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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

  • Siracusa: Sicily’s Ancient City of Power and Grandeur
  • Going Baroque — Things to Do in Ragusa
  • Intrigued by Palermo, Sicily’s Cultural Capital
  • 11-Day Sicily Itinerary at a Glance
  • What to Do on a Shore Excursion in Monaco

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Two days in Siracusa, mostly on the beautiful isla Two days in Siracusa, mostly on the beautiful island of Ortigia, was perfect to soak up the ambiance, see the sights, and indulge in Sicilian dishes. These are a few highlights which you can read about in our latest blog post. Link in bio. #siracusa #sicily #italy #visitsicily . . . #discoveritaly #italytravel #europetravel #ortigiaisland #ortygia #lovesicily #travelgram #travelblogger #beautifuldestinations #ifwtwa1 #traveltuesday
We caught this exhibit at @_smoca Scottsdale Museu We caught this exhibit at @_smoca Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art just in time! “Language in Times of Miscommunication” ended today but is certainly representative of the great exhibits we’ve seen here before and look forward to in the future. These works featured art using language, forms of communication, and research materials that focus on the relationship between opinion, fact, and fiction. Do you visit art museums at home or when you’re traveling? Recommendations? #scottsdale #arizona . . . #art #contemporyart #myphx #experiencescottsdale #artmuseum #artappreciation #artwithamessage #scottsdaleaz #travelblogger
Siracusa was a big highlight of our Sicily trip. I Siracusa was a big highlight of our Sicily trip. I've posted other photos and reels, but here are a few more pics to give you a hint of what's coming soon on the TWS blog. Here you'll see the city from the sea, @marriottbonvoy Ortea Palace Hotel (the old post office turned into a hotel where we stayed), 13th-century Castello Maniace, Fonte Aretusa (the freshwater spring fountain), and Greek and Roman ruins of the vast Parco Archeologio della Neapolis. #visitsicily #siracusa #sicily #ifwtwa1 #traveltuesday . . .#triptosicily #discoveritaly #europeantravel #travelblogger #travelgram#siciliagram #lovetotravel #archeologicalpark #castellomaniace #orteapalace
A cloudy day was perfect for admiring the beauty o A cloudy day was perfect for admiring the beauty of nature at @comozooconservatory in St. Paul, Minnesota with Mr. TWS, his 98-year-old mom and @laurimn17. There was so much interesting, unusual, and gorgeous flora to admire. My favorites were the lily pads (including enormous lily “platters”). Just a few pics to give you a feel. @mrtws1 will share more. . . #comoconservatory #comoparkconservatory #watergardens #flora #lily #lilypad #nature #stpaulmn #minnesota #visitstpaul #minnesota #traveltuesday #ifwtwa1
Siracusa, Sicily activity tip — take a boat ride Siracusa, Sicily activity tip — take a boat ride on the Ionian Sea around Ortigia Island and into the sea caves. #visitsicily #triptosicily #sicily #sicilia #siracusa #ortigiaisland #discoveritaly #travelgram #summerinsicily #loveitaly #traveleurope #ioniansea #seacaves #boatride #goodlife #traveltuesday
Happy August! This time, last year — @mrtws1 and Happy August! This time, last year — @mrtws1 and I were getting ready to sail away with @vikingcruises on the Mediterranean. Thinking about that time today as we plan the next cruise experience. More later… . . . #myvikingstory #vikingsea #mediterraneancruise #mediterraneansea #viewfromtheship #mediterraneansky #cruise #cruisetravel #europeantravel #ifwtwa1 #traveltuesday
There was a quiet, peaceful vibe in Ragusa, Sicily There was a quiet, peaceful vibe in Ragusa, Sicily on a cloudy and sometimes rainy day in May — quite different from the very hot weather and crowds of visitors you’d find now in summer. Ragusa Ibla is the old city center of Ragusa, one of the eight Late Baroque towns in the Val de Noto of southeastern Sicily to be on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2002. There is much to explore in this town that was largely rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake that devastated the region. Link to Sicily itinerary article in bio and more to come soon about Ragusa. . . . #visitsicily #sicily #Sicilia #ragusa #unesco #italy #italytravel #rainyday #ragusaibla #lovetotravel #beautifuldestinations #travelblogger #ifwtwa1 #travelgram #traveltuesday
Do you like to get a glimpse of local crafts and t Do you like to get a glimpse of local crafts and traditions when you travel? When in Ragusa, Sicily, Italy don’t miss a visit to @cinabro_carrettieri to learn about the craft, production and painting of Sicilian carts from the craftspeople themselves. You’ll also hear about their work with @dolcegabbana to create art for D & G’s line of appliances. How cool is that? #visitsicily #cinabrocarrettieri #ragusa #sicily #italy #siciliancraft #carrettieri #visitragusa #ragusaibla #italytravel #italiancraftsmanship #travelblogger #exploremore #ifwtwa1 #traveltuesday
Greetings from my little place under the Arizona s Greetings from my little place under the Arizona sky. Keeping cool in the pool. #arizona #desertlife #summerinarizona #itshotoutside #swimmimgpool #keepingcool #lotsofsunshine #sunnyday #hotdays #travelblogger #ifwtwa1
More from Palermo to introduce our latest article More from Palermo to introduce our latest article on the blog (link in bio): “There’s energy, adventure, sexiness, beauty and rough edges here — Palermo, the capital of Sicily, is an enticing city of vibrant squares, blended cultures, beautiful landmarks, and a gritty street scene. It was a great place to begin our exploration of the island.” #visitsicily #sicilytourism #palermocity #palermo #siciliagram #travelblogger #italytravel #palermosicily #travelgram #ifwtwa1 #traveltheworld #traveladdict #triptosicily
Palermo —- pretty and gritty. A few pics of our Palermo —- pretty and gritty. A few pics of our introduction to Sicily in Palermo, the first of our stops on an 11-day trip. Palermo post coming soon on the blog. Stay tuned. #visitsicily #triptosicily #palermo #palermocity #palermosicily #sicilia #italygram #italia #tiamosicilia #travelblogger #travelgram #traveleurope #sicilyessence #ifwtwa1 #traveltuesday
So I searched my files for pics for World Chocolat So I searched my files for pics for World Chocolate Day and my mouth was watering looking at all the cakes, candies, ice cream and other desserts. But this one brings back fond memories of a @vikingcruises cruise on the Danube and the Nuremberg Christmas Market where we saw this box full of chocolate tools. Very cool and delicious! #worldchocolateday #chocolatetools #schokolade #foodiefriday #chocolates #indulgeinchocolate #creativechocolate #schokolad #travelgram #ifwtwa1 #tastytreats
A taste of Palermo for #winewednesday — on a wal A taste of Palermo for #winewednesday — on a walking tour with @streatytours we stopped into Taverna Azzurra in the La Vucciria Market area. It’s a place the locals like to hang out to socialize and have a glass of Sangue (means blood), a traditional Palermo wine that is strong (like Marsala) and sweet (like Zibibbo). Try it with pizza and cheese like we did. Local artists are also among the clientele and some of their works (including a portrait of the bar owner) adorn the walls. #visitsicily #palermo #visitpalermo #foodtour #winelover #sangue #palermowine #italy #italianwine #tavernaazzurra #lavucciria #ifwtwa1
Our new 11-day Sicily itinerary post is published! Our new 11-day Sicily itinerary post is published! Link in bio. . . Palermo, Agrigento, Ragusa, Siracusa, Taormina -- Long on the list of places in Italy we've wanted to visit had been Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean located across the Ionian Sea from the toe of the boot of the country's mainland. With so much area, culture, and activities to experience, we knew we couldn't do it all, but we felt like we got a very good introduction to the best of Sicily. Although we've been to Italy several times, it was clear from the start that Sicily would be similar to other regions in some ways, but offer exciting differences as well. . . #sicily #visitsicily #italytravel #ifwtwa1 #discoveritaly #taormina #ragusa #agrigento #siracusa #palermo #travelblogger #beautifuldestinations #travelgram #italia #europeantravel #triptosicily #traveltheworld #italiatiamo
Heavenly …. There is no shortage of beautiful ch Heavenly …. There is no shortage of beautiful churches in Italy and in Palermo we visited another gorgeous one. The Chiesa della Martorana, also called Church of St. Mary of the Admiral (Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio) at Piazza Bellini was commissioned in the 12th century by the Grand Admiral in Sicily, George of Antioch, in honor of the Virgin Mary for her protection. Spend some time inside to admire the Byzantine mosaics and other stunning features. #byzantine #mosaics #beautifulchurches #palermo #sicily #visitsicily #visitpalermo #discoveritaly #triptosicily #travelgram #siciliagram #sicilyessence #palermocity #sicilia #ifwtwa1
Come along on a desert road trip for #throwbackthu Come along on a desert road trip for #throwbackthursday — For me, this song from the 1970s called “A Horse With No Name” by America is the perfect tune for road trips in the western United States, particularly those that take you through the wide open spaces of the desert. These pics capture some of the scenes I saw on a solo road trip from San Francisco to Phoenix several years ago. Have you traveled on desert roads? I wrote about the trip on the blog back then and there’s a link in the bio. #ifwtwa1 #travelblogger #throwbacktravel #desertroadtrip #usatravel #southwestusa #arizonahighways #californiahighway #mojavedesert #route66 #travelgram #horsewithnoname
When in France .... drink Champagne! On #WineWedne When in France .... drink Champagne! On #WineWednesday I'm thinking about our day trip from Paris to the Champagne region a while back. We had generous tastings at two champagne houses -- Mercier and @dom_caudron and a lunch and tasting at #au36hautvillers with @mywinedays -- a beautiful day! #champagne #france #ifwtwa1 #daytripfromparis #winetasting #champagnetasting #enjoylife #francetourisme #traveleurope #travelgram Check out post on the blog (link in bio) about this trip and others to wine regions.
Just some of the delicious produce and other local Just some of the delicious produce and other local products found at the street markets of Palermo, Sicily. See if you can spot the very large Sicilian zucchini in a couple of pics. #foodiefriday #ifwtwa1 #palermo #sicily #itay #streatytours #freshproduce #streetmarket #travelgram #visitsicily #visitpalermo #sicilia
There's a lot to notice in this photo -- including There's a lot to notice in this photo -- including the hand of Mr. TWS tasting the flavors of #Sicily at @gambinowine on Mt. Etna. Bianco, rosato, and rosso wines were paired with delectable local cheeses, sun-dried tomatoes, eggplant and olives. But what's up with the eggs? Do you know? #ifwtwa1 #sicilianwine #sicilianfood #italytravel #sicilytravel #visitsicily #gambinowinery #instawine #winewednesday #eatanddrink #winelover #sicilyactivities @sicilyactivities
It’s a humbling experience to visit the Normandy It’s a humbling experience to visit the Normandy American Cemetery, 172 acres of land in Colleville-sur-Mer granted the United States by France in perpetuity. Both Mr. TWS and I had looked forward to seeing the historic places of D-Day (June 6, 1944) including Omaha Beach in the Normandy region of France. These are the sites where the military forces of the United States, Great Britain, and Canada executed the largest amphibian invasion in history beginning their fight for the liberation of Western Europe in World War II. Although we’d heard much about how moving it is to visit these sites, we felt emotions even more deeply than expected. Read more about our experience in a post about our visit a few years ago. Link in bio. . . #normandyamericancemetery #normandyfrance #omahabeach #worldwar2 #dday #france #honoringthefallen #travelgram #europeantravel #historicsites #ifwtwa1 #traveltuesday
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