I’m going to start posting twice a week (see earlier schedule) about my 37-day trip to Europe last summer. And I’m choosing to start with the most fabulous, economical place to stay in Milan - the K34 Milano B & B operated by my now-dear Italian friend, Stefania!

One thing that has surprised me recently is the beauty of the desert in the Phoenix metro area. I guess I had always simply thought of deserts as dry, rather barren places.

Howdy, Partners!!! I’m having a great time here in Scottsdale learning about all sorts of things. Yesterday and today, my mom and I went to the Western Spirit Museum: Scottsdale Museum of the West. It was fabulous!

If you’re anything like me, you don’t particularly love the month of January in the Midwest. Some folks get Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) and tire of the gray clouds, lack of sunshine and monotony of being indoors. I don’t tend to notice that much in myself, but I do crave beautiful green plants and colorful, blooming flowers this time of year.

I had a blast today at Lauritzen Gardens new BRICKLive Dinosaurs exhibit! I have always loved learning about dinosaurs and today was no exception.

This is rather an unusual topic for a travel blog, but it is Sunday and I do love glass churches, so here we are. I love buildings of all faiths created with prayer and worship in mind - historical ones, creative modern ones, and especially those designed to take advantage of a beautiful outdoor setting.

I was looking for a little excitement by going on my road trip and it turned out I got a little more excitement than I bargained for.

While I was impressed with the twenty Chihuly installations during the day, they were spectacular at night!

Another little secret about me is that I am a Dale Chihuly glass artist nut. Consequently, I was dying to see his temporary exhibition at the St. Louis Botanical Garden.

Sometimes you just want to “get out of Dodge!” (American idiom for leave town). And that’s what I have done.