hershey dreamed up a chocolate bar, Dorchester was grinding cacao and running the first chocolate factory in America. Massachusetts was sipping hot chocolate while the rest of the colonies were still figuring out how to boil water.

And many years later, just down the road in Whitman, Ruth Wakefield would bake the very first Toll House cookies — the chocolate chip cookie that changed dessert forever.

Hot chocolate and fresh‑baked cookies.
Massachusetts really understood the assignment.

🏖 1896 — Revere Beach: First Public Beach in the U.S.

Revere Beach wasn’t just a place to swim — it was a radical idea: the shoreline should belong to everyone. America’s first public beach, right here in Massachusetts, proving once again that we don’t just make history… we make it accessible.

A detailed sand sculpture of the U.S.S. Constitution on Revere Beach, surrounded by carved crates and barrels, with beachgoers and the ocean in the background.

🚇 1897 — The Tremont Street Subway: First Subway in America

Boston didn’t just build a subway — it built the first subway in the United States. The Tremont Street Subway opened in 1897, whisking commuters underground while other cities were still arguing about horse‑drawn traffic.
Boston Transit-First in the Nation, Last to Arrive

🪒 1901 — Gillette’s Disposable Razor: A Shaving Revolution

King Camp Gillette wasn’t born a mogul — he was a traveling salesman with more ideas than money, always tinkering, always trying to solve everyday annoyances. One boss once suggested he invent something people would need to replace often — the kind of product that keeps customers coming back.

Gillette took that seed of an idea and turned it into a whole new way of shaving. Instead of sharpening the same blade forever, he imagined a razor with thin, inexpensive blades you could swap out and toss. Safe, simple, and endlessly replaceable.

It was the birth of the disposable razor — and honestly, the birth of the “use it, replace it, repeat” model long before today’s built‑in obsolescence became standard in everything from appliances to earbuds.

Gillette didn’t just change grooming.
He changed how America buys things.

📸 1948 — First Polaroid Camera Sold in Boston

Edwin Land unveiled his instant camera at Jordan Marsh, and when the photo developed right in people’s hands, the crowd gasped. Boston didn’t just witness the moment — it was the moment.

 

☕ 1950 — First Dunkin’

Our Dunkin’ addiction officially began in Quincy in 1950, when the very first shop opened its doors. Back then it was called Open Kettle, but the idea was the same: coffee, donuts, and a way of life.
Is it any wonder America runs on Dunkin.

And that’s the thing about Massachusetts…

We may not have been the first to arrive, but once we got moving, we became first in everything that mattered — from chocolate to coffee to beaches to botany to photography to shaving your face without slicing it open… and yes, even the Revolution.

We weren’t early.
We were excellent.

 

RIP Old Major

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Old Major, the ancient Sherwood Forest oak, standing leafless with metal supports holding up its massive, hollowed branches against a cloudy sky

🌳 Saying Goodbye to a Living Legend

It’s always sad when someone — or something — passes away. We humans understand that our time on this earth is finite. We lose loved ones, we lose pets, from the humble goldfish to the faithful dog or cat who leaves a hole in our hearts.

But how often do we stop and think about the other living things around us?
The ones that stand quietly, century after century, asking nothing from us except space and sunlight?

The trees.

Trees, Time, and Childhood Imagination

Trees are surprisingly long‑lived. When I was growing up, I had quite the imagination. I can still remember debating with my next‑door neighbor about whether fairies were real. Oh, how I wanted them to be — delicate little beings with shimmering wings, flitting among the flowers.

And that brings me back to the trees.

I always imagined the fairies living in the woods, tucked into the roots and branches. I wondered what stories the trees could tell if they could talk. The giant sequoias, for example, have been alive since the time of the dinosaurs. They’ve watched humanity grow and evolve — from four legs to two, from naked wanderers to suits, ties, and haute couture.

Which brings me to the subject of today’s post.

Who Was Old Major?

Old Major was an oak tree — a giant of a tree — estimated to be between 800 and 1,000 years old. He was a character in the Robin Hood legend, already ancient even in those stories. According to folklore, he sheltered Robin and his Merry Men inside his hollowed‑out trunk.

That’s what old oaks do. They grow and grow, and as they age, they begin to hollow out. Old Major was already entering his twilight years when Robin supposedly hid inside him. But he still had life left to give.

A Sentinel of Sherwood Forest

I don’t know how thick Sherwood Forest was in Robin’s time, but today Old Major stood alone — a massive sentinel in the clearing, drawing Robin Hood fans from around the world. He was the kind of tree you don’t just look at; you feel him.

Sadly, the old man of the forest has finally passed on.

The Final Spring

This spring, no leaves burst forth on any of his branches.
The horticulturists watched and waited, but no sap ran beneath the bark.
Old Major, the Robinhood Tree was dead. His long life had finally come to an end.

I don’t yet know what, if anything, is planned to memorialize Old Major. Sometimes new trees are grown from the acorns of the fallen, allowing another generation to begin. Perhaps that will be his legacy.

What Brought Him Down?

The usual things:

  • Age
  • Poor soil conditions
  • And the big one: climate change

Ancient trees like Old Major evolved in a stable climate. The rapid changes of the last 50 years have hit these elders hard — hotter summers, sudden storms, droughts, and unpredictable temperature swings.

Even giants have limits.

A Life That Spanned Centuries

No matter the cause, it’s still hard to say goodbye to something that began life in Medieval England. Old Major survived:

  • The Black Death
  • The Industrial Revolution
  • Two world wars
  • The rise and fall of countless monarchs

And along the way, he became a character in a legend.

Not many living things can claim that.

A Final Farewell

So we say goodbye to Old Major — not just a tree, but a witness to history, a keeper of stories, and a quiet companion to generations who walked beneath his branches. He stood through plagues and wars, through kings and commoners, through centuries of change that would have bewildered the world he was born into.

In the end, he reminds us that even the oldest giants must eventually rest. But what a legacy he leaves behind: a place in legend, a place in memory, and a reminder that the living world around us has its own tales to tell, if only we pause long enough to listen.

 

 

Colorado’s Wildlife Bridge Gets Its First Big Visitors

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Update : Colorado, Greenland Wildlife Overpass

Remember that wildlife overpass Colorado finished earlier this year — the one I wrote about when it opened? Well, it just had its first major moment. A trail cam captured three elk using the bridge, strolling across like they’ve been doing it forever.

It’s exactly what biologists hoped for: large animals choosing the safe route instead of darting across I‑25. And honestly, seeing it actually work feels like a little win for both wildlife and drivers.

Two bull elk standing in a grassy field with trees behind them, representing the wildlife now using Colorado’s new overpass.”

I’ve linked back to my original post if you want the full backstory.