Random Travel Photo of the Week: Bantry, Ireland

Bantry, Ireland. Photo by Charish Badzinski. On a recent trip to Ireland, I had an opportunity to visit the “sister city” to La Crosse, Wisconsin: Bantry, Ireland. Located in West Cork, Bantry boasts stunning coastal views, brightly-colored buildings in the quaint downtown and this centerpiece, the town square. While this space used to be the … More Random Travel Photo of the Week: Bantry, Ireland

Destination – Italy: The Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre

Rare is the destination that lives up to our idealized version of it. But in coastal Italy, you’ll find laundry draped lazily below the open shutters of windows flanking narrow, winding cobblestone streets; snuggling couples speeding by on sporty Vespas; the scents of fresh-baked focaccia and espresso wafting from open doors, all beckoning us to … More Destination – Italy: The Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre

Wisconsin’s Great River Road: A National Treasure

It’s easy to take for granted the wonders that surround us in our daily lives. In fact, it’s human nature. In the Coulee Region of Wisconsin, some of us stroll alongside the majestic Mississippi River on our way to work in the morning, or sit beside it on our lunch hours. Meanwhile, vacationers see the … More Wisconsin’s Great River Road: A National Treasure

Dispatch from Ethiopia, Part III: Water in Another World

For those of us who are wanderlusters at heart, there is a persistent internal voice that whispers promises of something more: more than the cubicle in which we dwell, more than the paycheck we receive for it, more than the grind most of us resign ourselves to as a means to an end. But what … More Dispatch from Ethiopia, Part III: Water in Another World

The Windy City Top 10: Great Things to do in Chicago

The Windy City, Chicago, Ill., is enormous, and can be overwhelming to first-time visitors. Here is a list of 10 great things to do when you visit Chicago, in no particular order.  Navy Pier in Chicago. Photo by Charish Badzinski. Navy Pier.  With its carnival-like atmosphere, breathtaking views of the city–particularly at night, live music, … More The Windy City Top 10: Great Things to do in Chicago