• info@travelingwithsweeney.com
Traveling with Sweeney

Traveling with Sweeney

Inspiration and information for the best in luxury, cultural, and active travel

  • Home
  • About TWS
    • About Catherine Sweeney
      • Features, Interviews, and Recognition
      • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Destinations
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Bosnia
      • Croatia
      • Czech Republic
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Montenegro
      • Netherlands
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Russia
    • Africa
      • Morocco
    • Asia
      • Turkey
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • India
    • North America
      • Canada
        • British Columbia
        • Nova Scotia
        • Ontario
        • Quebec
      • USA
        • Arizona
        • California
        • Hawaii
        • Houston
        • Illinois
        • Montana
        • Nevada
        • New York
        • South Carolina
        • Texas
        • Washington D.C.
        • Wisconsin
        • Wyoming
      • Mexico
    • Accommodations
    • Australia and New Zealand
    • Guided Travel
    • Cruise Travel
    • Caribbean
      • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Sweeney in Arizona
  • Packing Tips
  • Cookie Policy

Alaska

Destinations

Alaska: A Spirited Adventure, a Spiritual Experience

Catherine Sweeney
February 12, 2013

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

  • Paso Robles Wine Country Getaway
  • Travel Destinations for Romantics
  • Exploring Treasures of the Mediterranean from Istanbul to Athens
  • Six Days in Zurich for a Holiday Kickoff
  • Fascinated by Istanbul on a Viking Cruise

Follow TWS on social media

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required
Email Format

travelingwithsweeney

A Paso Robles wine country tip for the wine enthus A Paso Robles wine country tip for the wine enthusiast in you. Experience a taste of France at @laventurewine in Paso Robles. @mrtws1 and I had a lovely time there with friends on a summer getaway. More to come on the blog. #pasowine #pasorobleswinecountry #pasorobles #wineries #travelblogger #vineyards #laventurewines #visitcalifornia
And this is where I stand. #handsoff #phoenixarizo And this is where I stand. #handsoff #phoenixarizona #desertridge #savedemocracy #50501
My favorite of the cactus blooms in the Sonoran De My favorite of the cactus blooms in the Sonoran Desert this time of year — the Argentine Giant cactus flowers. Seen today on my walk. #cactusflower #argentinegiant #sonorandesert #arizona #mcdowellsonoranpreserve #beautifulworld #desertflower #thingsyouseeonawalk #visitphx #scottsdalearizona
Look “who” has been hanging out in our mesquit Look “who” has been hanging out in our mesquite tree. The cool things you see living in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. #scotttsdale #arizona #sonorandesert #nature #owl #desertlife #greathornedowl
Like wine? Like art? Find both at @sculpterra in P Like wine? Like art? Find both at @sculpterra in Paso Robles on California’s Central Coast. Many other great wineries to visit there, too. More to come soon about this area for your spring and summer getaway plans. #winewednesday🍷 #winery #pasorobleswinecountry #californiawine #artandwine #wineryart #sculpturegarden #travelblogger #travelgram #visitcalifornia
Just something pretty for your weekend. Flowers an Just something pretty for your weekend. Flowers and butterflies at @dbgphx Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. Always a pleasure to walk the trails here and appreciate nature. #desertbotanicalgarden #dbgphx #myphx #visitphoenix #visitarizona #prettyflowers #butterfliesandflowers #naturalbeauty #escapetonature
Pausing on the trail to admire and appreciate the Pausing on the trail to admire and appreciate the beauty of Arizona. There are so many great trails in and around Scottsdale, Arizona, that we usually hike our favorites close to home. But sometimes we venture further afield to explore more of Arizona and other great hiking spots in beautiful places. In a post on the blog (link in bio), I report on two mostly easy hikes in the Tonto National Forest of Arizona that offer good exercise, great views, and a look at interesting remains of Hohokam Native American history and culture. #visitarizona #myphx #carefreeaz #tontonationalforest #hiking #hikingtrails #petroglyphs #hohokam #arizona_hiking #travelgram #travelblogger
Welcome to spring! #throwbackthursday to being blo Welcome to spring! #throwbackthursday to being blonde with bangs on Lake Maggiore in Italy on a gorgeous spring day. Here are a few pics from Isola Bella. Check out posts on the blog . #travel #visititaly #lakemaggiore #isolabella #springtimevibes #springtimetravel #travelgram #naturalbeauty #beautifulgardens #italiangarden #italy #italia #italiatiamo❤️
Marrakech memories …. The most well-known city f Marrakech memories …. The most well-known city for tourists, Marrakech is a mix of magical, international flare, and old Morocco. In the medina, the narrow lanes are lined with vendors of all kinds, and donkey carts and motorbikes navigate the obstacles. A delightful carriage ride at night through the residential streets from Jemaa el-Fnaa, the large main square at the medina, to our hotel was a highlight of our time in #Marrakech with @gocollette — #gocollette #morocco🇲🇦 #catherinexcollette #travelgram #lovetotravel #guidedtravel #travelmemories❤️ #
You might be surprised to learn that this photo wa You might be surprised to learn that this photo was not taken on a trip to Asia. Or have you visited the Pagoda and Oriental Garden in downtown Norfolk, Virginia? It’s located on the waterfront in Freemason Harbor. A lovely spot we found while going ashore at port in Norfolk on a cruise of the Atlantic coast with @vikingcruises — #traveltuesday #cruisetravel #shoreexcursion #norfolk #virginia #VisitNorfolkVA #travelgram
Feeling lucky? Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all! Feeling lucky? Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all! Just a few photos of times past in Ireland -- the grounds of Blarney Castle, theblindpipercaherdaniel pub in Caherdaniel in County Kerry, Cliffs of Moher, and kissing the Blarney Stone. We'll have a chance for a brief visit to Ireland again in a few months. Stay tuned! #stpatricksday #ireland #visitireland🍀 #blarneystone #ırıshpub #travel #luckytotravel #travelblogger #travelgram
My “wish I was there” photo for today. Have yo My “wish I was there” photo for today. Have you been to this beautiful place? It’s Manarola, one of the five seaside towns of Italy’s Cinque Terre. @mrtws1 and I visited there with @gocollette on our Mediterranean Coastal Journey tour. You can find a link to our blog post with more info and photos in the bio. #europeantravel #visititaly #cinqueterre #manarola #catherinexcollette #gocollette #beautifuldestinations #traveldreams #travelblogger #travelmemories
Wish I was there …. Zurich, Switzerland Wher Wish I was there …. Zurich, Switzerland Where do you wish you were right now? #travelblogger #traveldreams #traveltoescape #bettertimes #Switzerland #zurich #oldtown
We’re feeling romantic 💝 and remembering some We’re feeling romantic 💝 and remembering some of our favorite places to find love in the air. These photos are from Lake Bled, Dubrovnik, Plitvice Lakes, Swiss Alps, Antigua, French Riviera, Morocco, and Greece. I also just published a new article about 10 romantic destinations. Link in bio! #gocollette #travelblogger #vikingcruises #romantictravel #valentinesday #travelgram #feelthelove❤️ #throwbackthursday
We’ve donated to @stmarysfoodbank for several ye We’ve donated to @stmarysfoodbank for several years, but today was the first time that Mr. TWS and I worked a volunteer shift at their warehouse facility in Phoenix. What a great organization doing important work to alleviate hunger across Arizona. They’ve been operating since 1967 and today feed over 250,000 people a day. Consider supporting their efforts! #stmarysfoodbank #phoenix #arizona #volunteering #foodbanks #supportinggoodcauses #fighthunger
Closing out 2024 with a new blog post (link in bio Closing out 2024 with a new blog post (link in bio) about the archaeological sites we visited on the @vikingcruises shore excursions we chose on the Ancient Mediterranean Treasures cruise — Troy, Ephesus, Lindos on Rhodes (also visited the medieval center of Rhodes), Palace of Knossos on Crete, and the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion near Athens. #exploretheworld #ancienthistory #ancientruins #shoreexcursions #myvikingstory #cruisetravel #turkeytravel #visitgreece #travelblogger #travelgram
We were back at the Desert Botanical Garden in Pho We were back at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix last night for our traditional late December visit to enjoy Las Noches de las Luminarias. We love wandering the trails lined with holiday lights illuminating beautiful cacti and listening to music and story-telling at various stages. It’s always quite a magical experience. This year’s special art exhibition with installations throughout @dbgphx is “LightBloom” created by @hybycozo. Totally cool. The exhibition will be at the garden through January 20, 2025. #lightbloom #desertbotanicalgarden #luminarias #lasnochesdelasluminarias #holidaylights #artexhibition #phoenixarizona #visitphx #myphx #christmas2024 #saguaro #crestedsaguaro
Merry Christmas from the Traveling with Sweeney du Merry Christmas from the Traveling with Sweeney duo. Here’s to happy and safe travels in the new year! #christmastime #christmasornaments #christmasgreetings #happyholidays
By cable car and Rotair revolving aerial cableway By cable car and Rotair revolving aerial cableway we left foggy Engelberg for sunshine and clear skies atop Mt. Titlis, central Switzerland’s highest mountain. We also took a fun spin on Ice Flyer chair lift and exciting walk on the Cliff Walk while at the summit while taking in gorgeous views of the Swiss Alps. Check out the post (link in bio) about our trip to Zurich. #visitswitzerland #swissalps #mttitlis #rotair #daytripfromzurich #switzerland #travel #wintertravel #travelgram
Kicking off the holidays in Zurich, Switzerland — getting in the spirit, embracing the international vibe, taking in cultural venues, day trips to the Alps, wining and dining — find out more in our latest post. Link in bio. #christmasmarkets #switzerland #visitswitzerland #zurich #travelblogger #europeantravel #zurichoperahouse #zurichchristmasmarket #holidayspirit
Follow on Instagram

Tags

Arizona Art Art and Architecture Austria budapest california canada chicago christmas christmas markets collette Cruises cruise travel culture estevillas Europe food france Germany hawaii History hungary italy london museums New York north america paris phoenix portugal provence puglia Romagna rome san francisco scottsdale Spain tips tuscany UNESCO USA viking cruises Washington DC wine

Getting On Travel Top Boomer Travel Blog 2018 Badge

  • info@travelingwithsweeney.com
Copyright ©2025 Traveling with Sweeney | Theme by: Theme Horse | Proudly Powered by: WordPress