2020-11-06 22:12
The 35-mile long Sunset Crater and Wupatki Scenic Road north of Flagstaff, cuts through a recent volcanic field and otherworldly landscape of Sunset Crater and ancient ruins of the people of… Read More
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Wanderer Writes is a site bringing you travel stories, tips and personal opinion pieces about destinations around the world. Learn about out-of-the-way or little-known places, or taking the less traveled road through popular destinations. Read about different cultures, history, and nature in protected areas around the world.
2020-10-29 21:53
If you ever visit caves, old buildings, or ancient Maya pyramids, chances are, you’ll have encounters with bats. I personally love them. But many people are terrified of them. Encounte… Read More
2020-10-24 02:02
A helpful guide based on personal stories, the book is great reference for families considering the move, and anyone who wants to move or just visit Mexico without feeling like a tourist Read More
2020-10-02 23:38
Hungarian is my mother tongue, and before (almost accidentally) moving to the US, I was a teacher of languages. Though my degree was in teaching Romanian (language and literature for natives… Read More
2020-09-30 17:08
Self-contained road trips Read More
2020-09-04 17:11
Driving through Petrified Forest National Park, one of the most desolate National Parks in Arizona, is hard to imagine this landscape as a lush, green rainforest. Yet, the high desert’… Read More
2020-08-10 22:33
A roadtrip through desolate areas seems a safe alternative to other types of travel. With the necessary precautions, of course Read More
2020-07-12 04:32
On top of Lenox Crater, looking out towards the Kachina Peaks with gorgeous views of the volcanic fields in the high country of Arizona, I felt thousands of miles away from the heat of the… Read More
2020-07-12 04:32
On top of Lenox Crater, looking out towards the Kachina Peaks with gorgeous views of the volcanic fields in the high country of Arizona, I felt thousands of miles away from the heat of the S… Read More
2020-07-07 17:03
We had no intention on getting out of the car except on a trail - the one leading up on Lenox Crater, in Sunset Crater Volcano National Park Read More
2020-07-07 17:03
Four months after we stopped traveling or even taking a short day-trip because of CovID, we finally had to get out of town. Even if it meant planning a trip – or not planning anything… Read More
2020-05-22 16:58
While I can’t leave home every time I want to visit a Maya site, I can still use virtual travel tours to explore a few. And while virtual travel can not replace the experience of walk… Read More
2020-05-15 13:10
Years ago, I stood in the British Museum and walked through its exhibits. I explored its rooms with my family for a full day, and I still felt that I only scratched the surface, so I have p… Read More
2020-05-08 15:22
I don’t always need to get on a plane or drive to travel the world. I can easily travel virtually through the books I read. And it is such an enjoyable way to travel! Books can transpo… Read More
2020-05-02 13:56
I don’t know how many weeks we’ve been staying home, but it still doesn’t bother me. Yes, I love to travel, but I don’t always have to be on the road to do it. Since… Read More
2020-04-22 23:23
It’s Earth Day today. April 22nd, 2020. The 50th Earth Day celebrated our planet. But today we are celebrating virtually. Which in a way, is better for the planet. By staying hom… Read More
2020-04-21 20:22
Since it is National Park Week, I keep thinking of the ones we visited over the years, and those we are still waiting to visit. Unfortunately, this year we can’t see any of them… Read More
2020-04-11 00:15
I knit when I don’t know what to do with myself. I knit when I’m stressed, or worried. Personally, knitting works as a stress reliever for me. Nothing calms me down easier than… Read More
2020-04-01 21:15
Since we’ve been sitting at home, with nowhere to go, we started virtually visiting art museums from around the world. Since it all started with us talking about revisiting the Met, t… Read More
2020-03-27 14:25
In these times of social distancing, when traveling is not advised, non-essential businesses closed and schools moved online, art museums around the world opened their virtual doors to visi… Read More
2020-03-22 18:29
Last time we visited Poas Volcano, four years ago, we walked up to it, then walked around on a few paths, without a tour. Since then, it erupted a few times, last time briefly in September… Read More
2020-03-19 19:16
So we traveled in the time of coronavirus. And we are fine. To be fair, we left home when it was just starting to make the news. Things changed fast. On the second day of our trip I read th… Read More
2020-03-06 18:22
“That is just stunning,” my brother exclaimed looking at the Superstition Mountains on our drive back into town from Casa Grande. “Is there a trail to the top? Can I climb… Read More
2020-02-29 22:44
Though seasonal, it is always a treat to see a waterfall in the desert surrounding Phoenix, Arizona. To get there, hike a short, one-mile trail a few days after a rainfall.
The post In the… Read More
2020-02-15 02:42
For a while, the desert seemed to stretch on forever, and even though I knew I was still practically in town, I could imagine being lost in the middle of nowhere. As harsh and unforgiving a… Read More
2020-02-03 18:36
A responsible traveler is someone who is aware of their impact on the environment and the local economy. Sustainable travel, ethical travel are also expressing the same idea: we need to be… Read More
2020-01-24 16:37
Air travel can be annoying as it is, but when you add long layovers, some of us cringe and are almost ready to give up on a trip. But a layover in Phoenix could be a whole new adventure. Of… Read More
2020-01-17 19:35
Thousands of ancient ruins lay scattered in Arizona and all over the American Southwest, vestiges of people long gone who made their home and built civilizations here.
The post Visit Ancien… Read More
2020-01-10 19:49
When you live in Phoenix, you might not travel as much around the holidays or the whole winter. After all, the Sonoran Desert is one of the best places to spend the winter. Unless you love… Read More
2019-12-28 22:08
As the year is coming to an end, I find myself thinking of our travels over the past year. I wonder if we practiced sustainable travel. We didn’t have to change many of our old habits… Read More
2019-12-21 22:44
You’ll find more hiking trails in Phoenix, within the city boundaries you would think possible. From easy strolls among tall saguaros or riparian areas to strenuous climbs up steep mo… Read More
2019-12-14 18:35
Sitting on a hilltop in the high deserts of Arizona, the ruins of Tuzigoot stand witness to the history of the ancient Sinagua people who also built Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well.
Th… Read More
2019-11-29 16:02
Part of the Montezuma Castle National Monument, Montezuma Well is a desert oasis surrounding a natural lake. Although they don’t call it a cenote, the lake is similar to the sinkholes… Read More
2019-11-04 15:03
Of all the Maya sites I’ve ever visited, Tulum is my least favorite at the moment. But that has nothing to do with the ancient city, and it wasn’t always so. Overcrowded, over-to… Read More
2019-10-25 18:10
An annual event celebrated between October 24th and 31st, Bat Week is designed to raise awareness about these misunderstood creatures of the night and the need to protect them. Misunderstood… Read More
2019-10-15 22:54
It’s the time of the year when we drive up to Flagstaff to see fall colors. Golden aspens mainly. And this time, we got there for the peak. At least for one of the aspen colonies. We a… Read More
2019-10-11 15:03
I first visited Mexico on my honeymoon. By then, thanks to my husband, who introduced me to the study of the ancient Maya civilization, I was properly obsessed with it. I read travel and arc… Read More
2019-10-04 15:02
Autumn colors made me feel like the Million Dollar Highway earned its name by the sea of gold aspens it winds through. In case you haven’t heard of it, the nickname belongs to a 25-mil… Read More
2019-10-02 15:03
In search of early fall colors, we took a road trip to Silverton, Colorado. Since autumn in the higher mountains of Arizona, closer to home, keeps us waiting, we drove a bit farther in searc… Read More
2019-09-27 15:03
As the weather is changing and we are getting into the germ-zone, I am pulling out my essential oils. They are my magic potions, my go-to remedies for anything from bug bites to cold and flu… Read More
2019-09-13 21:17
One of my favorite hikes in and around Flagstaff, the Kachina Trail winds through tall ponderosa pines and dazzling groves of aspens, with occasional openings through the trees for spectacul… Read More
2019-09-06 17:38
Part of the fun of visiting foreign countries for me is meeting new people and communicating with locals. Besides finding out-of-the-way places that no one seems to know about, except those… Read More
2019-08-30 15:03
One of our favorite areas on the Oregon Coast, Cape Perpetua offers both hikes in old-growth forests and tidepooling opportunities on the beach. Although the area is popular, we always found… Read More
2019-08-24 02:41
Mt Hood area is one of our favorite places to stop in when we are in Oregon. Although during our latest visit we spent most of our time on the coast, we still took a day to drive through Mt… Read More
2019-08-17 03:10
One of the most dramatic stretches of the Oregon coast, the area between the three capes, is by far our favorite road trip in the area. The 40-mile stretch of road encompasses nearly every g… Read More
2019-08-09 15:15
When visiting the old center of present-day Sighisoara, you are literally walking in a medieval citadel. Or a walled town. In fact, both, since the colorful medieval buildings are enclosed w… Read More
2019-08-02 16:02
Standing on top of a hill in the Carpathians, the Rasnov Citadel is one of the better-known castles of Transylvania. A popular side-trip from Brasov, and part of a whole tourist experience… Read More
2019-07-26 15:03
On my recent quest to visit the castles of my homeland, I finally stopped at the small citadel of Feldioara. Surprised, I noticed that it was reconstructed, the rooms were set up as museums… Read More
2019-07-19 15:03
The citadel of Rupea, clearly visible from the main road between Sighisoara and Brasov, was one of the major fortresses of Transylvania. Unlike Fagaras, another major fortress in the area, R… Read More
2019-07-12 15:03
The largest bear sanctuary in the world, the Libearty Bear Sanctuary in Zarnesti gives a home to once mistreated or injured bears. No, they don’t have a breeding program. The bears liv… Read More
2019-07-05 16:02
As we pulled into the parking lot of the fortress of Fagaras, I was surprised to see a beautiful entrance surrounded by a moat filled with water, and swans swimming in it. No visitors, no cr… Read More
2019-06-28 15:12
You'll see Mayan ruins, beaches, cenotes, caves and vibrant colonial towns all in one short trip through the Yucatan Peninsula; if you are not afraid to rent a car and drive.
The post The… Read More
2019-06-21 15:12
With summer coming, and temperatures soaring into the 100s, Phoenix is slowly becoming an oven. Not necessarily just because it’s in the middle of the desert, but the combination of he… Read More
2019-06-14 15:12
Surrounded by hundreds of red rock formations, and home to a great number of art-filled boutiques, Sedona is known one of the most beautiful small towns in the US. I certainly agree, it is b… Read More
2019-06-07 15:12
One of our favorite spots in Northern Arizona, Walnut Canyon National Monument showcases and protects ancient cliff dwellings left behind by their former inhabitants. Though these ancient ho… Read More
2019-05-31 15:03
Standing in the center of Downtown Phoenix, the historic Orpheum Theater, 90 years old this year, is one of the main landmarks of the city. Built in 1929, it was the pride of Phoenix, then j… Read More
2019-05-24 15:12
The Japanese Friendship Garden is a fun little area to visit and learn about Japanese culture in Phoenix and to relax and walk around surrounded by nature in the middle of the city.&nbs&hell…Read More
2019-05-17 16:11
Vienna is one of the true gems of Europe. Full of history, the city showcases some of the best architecture in Europe, throughout the buildings in the Innere Stadt and the palaces of the Hab… Read More
2019-05-10 15:30
Canyons of the Ancients is the name given to a desolate landscape in the Four Corners area, filled with ancient structures. An important area from an archaeological point, since it comprises… Read More
2019-05-03 15:03
Hovenweep is a Paiute and Ute word, meaning “deserted valley”, and as you look around in the area, you’ll feel that it is a fitting description. We love visiting it not onl… Read More
2019-04-26 15:03
Considered the most scenic highway in North America, the Icefields Parkway winds through gorgeous mountain peaks, glaciers, and along more lakes than you’d think possible. The most spe… Read More
2019-04-20 03:12
Using Canmore as a base during our vacation in Banff National Park, we drove through the park daily. After exploring the Bow River Parkway, and the vicinity of Banff town and Lake Louise, we… Read More
2019-04-16 16:51
April 22 is Earth Day, celebrated all over the world. Did you know when it all started? Earth Day has its origins at an event on April 22, 1970, when millions of people protested the negativ… Read More
2019-04-13 00:50
Just outside Banff National park’s boundaries, Canmore is close enough to the Park to drive in daily, but still away from the main tourist zone. It is our choice to stay every time we… Read More
2019-04-05 16:02
From the moment we first set eyes on the mountain peaks, lakes, rivers, glaciers in Banff National Park, it became one of our favorite places. Since then, we’ve been returning every fe… Read More
2019-03-29 15:11
Puebla Valley is home to a few spectacular ancient ruins, and one of the largest colonial cities in Mexico. People live here, in the shadow of four volcanoes, offering a… Read More
2019-03-26 16:38
Yes, there is color in the Sonoran Desert Preserve, especially in spring. One of my favorite places to enjoy this environment, I try to go out there often, at least as long as the city doesn… Read More
2019-03-22 21:16
Becán is one of the better-known Mayan archaeological site showcasing the Río Bec style. We visited it, along with many other sites, during our recent trip to Mexico, in search… Read More
2019-03-15 18:34
Part of the fun of visiting a foreign country is the joy of understanding a new culture, different from ours, of hearing a language foreign from ours, of interacting with people different fr… Read More
2019-03-11 21:23
It is the time of the year when the desert wildflowers are starting to bloom, and in the next few weeks they will put on a show like no other. Those who don’t live in the desert might… Read More
2019-03-08 16:35
A little-known site hidden in the jungle of Campeche, Hormiguero, meaning Anthill, is home to one of the most beautiful and well-preserved temple-pyramid representative of Rio Bec style. It… Read More
2019-03-01 17:01
Balamkú, the Mayan site translated as “Jaguar’s Temple” got its name from an image of a jaguar on a stucco frieze in a temple. A small site, it is easy to miss, easy… Read More
2019-02-22 16:11
Blogger at Mexico Cassie and writer for Yucatan Today, Cassie Pearse fell in love with Mexico on her honeymoon, much like myself. But she wasn’t content on traveling back and forth. In… Read More
2019-02-20 17:22
Yaxchilan, on the bank of the Usumacinta River, in Chiapas, was once a powerful state, a large center during the Classic period of the ancient Maya civilization. Its impressive stone lintels… Read More
2019-02-15 17:01
We were driving in the middle of nowhere again, in the Lacandon jungle, on a narrow road, with not even a settlement in sight. We've been on this road for more than a km and saw no sign of a… Read More
2019-02-08 20:10
Bonampak is one of the sites I always wanted to visit but didn’t know if I would ever get there. It isn’t the size of this site that I attracted me; in fact, it’s one of th… Read More
2019-02-01 17:01
The archaeological site of Palenque represents one of the most outstanding examples of the ancient Maya art and architecture. Its sophisticated architectural design and rich decorations inc… Read More
2019-01-22 17:01
Cancun and the Mayan Riviera is no longer my idea of fun in the Yucatan. But flying into this major airport is still the easiest way for us to reach the peninsula, and once there, we can sti… Read More
2019-01-15 18:00
A few days after my 52nd birthday I was sitting on an ATV, a quad, behind my daughter, holding on for dear life, while she was swerving left and right, trying to avoid tree branches hanging… Read More
2019-01-15 18:00
A few days after my 52nd birthday I was sitting on an ATV, a quad, behind my daughter, holding on for dear life, while she was swerving left and right, trying to avoid tree branches hanging… Read More
2019-01-15 18:00
Rio Bec is a Mayan site I read about before, built in a style that influenced the region in the heightday of the ancient Maya civilization. Still hidden in the jungle, with no road… Read More
2019-01-04 18:00
No other season shows off the desert environment than winter. Temperatures are perfect for outdoor activities like hiking, and the desert is green. The plants are alive, and you… Read More
2018-12-29 04:24
The easiest of the trails in the Sonoran Preserve in North Phoenix, the Apache Wash Trail is still spectacular, especially during a sunset hike. To reach it, we drove North on Cave Creek Roa… Read More
2018-12-12 17:01
As I looked down from the Acropolis in Ek Balam, my first thought was “I stood up here in this spot when the pyramid was a pile of rocks”. I must have blurted this out … Read More
2018-12-04 17:01
Sitting at the foothills of the Superstition Mountains, Goldfield is a well-known attraction in the vicinity of Phoenix, Arizona. One of the few ghost towns in the Southwest, it showcases bu… Read More
2018-11-27 17:01
How Did Ancient People Live in the Desert? A visit to Pueblo Grande Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, answers this question. The city of Phoenix of today is huge, with a population of over 1… Read More
2018-11-20 17:01
Giving gifts is a tradition this time of the year. And everywhere I go, every time I turn the TV on, I am reminded of it. All I seem to hear and see is “buy, buy , buy.” You… Read More
2018-11-13 17:01
Maybe it wasn’t the best way to get to the city of Manhattan, NY, taking a red-eye into Newark. I was hoping to catch at least a few hours of sleep, if not me, at least my daughter, bu… Read More
2018-11-09 17:01
It was cold and raining in Morristown when we visited the site of the Continental Army’s winter encampment. In late October, the weather helped give us the perspective of what the sold… Read More
2018-11-02 15:03
This year we went back to New Jersey to see fall foliage. We were planning a trip to the East Coast for a while, and we thought autumn would be the best time to visit. I lived in New Jersey… Read More
2018-10-26 15:03
Phoenix is home to a few great museums that might make the city worth even a summer visit. Or not. I admit; this might be an exaggeration. I think nothing can make Phoenix a summer destinati… Read More
2018-10-19 15:03
It’s the wettest October on record in Phoenix. And we, desert dwellers, love it. Sure, we’ve seen the desert after rain, it is always beautiful. But after as much rain as we got… Read More
2018-10-12 15:03
Cholula is home to the largest pyramid known in the world. Don’t worry if you didn’t know this, a few months ago I didn’t either. Most people think of looking in Egypt… Read More
2018-10-05 15:03
Xochitécatl, meaning “Place of the Flower Lineage” is Cacaxtla’s sister site, another set of ancient Mesoamerican ruins near Puebla City. It was dedicated to Xo… Read More
2018-09-28 15:03
For years I’ve been reading about the murals of Cacaxtla, but I never paid much attention to it. If it’s not in the Yucatan it can wait, I thought. So it waited, didn’t go… Read More
2018-09-21 15:03
Kukulcan, the mythical feathered serpent of the ancient Maya, still shows up every year on the pyramid named after him in Chichen Itza. At least his shadow does. I can attest to it, I’… Read More
2018-09-14 15:03
Puebla city has been a place I wanted to visit for some time now. A couple we met in Tulum got me interested when they told us about it as a place they considered moving to. When I loo… Read More
2018-09-14 15:03
Puebla city has been a place I wanted to visit for some time now. A couple we met in Tulum got me interested when they told us about it as a place they considered moving to. When I loo… Read More
2018-09-07 15:03
Though easy to reach if you know where to go, Aké Ruins of the ancient Mayan city escaped the tourist crowds so far. Chances are, if you go, you’ll be the only visitors, just li… Read More
2018-08-31 15:03
If you look at the cinder cone volcano of Sunset Crater as the sun’s last rays illuminate it, you’ll see why it got its name. The top of the volcano seems to glow in the gold and… Read More
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