The Friedrichsbad Baths, located in Baden-Baden Germany, is an elegant bathing complex that originally opened in 1877 as one of the most modern bathing establishments in Europe. Originally catering to European aristocracy, this beautiful neo-Renaissance style bathing house is still open to all looking to soak in the curative mineral waters or just enjoy a quiet few hours of relaxation. Sitting upon the ruins of baths used by Roman generals, those who visit Friedrichsbad will follow a 17-step Irish-Roman bathing ritual that includes a sequence of hot air baths, steam rooms, showers, pools, and optional massages. Perhaps the best part is that your 2-3 hours here are spent within a steamy haze of marble, brass, colorful titles, and majestic domes. Friedrichsbad is also the place where Ethan and I got up the courage to go completely nude in a co-ed place for the first time. Interested in visiting or just hearing… Read the rest
Archives for January 2014
Travel Health: Traveling with a Pacemaker
One of our first thoughts when we heard that Ethan may have to get a pacemaker was “what are the restrictions related to traveling with a pacemaker?”. As some of you probably know, Ethan was born with a congenital heart condition and recently had his fourth open heart surgery. While this last surgery was successful overall, a complication of the surgery led to Ethan having a prolonged stay of 3 weeks in the hospital and the insertion of an internal pacemaker. A pacemaker is essentially an implanted medical device that uses electrical impulses to regulate the beating of the heart to treat disorders that cause the heart’s rhythm to be too slow, fast, or irregular. Interestingly a search of the Internet turned up only a handful of articles related to traveling with a pacemaker and we wanted to share what information we discovered based on our research and discussion with… Read the rest
A Guide to Ziplining on the Big Island of Hawaii
Ziplining on the Big Island of Hawaii is one of many potential adventures you might embark on when exploring this wonderful island. Zip line adventures allow you to soar from tree to tree in rain forests and across canyons, allowing you to take in views of waterfalls, rivers, and tropical wildlife from a bird’s point of view. The Hawaiian islands are a popular place for ziplining and several companies on the Big Island offer the opportunity to zipline above the tree canopies. It was on the Big Island that Ethan and I both went ziplining for the first time together! We had so much fun and felt like it was a perfect place to have our first ziplining experience. We’ll list some of the popular ziplining tour companies on the Big Island, let you know which company we chose, and share our experience and photos of ziplining on the Big… Read the rest
The Bracebridge Dinner at The Ahwahnee: A Christmas Tradition at Yosemite National Park
The Bracebridge Dinner at The Ahwahnee is a long-held Christmas tradition at Yosemite National Park. Each December, The Ahwahnee hotel dining hall is transformed into a 17th century English manor where guests are invited to join Squire Bracebridge for a Christmas celebration. This 4-hour Yuletide celebration is a dazzling whirl of singing, acting, and pageantry which revolves around a 7-course feast. Obviously, I had been wanting to attend this venerable dinner pageant since I first heard about it several years ago. This year for Christmas instead of exchanging gifts, Ethan and I spent three days and nights in Yosemite and attended the Bracebridge Dinner at The Ahwahnee Hotel. If you are interested in attending or just want to find out more about this event, read on and we’ll tell you how to attend and share our experience of attending the Ye Olde Bracebridge Dinner at Yosemite. Some History, Information, and… Read the rest
A Guide to Going to the Movies in France
How hard can it be to go to the movies in France? We found out it is not super difficult, but it did turn out to be a bit trickier than we expected. While in Paris this past Spring, we decided after a long travel day that we wanted to see a film. We found the film listings in Pariscope, but then we were a bit surprised to have some difficulty interpreting the movie listings across the multitude of cinemas in Paris. What is the difference between v.o. and v.f. films? What does sf Lun mean? How do I make sure I am seeing the new release of the movie and not an older version? At the time, we couldn’t locate any good online English resources to help us interpret the movie listings, so we thought we’d share our experience and tips here to help others who may be trying… Read the rest
Top Five Things to do in the Southern Part of Yosemite National Park
While the Yosemite Valley is the most popular place to visit during a trip to Yosemite National Park, the Southern part of the park near Wawona should not be missed. A visit to the Southern part of Yosemite offers the park’s largest group of ancient giant sequoia trees, the best place to learn about the history of Yosemite, the historic Victorian-era Wawona Hotel, and less crowded hiking and climbing opportunities. One of the great highlights to many visits to Yosemite National Park is a walk among the ancient giant sequoia trees in the Mariposa Grove. If you are interested in spending some time in the south end of the park, then read on to discover our list of the top five things to do in the southern end of the Yosemite National Park. If this is your first trip to Yosemite, you might start by reading our article on planning… Read the rest