travel Archives

Packing Method: 3-3-3 or 5-5-5 or 5-4-3-2-1 or Something Else?carry-on

April 19, 2026April 12, 2026Posted in adventure travel, blogging, Travel, writingTagged carry-on luggage, international travel, luggage, travelLeave a comment

Packing for a trip can be a chore, especially when planning to pack all your needs for a 60 day trip in carry-on luggage.

I thought it a bright idea to search the Internet for any packing hints. It became a slight nightmare as I discovered there is way too much information! I’m not a newbie to this carry-on packing idea, I just thought it might be interesting to see what others do!

I previously knew about the 3-3-3 plan of 3 tops, 3 bottoms and 3 shoes. But, did you know …

there’s a 5-5-5 plan of 5 tops, 5 bottoms and 5 outerwear… hmmm.

New to me was the 5-4-3-2-1 plan of 5 tops, 4 bottoms, 3 shoes, 2 layers such as jacket/cardigan and 1 = week of undergarments.

Just as I was about to call an end to this Internet craziness, I saw a 1-2-3-4-5-6. Of course I had to check it out. This plan: 1 hat, 2 shoes, 3 bottoms, 4 tops, 5 socks and 6 underwear.

Am I any further ahead with my packing list? No. But I’ve checked the temperature in each area I am visiting … good start. Next, thinking about colors that coordinate nicely. Then making a list of must-have items: raincoat, clothing and shoes for one day, and items needed at morning/night: headlamp, toothbrush/paste, comb. Plus travel needs: passport, phone & charger, reading glasses, sunglasses, money/cards, water bottle, universal adapter, and hat. Now I’ll build from here. Wonder what the overall weight will be? Actually, I don’t care!

My goal is to have clothing I can layer for the varying air temperatures. Clothing I can easily wash on the road. Must keep my carry-on bag light as I schlep it on airplanes, trains and taxis. I’ll also have a smaller bag carried on the front of my body for daily activity use.

The reality about packing: keep it simple! I’m not in the middle of wilderness on this trip; therefore, a store will be within reach if I truly need something I forgot or need more of during my trip. Yes, simply simple and ready for fun! Most important: the carry-on bag needs to fit in the airline “cage” to assure airline personnel all the dimensions for the piece have been met … so don’t stuff the bag … meet their required dimensions.

Next post I’ll let you know where I am going for a few of months!

Here are my final bags: 22 pounds in Osprey and 13 pounds in black PacSafe bag due to batteries and power bank needing to be close to you and not above in cabinet on airplane.

My Bird Watching Progression; Wow! I Didn’t Realize This.

April 16, 2026March 19, 2026Posted in Animals, Birds, blogging, Travel, wildlife, writingTagged Arizona, birds, Nature, photography, travel, wildlifeLeave a comment

Bird watching was not something I did during my youth. In my college days, the common loon may be considered my “spark bird”. (A spark bird is that bird making you more serious and interested in birding.) But in reality, I just loved seeing that bird. Hiking miles to Adirondack Mountain lakes in upstate New York State to see a common loon and sometimes its chicks was just a thing I did. Then I thought I started birding when the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. I did not.

Recently I found a bird journal of mine. It looked like I took my bird watching to another level on August 30, 2018! I literally recorded more specific notes than I ever remember completing. Amazingly I was teaching myself the difference between some birds as I was identifying my observations. I had a 30 -70 mm camera lens at the time to help with my identifications. Two years prior, in 2016, Merlin Bird ID became available for uploaded photos which no doubt helped me identify birds.

In 2019, I continued to list birds per outing along with the guidebook page, some notes, and additional info about other wildlife seen. I also collected pictures of birds I hoped to see when visiting upcoming locations, such as “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge in Sanibel, Florida.

I was really learning so much about birds!

On December 25, 2019, at Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson, Arizona, I was caught standing between a good-sized javelina and a bobcat. I do remember that day because a woman from Florida was birding also and very scared. My only way to calm her was to have her stand on a bench as I was convinced the javelina would walk by and the bobcat would turn and leave. Which all of that did happen!

That was an interesting day; will always remember it!

August 2020 I attended my first bird festival in Tucson, Arizona. I may have believed I was a birder now as I bought camera lenses for improved bird photography. (In reality though I was birding since 2018.) Photography really helped me learn the names of birds. Attending bird festivals in Texas and California were most informative too.

I noticed in my December 2020 listing I was keeping track of my life list of bird species in eBird. So I was well on my way with 177 species, yet I thought I only began birding at the start of the pandemic. Interesting! Through 2021 and 2022, along with my sightings, I listed places for future birding visits. Time of year with possible bird sightings and directions to the place. Of course, I did set out to visit some of these places!

Interesting seeing these notes now that I am over 700 birds on my life list.

2023 I set a personal challenge to record one bird sighting, therefore bird checklist, per day. For 365 days there is at least one checklist per day of birds I saw, and sometimes there were more than one checklist per day. It was an especially fun activity as I traveled cross-country in my van and stopped at wildlife refuges, rest areas, family member’s backyards and parks … wherever I thought I’d see a bird … and created a checklist for the observations.

An endangered bird I did see here and 2 other times in my life so far.

2024, only a few notes of the many birds I saw in Sicily, Italy and later in the year in Australia and New Zealand. Now I no longer have a paper trail of the checklists of birds I see per outing. All is entered in eBird and I search there for date and locations of specific birds I need to know about from my observations. Part of me misses the writing of the info in a book. I do scribble in a list in my travel journal, but it feels different than the listings of years ago when I started birding. Now I am pre-occupied with sketching birds … that I hope to see … or did see. Who knows what format my future listings will take. But now I know I actually started birding in 2018!! In my future travel I hope to see this bird: European robin.

Will be looking for it in upcoming months!

If you are interested in learning about birds and to have access to all of the free and valuable apps from Cornell University, check out, click on this link at All About Birds. Go have some fun!

Agua Caliente Park in March/April 2026

April 12, 2026March 19, 2026Posted in Birds, blogging, environment, wildlife, writingTagged Arizona, birds, environment, Nature, travel, wildlifeLeave a comment

“Agua caliente” in Spanish means hot water. Here in Tucson, Arizona where this park is located it is very hot right now! We are twenty degrees warmer than the average temperature this time of year. No one is really enjoying it, especially the wildlife. Not every animal or plant can burrow into the ground or have enough energy to travel to a distant cooler location. Their survival rate can be affected. And similar to humans, animals can dehydrate and be in need of shade.

Things we can do to help wildlife: Provide shallow water containers with resting stones. Even bees can make use of it and not drown or have a way for small animals to move out of the water. Change the water often to keep it clean, disease-free and don’t use a metal container that will get hot. Provide shade and shelter. A good reason to not prune bushes right now. Lizards and others will hide out in those spaces. I’m sure if you research this topic you’ll find more suggestions.

Here’s what I did see at Agua Caliente Park in Tucson:

Cormorants spread their wings to dry them after swimming to catch fish or frogs, etc.

Trek to Everest Base Camp Memories

April 9, 2026March 19, 2026Posted in adventure travel, blogging, environment, Mountains, Travel, writingTagged Everest Base Camp, memories, Nepal, travel, trekking4 Comments

Twenty-five years ago I trekked to Everest Base Camp in Nepal. It was an opportunity of my lifetime then and I think back to those days with fond memories! I had a school and local community in upstate New York, Lansing, supporting my efforts. I took months to train for the trek, prepare lesson plans for each middle school subject area for teachers to use in their classroom while I was gone, and presented pre and post community presentations so all knew where I would be for a month while away from the school. My faculty generously took charge while their principal was on a mountain!

As I think back on the trekking experience, it was a turning point in my life. Then I realized there is a whole world to see and thus began my travel world-wide and not just the USA as I had been doing. I backpacked for decades and this trek was a stepping stone to more physical demands upon my body. Hiking for miles and miles and at altitude was a never-ending learning experience! Understanding the Nepali culture, how to navigate air travel to arrive at remote places, and to cooperate with trekking partners to carry everything we needed to Everest Base Camp as we were supported by Sherpas and the mighty beasts, yaks, to do so!

Little things still stick in my mind. A Sherpa who ran back miles to collect a fellow travelers eyeglasses left on a stone wall. My tent mate who almost fell over the side of a trail since she did not stay on the mountainside of the trail as a yak went by her. She clung to a tree root to save herself. Washing up in a very small tent with about 4 gallons of hot water after a week of no showering, etc. Eating new foods that were deliciously made by our Sherpas who also delivered a cup of hot tea to our tent each morning! Attending the required medical session about altitude concerns. Seeing Mount Everest the first time … since you do not see the mountain when at base camp… and thinking how beautiful it is! Receiving a khata scarf from a monk at one of our monastery visits. Standing at Everest Base Camp and seeing and hearing a distant avalanche! So many wonderful memories! Simply appreciating the experience today and always. Thank you always to those who supported by effort. I will never forget you!

Some bridges were not as well built then as I have seen in more recent treks.

Up the icefall if I was to take the next step to summit the mountain … will never happen by me!

My school sent a package to this school … that is a whole other story!

Sherpas carry everything to the mountain villages!

Rob Hall was admired by me and so I hung a prayer flag at his memorial.

I would go back to Nepal in a heartbeat. Mountains are my first love and nothing beats the Himalayan Mountains! If you have never been to Nepal, check it out. Tourism has truly grown since 2001 when I was there. Lodges are more abundant whereas we had tented quite often. I’m sure the food is just as delicious and the people are lovely!

Amazing Sightings of Coot Chicks in the Wild

March 26, 2026March 9, 2026Posted in Birds, blogging, environment, wildlife, writingTagged Arizona, birds, travel, Tucson, wildlife2 Comments

Rarely do I see young birds, chicks. Parents usually do a great job protecting their chicks from predators, thus I too miss seeing chicks. Recently I was at Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson, Arizona. I was shocked to see yellow-orange feathered chicks jumping out of their marshy nest to be near their black and white parent! I learned these chicks are known to follow their parents into water soon after hatching.

They are American Coot chicks … 6 of them followed the parent and eventually scurried closer to get food. The competition between them had already begun! As I looked closer, the chick’s heads were bare red and black and they had a stubby red and orange bill. Of course I did not have my camera with me on this day. That’s the way it is sometimes. Also, the birds were a distance away for any good phone photo, so opportunity missed. I returned the next morning with my camera and hoping for the chicks to be in sight. Yes!! Here are my photos; enjoy!

America Coot with chick. — Four of 6 chicks with their parent.

It’s Hawk Watch Time in Tubac, Arizona!

March 12, 2026February 28, 2026Posted in Animals, Birds, blogging, environment, wildlife, writingTagged Arizona, birds, environment, Nature, travel, wildlifeLeave a comment

Look to the sky, is there a bird? Is it a hawk? You have no idea what that bird is in the sky? Perfect time to join others as we look to the sky in Tubac, AZ for birds and especially hawks. It is hawk-watching time this entire month of March; however, a group will be at the Ron Morriss Park in Tubac on March 13 – 17, 8AM – 5PM each day. There are vendors with scopes and binoculars to take a peek through and plenty of knowledgeable people letting you know what bird is in the sky.

Hopefully we’ll see plenty of birds and learn new things about birds. Recently this is what I learned…

American kestrel is not a hawk, it is a falcon.

Hawks and kestrels are raptors, but kestrels have pointed wings and hawks have rounded wings. Kestrels have the beautiful facial “whiskers” and hover while hunting. I think American kestrels are quite good-looking. Now I know, they are a falcon and not a hawk … but I might see them while I am at the Hawk Watch in Tubac. Come … join in …

Travel Sketches Once Home

February 1, 2026January 9, 2026Posted in adventure travel, Artwork, blogging, environment, Mountains, Travel, writingTagged environment, Nature, travel, wildlife2 Comments

Travel involves so much energy that at the end of the day I never seem to accomplish all I wish. Sketching happened to be one of the activities not done while on the road during this last trip. However, after each trip or major event, I like to sketch in my “events book”. So I did that for this trip. Plus I loved the look of the “boina” or “Gaucho hat” on the guys; I’ll sketch them too! At Rapa Nui, we had our trip guide and a local guide, so they are included in my sketch book too. Not the best sketches, but a way to keep memories and a final look at my Argentina and Chile trip. Now to travel on in 2026!

What Does This Sign Mean?

January 29, 2026December 27, 2025Posted in blogging, environment, safety, Travel, writingTagged environment, human trafficking, safety, travelLeave a comment

I saw this sign on a bus in Argentina and had never seen it before. The bus industry in Argentina had a campaign to train drivers to recognize signs of human trafficking a number of years ago. I learned also there are companies and businesses doing this around the world within the transit industry. This made a lot of sense to me since I only otherwise see help available with postings, such as this one:

Whatever we can do, must be done! Signs, of all sorts, indicating help is available are important!

Post-trip Thoughts About Apps and Compression Socks

January 25, 2026December 27, 2025Posted in blogging, Travel, writingTagged apps, socks, travel4 Comments

During my long-haul flights, over 4 hours, I wore my new compression socks. New experience for me. Much to my surprise the compression socks were comfortable and even best when off after a long flight! My last flight involving 11 air hours plus time in connecting airport and then another 3 hour flight … I could not wait to get the socks off! I am guessing my swollen legs were held in place by the socks. What a relief to finally take the socks off and see no swollen legs. They did their job, yeah! Ok, I am convinced and they are now on my packing list.

Use of eSim is so much easier than the physical Sim cards. I chose to try Saily’s eSim this past trip and not Airalo which I had used in the past. Nord security is how I happened to become aware of Saily. Saily eSim was so easy. I chose the eSim best for the area of the world I was visiting and it connected automatically upon my arrival to Chile. My primary cellular service was already turned off so I used the eSim quickly. While no phone calls or texting can be done, at this time yet, I use WhatsApp if needed for those services. Looks like I will continue with Saily!

Here are some thoughts about other apps:

I love Polarsteps especially wanting to see the area of the world I had traveled around once I have completed a trip.

Here’s a new app for me … BEEN. With the BEEN app, I could list all the countries I have “been” and those I “wish” to visit. So now I know I have been to 35 countries and wish to visit many more.

Another new app for me … PhotoCircle. I know there are many files people use to drop photos to you during/after a trip; however, I loved the PhotoCircle app. Photos of your choice can be easily included, if you are an invited person to participate in the circle. Also you can download a photo from the collection if you wish. This allowed my fellow travelers and I to share photos. Very cool, check it out!

Finally, I learned the calculator app on my phone will convert currencies and more. Tap on the lower left calculator on the basic screen, then slide the toggle to convert, click on the top entry and you’ll discover more than currencies to convert! Wow! Give it a try!

Note calculator lower left; click there to start.

My travel to Chile and Argentina, with a day in Brazil, was great fun! Someday when I return, I will include Chile’s Atacama Desert, Argentina’s Mendoza wine country and the land between these two areas. Wonder when that will be? If you have an opportunity to visit these countries, do it!

I Went Down a “New Wonders” Rabbit Hole

January 22, 2026December 26, 2025Posted in adventure travel, blogging, environment, Mountains, Travel, writingTagged environment, Nature, travel, wonders, world2 Comments

The one thing I know for sure, at this moment, is the only “Old 7 Wonders” wonder that still exists 4,000 years later is the Great Pyramid of Giza. Then I tried to make sense of the other “wonder” lists. I also wondered how many of the places I had actually visited in my lifetime! Why not make that a good reason for my going down this rabbit hole!

Apparently CNN’s “7 Wonders of Nature” includes the following:

Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef, Harbor of Rio de Janeiro, Mount Everest, Northern Lights, Parícutin Volcano and Victoria Falls.

Not bad, I have seen 4 of 7.

Now there is a “New 7 Wonders of Nature” list which includes:

Iguazú Falls, Amazon rainforest, Halong Bay, Jeju Island (South Korea), Komodo Island (Indonesia), Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines) and Table Mountain (South Africa).

Not so good on my end, only 2 of 7.

AND there is also “New 7 Wonders of the World”. The old list was focused on the Mediterranean and only has the Great Pyramid of Giza existing. This list now includes more of the world:

Roman Colosseum (Italy), Great Wall of China (China), Taj Mahal (India), Christ the Redeemer (Brazil), Machu Picchu (Peru), Chichén Itzá (Mexico) and Petra (Jordan).

Not so good on my end, 3 of 7.

In my lifetime quest to see the world, I need to keep at it! How are you doing in seeing these “wonders of nature” and the “wonders of the world”? Hopefully better than me! Let’s get going!! My good news; I have visited 6 of 7 continents! Travel on!