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Alaska

Destinations

Alaska: A Spirited Adventure, a Spiritual Experience

Catherine Sweeney
February 12, 2013
7 Comments

By Anita Finlay — Halfway into planning a vacation with my husband that doubled as my 50th birthday present, the stress of work and caring for an elderly parent left me with zero energy to map out a road trip up the California coastline.

adventure, Alaska, Anita Finlay, boomer women, spiritual experience

About Catherine Sweeney

Catherine Sweeney is a travel enthusiast with a lifelong passion for going places. A weekend getaway, an international journey, a cross-country road trip, or a local jaunt — they’re all on her radar. And it’s all made extra special when she’s enjoying the finer things in life with Mr. TWS, her husband and co-blogger. Get inspired as they share photos and stories highlighting the best of destinations, food, wine, history, culture and the arts.

Thank you, Getting on Travel!

Traveling with Sweeney, Best Baby Boomer Travel Blogs 2022, Getting on Travel

2018 NATJA Silver Award Winner

Recent Posts

  • Sweeney Unplugged at Zion National Park
  • Milwaukee, Wisconsin Weekend Getaway
  • Finding Love in Slovenia on a Collette Guided Tour
  • Exploring the Balkans with Collette: Our First Guided Land Tour
  • Destination Spotlight: Split, Croatia Walking Tour

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What's your St. Patrick's Day beverage of choice? What's your St. Patrick's Day beverage of choice? For me, there's nothing like a @guinness stout ... or two. Had a taste in #Milwaukee at @theharpmke last month to get into the spirit a little early. Sláinte! #ifwtwa1 #ThirstyThursday #guinness🍺 #travelblogger #sláinte #cheers #stpatricksday #visitmke #adultbeverages #drinkresponsibly #lovetotravel #enjoyaguinness
Scenes of Ireland 🇮🇪 — reflecting on my Ir Scenes of Ireland 🇮🇪 — reflecting on my Irish heritage and looking forward to celebrations tomorrow. “May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face …” #ireland #irelandtravel #visitireland #stpatricksday #irishblessing #scenesofireland #emeraldisle #beingirish🍀
Although we’d been to Zion National Park in Utah Although we’d been to Zion National Park in Utah twice before, it had been a long time since the last visit — too long! So we planned a short trip to go there following a Las Vegas weekend with friends in early December. Zion and many national parks are wonderful any time of year, but visiting off-peak season will let you avoid any crowds while enjoying many of the same beautiful scenes and activities. In our latest blog post, we share about our hiking experiences and our stay at Zion Lodge during a two-night stay. Link in bio. . . . #zionnationalpark #zionlodge #hiking #usatravel #nationalpark #travelblogger #usanationalparks #hikingutah #zioncanyon #beautifuldestinations #naturetravel #ifwtwa1
A weekend getaway in Milwaukee, Wisconsin — a ci A weekend getaway in Milwaukee, Wisconsin — a city for all seasons. Food, drinks, art, walks, and more in our latest blog post (link in bio). #visitmke #visitmilwaukee #wisconsin #milwaukee #milwaukeekakefront #mckinleymarina #milwaukeeart #votingrightsmural #bronzefonz #fonzstatue #travelblogger #northamericatravel #ifwtwa1 #elsasonthepark #winterinmilwaukee #wintertravel
A few highlights of a winter weekend in #Milwaukee A few highlights of a winter weekend in #Milwaukee - a city near to my heart. Cathedral Square Park, posing with the Bronze Fonz, fish fry, walk along the lakefront, Guinness at @theharpmilwaukee, and art hearts at @elsasonthepark, a fave place. #visitMKE #traveltuesday #ifwtwa1 #wisconsin #midwestusa #visitmilwaukee #milwaukeewi #travelblogger #milwaukeeexperience #travelwisconsin #mke #travelgram
Happy Valentine’s Day! Wishing you all a lovely Happy Valentine’s Day! Wishing you all a lovely day and sharing these messages of love through art. #love #loveandart #art #travelforart #louvreparis #hodgesbay #pietrasanta #mosaicartist #lakebledheart #lovesculpture #gocollette #catherinexcollette #destinationtakeover #antigua #lovetotravel #sanfranciscohearts #thekiss #artandtravel #valentinesday2023 #valentinesdayart @wishversilia
Just thinking about some of my favorite romantic p Just thinking about some of my favorite romantic places in Europe. What places from your travels come to mind when you think about romance? #europetravel #romantictravel #romanticplaces #beautifuldestinations #lovetotravel #ilovetravel #romancetravel #europe #france #portugal #italy #spain #hungary #germany #travelblogger #travelgram
Lovely Ljubljana — from our latest blog post (li Lovely Ljubljana — from our latest blog post (link in bio) I love cities and Ljubljana is a city to love. This capital of Slovenia is full of history yet has a contemporary and vibrant feel. It struck me quickly as a city I’d like to get to know better. Its setting on the Ljubljana River, its architecture, and its cobblestone streets and squares add to a very romantic feel. On a walking tour through the city center and the old town we got a great introduction to this beautiful old city and its cultural center while strolling along quiet tree-lined streets and through bustling squares with our knowledgeable local guide, a lifelong Ljubljana resident. Early on in the tour, we heard the pretty sounds of music coming from a nearby school. I felt it set a tone for the creative, art-filled city we were just getting to know. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #ljubljana #slovenia #visitljubljana #wowljubljana #ljubljanamoments #ljubljanaregion #europeanbestdestinations #mojaslovenija #guidedtravel #balkans #tasteofthebalkans #beautifuldestinations #travelblogger #ifwtwa1
I found love in Slovenia … literally. Check out I found love in Slovenia … literally. Check out our latest blog post (link in bio) to find out more about that and what places and things to do we enjoyed in Ljubljana and beyond on our “Taste of the Balkans” tour with @gocollette. It was the fourth country on our itinerary and our first-time visit. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #europe #europetravel #balkans #slovenia #ljubljana #lakebled #lipicastudfarm #jozeplecnik #kremsnita #beautifuldestinations #guidedtravel #guidedtour #smallgrouptours #lovetotravel
Counting down to 2023! We kept our NYE tradition o Counting down to 2023! We kept our NYE tradition of going to Las Noches de las Luminarias at Desert Botanical Garden for the lights, art, entertainment, general good spirits and ending the year on a high note. Then back home for omelets perfectly made by Mr. TWS and there’s a bottle of Taittinger Champagne in the fridge for midnight. Toasts 🥂 to you all for a happy and healthy new year! #newyear #newyearseve #desertbotanicalgarden #phoenix #arizona #welcome2023 #luminarias #lasnochesdelasluminarias #botanicalgardens #happynewyear #happynewyear2023
2022 was a great year of travel for the TWS duo an 2022 was a great year of travel for the TWS duo and a highlight was our first organized guided tour, Taste of the Balkans with @gocollette. For years, we had a preconceived idea that guided travel wouldn’t offer the kinds of itineraries, activities, and immersive experiences we like most when we travel. We’re so glad that Collette has shown us that is not the case — at least when traveling with Collette! In fact, we were absolutely delighted by our experience. By the way, that’s Djukan who was our wonderful tour manger hugging the bear in Plitvice Lakes National Park in #Croatia. Link in bio. #catherinexcollette #guidedtours #travel #balkans #collettetours #balkanstour #beautifuldestinations #europeantravel #travelblogger #travelgram #seeingtheworld #ifwtwa1 #ifwtwa #gocollette
We had so much fun last night at Enchant Christmas We had so much fun last night at Enchant Christmas in Scottsdale. We loved the holiday spirit, decorations, strolling through the maze of lights, the search for reindeers, and especially watching the kids as they skated, looked at the lights with awe, danced on stage with the Christmas carol singer, and tried to catch the snowflakes (not real, of course, but pretty cool). #enchantchristmas #experiencescottsdale @hallmarkchannel @enchantscottsdale #enchantchristmas #christmasdecorations #holidayspirit #christmasinarizona #christmaslights🎄 #scottsdale #arizona #saltriverfields #absolutelyscottsdale #experiencescottsdale #visitarizona #travelblogger #travelgram #christmas2022
The @bellagio Las Vegas knows how to capture your The @bellagio Las Vegas knows how to capture your attention and imagination during the holidays. It’s fun to visit the conservatory throughout the year to see the seasonal decorations. This was our first time being there to see what they had in store for Christmas. #bellagio #bellagioconservatory #christmas #christmasdecor #lasvegas #visitlasvegas #holidayspirit #travelgram #holidaydecor #conservatorydecor
Take me back to Chicago, my kind of town at Christ Take me back to Chicago, my kind of town at Christmas! Next up in our Christmas memories series — Chicago, my old hometown, is a sentimental favorite place to visit any time of year, but the holidays can be extra special. A few pics from a December visit a few years ago, including the Christmas market, Museum of Science and Industry, Lincoln Park Zoo, Michigan Avenue, the water tower and more. #chicago #illinois #choosechicago #christmasdecor #christmas #travelblogger #travelatchristmas
Just me and Santa on the Champs-Élysées in Paris Just me and Santa on the Champs-Élysées in Paris — one of many Christmas travel memories crossing my mind today. Check out my post “Christmas in Europe: Dazzling Markets and Rich Traditions” from our Christmas archives on the blog for more about favorite places in Europe to spend time during the holidays. (link in bio) #paris #europe #france #santa #holidayspirit #holidayineurope #chistmasineurope #santaclaus #santasighting #christmasmemories #travelblogger #travelgram #christmastime #ifwtwa
What a great day at Zion! Hiked the Emerald Pool T What a great day at Zion! Hiked the Emerald Pool Trail — to lower, middle, and upper pools — and later took the Riverside Walk to the entrance of The Narrows (too much water to do this long hike right now). Here are a few pics from the day. #zionnationalpark #utah #beautyofnature #naturephotography #nationalpark #waterfalls #usatravel #hikingtrails #northamerica @zionnps
During a walking tour of Split, Croatia with @viki During a walking tour of Split, Croatia with @vikingcruises, we visited the Diocletian Palace and walked through the historic city center within its walls. We also had a good amount of free time to enjoy the city on the own and we spent it on a lovely lunch at a restaurant recommended by our guide and a pleasant stroll on the waterfront promenade. The Diocletian Palace was built for the Roman Emperor Diocletian as his retirement residence during the 4th century AD when his health prompted him to abdicate the position voluntarily. The exceptionally well-preserved palace (one of the best preserved of ancient Roman palaces) and the entire historical center of Split were designated in 1979 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (one of many on this particular Viking Mediterranean cruise). Inside the 15th-century walls surrounding the palace is a pedestrian only center of narrow streets with shops, squares, and markets. Read the full article on the blog. (Link in bio) #myvikingstory #vikingcruises #cruiseshoreexcursion #walkingtour #guidedtour #split #croatia #europeantravel #balkans #traveldeeper #beautifuldestinations #UNESCO #travelblogger #ifwtwa #ifwtwa1
From a new post on the blog (link in bio) — One From a new post on the blog (link in bio) — One of the most impactful experiences we had on our @gocollette “Taste of the Balkans” tour in Bosnia was an excursion that immersed us in what is a defining historical time — the Bosnian War and the Siege of Sarajevo in the early 1990s. Although we followed the war closely in the news while it was going on, this excursion brought back to mind those tragic times and really gave us a deeper understanding and appreciation of what the people of Sarajevo endured. Led by a local siege soldier and survivor, Amir, we visited the Sarajevo Tunnel Museum and the Tunnel of Hope. During the war, the 800-meter long/1.5-meter high tunnel was the sole source of food, arms, medical supplies, other humanitarian aid, and even cables providing power and communications that helped enable Sarajevo to survive the siege by Bosnian Serbs that lasted for nearly four years. Today, visitors can walk down a 20-meter portion of the tunnel to get a feel for what it would have been like. Of course, the conditions were significantly better for us than what it would have been like during the siege. During the war, there was no ventilation and many had to wear masks and there was often water on the ground. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #balkans #bosnia #tunnelofhope #sarajevo #tunnelofhopesarajevo #siegeofsarajevo #europeantravel #bosnianwar #travelblogger #guidedtour #traveldeeper #history #visitsarajevo #visitbosnia
Sarajevo, Bosnia - where East meets West. Blog pos Sarajevo, Bosnia - where East meets West. Blog post coming soon about our special experiences in this Balkans city. These photos are hints if the food, music, and culture. And there will be more. @gocollette #sarajevo #bosnia #bosniaandherzegovina #catherinexcollette #gocollette #balkans #formeryugoslavia #travelblogger #europetravel #europetrip #guidedtour #cityscenes #bosnianfood #visitsarajevo #visitbosnia
Lake Bled is a gorgeous place on earth! On our @go Lake Bled is a gorgeous place on earth! On our @gocollette “Taste of the Balkans” tour we took a Pletna boat to picturesque Bled Island and the Church of the Assumption of Mary. It’s about a lovely 20 minute ride each way. You’ll see our awesome guide Djukan in one of the pics as he talks about the lake. What a great trip! #gocollette #catherinexcollette #lakebledslovenia #lakebled #balkans #balkanstrip #slovenia #lovetotravel #guidedtour #colletteexplorations #boattrip #pletnaboat #lakes #beautifullakes #beautifuldestinations #travelgram #travelblogger
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