Opulent Dolmabahce Palace – Istanbul, Turkey
Dolmabahce Palace, built in 19th century, is one of the most glamorous palaces in the world. It was the administrative center of the late Ottoman Empire with the last of Ottoman Sultans was residing there. After the foundation of the…
Topkapi Palace – Istanbul, Turkey
The Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for approximately 400 years (1465–1856) of their 624-year reign. As well as a royal residence, the palace was a setting for…
Hagia Sophia – Istanbul, Turkey
Hagia Sophia (from the Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, "Holy Wisdom"; Latin: Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia; Turkish: Ayasofya) is a former Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica (church), later an imperial mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of…
Wonder of the World: The Blue Mosque
Work on the Blue Mosque began in 1609 on the instructions of the 19-year-old Sultan Ahmet I. the architect of the mosque was Mehmut Aga, and his masterpiece took seven years to complete. All the standard feature of mosque design…
Aloha from Sheraton Maui Resort
The Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa is the premier location for a dream Hawaiian vacation. Situated on Kaanapali Beach, the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa is the most romantic escape in all the Hawaiian Islands… the dramatic point at which…
Finding My People in Prague, Czech Republic
The next stop after our visit in Berlin: Prague! Since my family comes from Bohemia, I have always associated myself with being from the Czech Republic. Our family name is Kulhavy, but was translated to Lane upon arriving in America.…
Hiking Around Arches National Park, Utah
To spice up the drive back to California from Chicago, we stopped in at Arches National Park in Utah to hike around and find some arches. Our primary objective was to find Landscape Arch, the longest natural arch in the…
Exploring the Baja CA Coast in San Felipe
One afternoon Mark came home with the wild idea that we would pack up the car and drive directly to San Felipe in Baja California to go camping and ride our bikes for the weekend. The entire drive there (7…
