my journey, destination unknown
Photo taken in Selcuk, Turkey, on 4 Jul 2010. Yes, I realize that it is not Friday, but Thursday. However, I’ve decided to begin submitting my weekly contribution to the Photo Friday contest (not that my photos are in the same league with the other entries), and the submissions are due by midnight.
Last week, the girls and I decided to escape the Atlanta heat and head up to the Pigeon Forge area of Tennessee to spend 4 day and 3 nights at the waterpark resort Wilderness at the Smokies. Going we took the interstates; it was an easy drive, but we were disappointed to see that there…
Travels in Turkey, Part 2 of 12 On our first full day in Turkey, we had most of the day to explore Istanbul before needing to hop on a ferry across to the Asian side to catch an overnight train to Ankara. Since we were scheduled to have only one other full day in Istanbul,…
I can’t remember the first time we went to Fernbank….I have vague memories of my mom, Camille and I trying to meet up with a mom’s group, but not finding them. Moreover, we were confused by the map (Lavista and Briarcliff do, in fact, cross twice on our side of town). We have been members…
Photos from the Wilderness at the Smokies in Sevierville, TN:
While we decided to stay home this weekend so the girls could have time with their friends, I decided that didn’t mean we had to stay *home*. This afternoon the girls decided that it was high time for a trip to the World of Coca-Cola, in the new(ish) Centennial Park museum district of downtown Atlanta….
Soon, I’ll be adding my review of our trip to Wilderness at the Smokies. In the meantime, have you been there or to the Pigeon Forge area in general? If so …. What are your favorite things to do in the Smokies? What books or websites do you visit before you go? What do you…
Not ready to buckle down to homeschooling, I decided the girls and I could escape the Atlanta heat one more time before we got serious. We headed just east of Knoxville to spend three days at the waterpark resort Wilderness at the Smokies. I love that we can go to places like that on weekdays…
Like most people, I spend some time before a trip researching. I like to find out as much as I can in order to be prepared and not end up doing something silly like leaving the Grand Bazaar visit for a Sunday (when it is closed)…. In researching our trip to Turkey, I came across…
Travels in Turkey, Part 1 of 12 [For the next dozen or so Tuesdays, I’ll be writing about our experiences in traveling Turkey with kids. We spent 3 week in June and July 2010 exploring many different areas of Turkey. We had little idea of what to expect and ended up having a wonderful time.]…
Photos from the Holiday Inn Resort and WonderWorks in Panama City Beach, FL:
Tired of the summer Atlanta heat, last Friday I decided that it was time to head to the beach for the weekend. While I have certain preconceived notions of the Florida panhandle, I decided that the gulf would be preferable to the Atlantic. I found a good rate at the Holiday Inn Resort in Panama…
The Hagia Sophia/Ayasofya in Istanbul is a place that both my girls have longed to see for years. In their history readings, they have learned about the beauty and historical significance of this now secular museum. The entrance fee was steep and there was a line (5-10 minutes?), but it was well worth it. I…
My children have come to equate touring with ice cream. (Did I offer them too many bribes when they were younger? ) Needless to say, they consumed lots and lots of ice cream in Turkey. Around Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, street vendors sell dondurma, a “taffy-like” ice cream. Dondurma’s sticky elasticity makes it possible for…
Photo taken from a sunrise hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey on 2 Jul 2010. Yes, I realize that it is not Friday, but Thursday. However, I’ve decided to begin submitting my weekly contribution to the Photo Friday contest (not that my photos are in the same league with the other entries), and the…
Inspired by a good friend, the girls and I created an ever-evolving 101 things list to try to make sure that we are doing some interesting and new activities on a fairly regular basis (instead of falling into a boring routine). Instead of staying home and washing the dining room windows and cleaning out the…
Luckily, we arrived in Selcuk, Turkey early enough on Saturday that we were able to get to the market before everyone closed up for the week. I love street markets like these; you never know what you are going to find! Sure lots of fresh produce, eggs, cheese, meat, but also boxes of lids, piles…
Photo taken at a convenience store in Selcuk on 9 Jul 2010. Yes, I realize that it is not Friday, but Thursday. However, I’ve decided to begin submitting my weekly contribution to the Photo Friday contest (not that my photos are in the same league with the other entries), and the submissions are due by…
When preparing for a trip, I always like to read. Not just the travel books, but historical books, historical fiction, travel narratives, fiction, just about anything I can get my hands on. For my own future reference, of for yours, here is a list of some of the books I read or skimmed before our…
Top: Magnets for sale in the Spice Market, Istanbul Bottom: Evil Eyes in Cappadocia From the Wikipedia entry for “Evil eye”: Known as nazar (Turkish: nazar boncugu or nazarlik), this talisman is most frequently seen in Turkey, found in or on houses and vehicles or worn as beads. Apart from seeing evil eye talismans for…