Wisetrips Travel Blog

When Inna discovered inexpensive round-trip airline tickets to Paris, we planned to visit for one week during Christmas, followed by a week of snowboarding in either France ( Chamonix ) or nearby Switzerland ( Verbier or Zermatt ). With these plans in mind, we made a reservation at a lovely Airbnb apartment in the center of Paris. However, due to the recent violence, we decided to bypass Paris and visit Turin, Italy, instead. …

Is human knowledge only to be found in books? As wonderful as books represent, document, and express human thoughts, they are not a substitute for direct, personal contact that comes from seeing, hearing, feeling, and experiencing things for oneself. Can any book truly capture the exhilaration of windsurfing on Maui , snowboarding on freshly fallen powder at Whistler , piloting a Cessna single-engine aircraft , swimm…

Which are the best restaurants, spas, and travel destinations? At the end of 2018, I am rating the following (from best to worst) based on my personal experience. Restaurants Even though Michelin has not rated it, Mama's Fish House on Maui is our favorite restaurant worldwide. Mama's Fish House combines an authentic Hawaiian atmosphere with exceptional cooking and a magnificent tropical setti…

With Ms. Diane Wyant as the new music director at Bellarmine College Prep , I was eager to hear all the new arrangements and pieces prepared for the symphonic band. The Winter Concert started out with the performance of the newly formed Bellarmine Chamber Orchestra, playing the following three compositions: Bellarmine Chamber Orchestra " Forever Joyful! " by Brian Belmages …

When we moved to the United States in 1980, no one in my family knew how to drive, though my dad knew the most about cars. He purchased his first car - a 2-door  Ford Maverick with a manual transmission on the steering wheel. The owner helped teach my dad to drive it. After some practice with the vehicle owner, my dad learned to drive the car. I don't recall how long we owned it, but my dad sold it and repla…

With Inna returning to Software Quality Assurance, I purchased the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 at Costco for $799 (Black Friday unique). On powering on the laptop, I was impressed by how easy Microsoft made the whole experience. Voice-assisted Cortana led me through creating my accounts and applying all Windows 10 updates. It was ready for use after I installed my old copy of Microsoft Office 2010 and Chrome browsers. …