eSim: Stay connected without overspending. Retirement offers the perfect opportunity to travel, explore new destinations, and enjoy life at a more relaxed pace. But with all the excitement of new adventures, it’s easy to overlook practicalities like managing phone bills while traveling.

Updated: October 2024

Georgetown, a trendy neighborhood in Washington, DC, holds a special place in our hearts. For four years it was a focal point in our family, as our son attended Georgetown University. His four years at the university gave us the perfect opportunity to get to know Washington, DC. Little did we know that eight years later we would relocate to the east coast where Washington, DC and Georgetown would become our nearby playgrounds.

With that being said, let’s spend a day exploring Georgetown, shall we?

Covered Bridges. What is it about covered bridges that capture the imagination? For a couple of history lovers like us, driving or walking across a covered bridge is a step back in time. Fun fact: since early bridges were built of wood, they were covered to protect the wood from the elements. Short and simple, but here we are in modern society fascinated with covered bridges. Well, at least we are.

A return to Nova Scotia. We first visited Nova Scotia in late summer 2022. Prior to taking the ferry across the Northumberland Strait to Nova Scotia, we spent 10 glorious days exploring Prince Edward Island. As we made our way south, toward home, we mapped out a quick five days on Nova Scotia.

Edinburgh. Is there anyone who doesn’t instantly recognize the name? It’s a city with a rich history of kings, queens, castles, stunning landscapes and infamous festivals. What more could you want in a travel destination? It’s one of those cities that captures the imagination. So much so that for a city with a population of 500K+ it averages nearly four million visitors per year. We were fortunate to be two of those four million.

Glasgow, Scotland. After spending10 days traveling through rural Scotland and experiencing the extraordinary landscapes and historical sites, stepping off the train in Glasgow was quite a shock to the senses. It was definitely a “we’re not in Kansas anymore” moment.

The Lake District is not actually in Scotland, but our visit to the region was a continuation of our Scotland travels. A national park, in Cumbria northwest England, the Lake District is just a stones throw across the border from Scotland. Our travel group was based in Penrith for four nights while we explored the region.

Xi’an, one of the oldest cities in China, served as the nation’s capital for several dynasties. It is renowned for its rich history, vibrant culture, and numerous historical sites. As the starting point of the Silk Road and home to the famous Terracotta Army, Xi’an offers a unique blend of ancient and modern attractions. Here are the top 10 things to do in Xi’an, providing a comprehensive guide to explore this fascinating city.

Scotland: Peebles & the Hydro Hotel. After two fascinating days in Stirling, our tour group moved on to Peebles. Again, we had no idea what to expect as we’d never heard of Peebles. A charming small town with a population of about 9,000, Peebles proved to be a lovely base for the next three nights of our tour.

Scotland: How to Spend Two Days in Stirling. Truth be told we’d never heard of Stirling, or for that matter most of the places we visited before or after. When it came to Scotland, we were complete newbies. It was our 20th country, Scotland, and while we’ve seen spectacular places around the world, the landscape of Scotland defied imagination.