I spent a long weekend in Edinburgh (pronounced Ed – In – Burr – AH) because about 6 months previously I had signed up for the Half Marathon. This is one of my destination/dream/bucketlist races because I love visiting this city. I had also invited my Uncle Mike McKay to make his first trip here, but sadly he was not able to travel. This is my 5th...
Just a few days ago I checked off a major bucket list item. Well, it was actually two items. First, I wanted to take my 6 year old niece and 3 year old nephew to see Disney World. Second, I wanted to complete the Dopey Challenge during the Marathon Festival week. Orlando, Florida I’ve traveled to this part of the USA many times throughout my life. My very first...
With one last day to spend in Kiev, I went after a few more sights that I had not found on the previous days. The friendship arch was an interesting find. It was built in 1982 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the USSR and the 1500th anniversary of the city. It is 50 meters in diameter and made of titanium. Next, I went looking for some sort of market for some...
Today is the big day! I am heading for The Zone. The Ukrainian government has permitted entry into the surrounding areas of Chernobyl, but with strict conditions. To enter the 30km exclusion zone, you need a day pass to enter- which can be obtained from several tour operators that have been established. I applied for my permit months in advance. I found the...
Still fresh with some jet lag, I was determined to go exploring. With the help of the hotel front desk, I had a map and a few Ukrainian phrases at my disposal. Today’s goal is to get to Olympic rail station and visit a few landmarks. My first stop was a nearby cathedral. I love this kind of architecture. Next, I continued on until I found the underground...
It has been a bucket-list item of mine for about 10 years to pay a visit to Chernobyl. Furthermore, I wanted to visit the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster. Honestly, I had felt both excited to finally get the opportunity to visit and nervous because I had never traveled past the western side of Europe. I was a child of the 80s and 90s so I got to see the effects of...
For most of my life, I have wanted to visit Great Britain, Scotland, and Ireland because a large part of my family heritage originates from these locations. Building on my experience traveling to Japan, I made some plans back in January, found a great airline ticket price, and made my purchase. Over the months leading up to my trip, I reached out to co-workers and...
With a new career that allows me to travel more, I wanted to start spending some more time with family and showing them the world. One of my goals is to take my Dad to Alaska; however, he has never really taken such a long trip with me. The purpose of this weekend is to do a small trip together and see how he does. The plan is to take an Amtrak train from Cleveland...