There are 129 national monuments and it may come as a surprise that many of them are not in Washington, DC. Some are places or landscapes, in other parts of the country, rather than constructed monuments. Wouldn’t that be the ultimate treasure hunt to find all 129 national monuments?

I have a thing about taking pictures of signs. Signs such as the classic neon you’ll find along Route 66, to directional signs, to funny signs and everything in between.

Putting the fun in funicular. The word fun is embedded in the word funicular for a reason, I like to think. I don’t know who coined the term funicular but I like to believe it was a play on words. Funiculars are indeed fun and the opportunity to ride in one should never be missed. At least we think so.

Virginia -vs- Maryland. I don’t really know how often one can stand on either side of a river and be in a different state, but that’s the story of Great Falls National Park and the Potomac River.

January 6, 2021. Everyone had placed such hope on the promise of a new year. Saying good-bye to hellacious 2020 and hello to the potential for change in 2021. Surely, life had to get better, right? Little did we know.

C&O Canal. It was a day to go outside. The C&O Canal in the Carderock Recreation Area was the destination. Turns out, we also discovered the Billy Goat Trail along the Potomac River. As much as I love winter and long for a beautiful peaceful snowfall, we embraced the warm December day and headed out on the backroads of Maryland.

It has been one hell of a ride, this year known as 2020. As the relentless year begins to draw to a close, I feel the need to share a few quiet thoughts on the lessons I’ve (we’ve) learned in this unbelievably trying time. As a rule, I purposely do not intertwine our brand with our personal outlook on life, but the occasional exception to the rule can often be cathartic.

There are a few places in this life that beckon us back again and again. Longwood Gardens is one of those places. And, when the fountains are dancing to the music of the Beatles, I’m not sure it gets any better.

The Persian Rug. While in Iran, we spent time in the City of Kashan. It is the city in which Abi was born and where many of his relatives still live. We were graciously invited to the home of his Aunt Nahid. She has the gift of weaving extraordinary Persian rugs.

Travel shaming, is it a thing? Is it a natural emotion born out of … out of what? Envy, economics, frustrations, illness, sadness, manipulations, where did it come from?