St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest city in the United States. Now get ready for the qualifiers. Established in 1565 by Spanish explorers, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited, European-established settlement in the contiguous United States. Despite all that, the old world charm of the city is unmatched! This post will talk about a few of my favorite sites to see while in St. Augustine.

Images from all four days at the 2022 APP Sunmed Los Angeles Open pickleball tournament in El Segundo, CA.

LOVE is one of the permanent Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas and is a must see if you are a fan of Beatles music - or a must see even if you aren’t! The show opened in 2006 and takes place inside the very impressive $100M purpose-built theater at the Mirage in Las Vegas. The arena’s 32 projectors, 11 lifts, 4 traps and 13 automated tracks and trolleys keep the action exciting and the show entertaining. The 360 degree stage is surrounded by seats in all directions, allowing the audience a great view from every seat. If you get the chance to see the show, do it!

Just outside the city lights of Las Vegas is a beautiful park that often gets overlooked when tourists visit Sin City, Valley of Fire State Park. If you love the outdoors or just want to get out of the city and sweat some of the partying out, Valley of Fire is a must-see. There are hikes and plenty of opportunities for photos. In this post I will cover the must-see spots in the park.

April in central Florida may generate thoughts of Spring Break, beaches, sun and fun but the last two are what brings 200,000+ people to Lakeland, FL for Florida’s largest convention. The Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo is the Mecca for everyone from aviation enthusiasts to kids. Serving as “Aviation’s Season Opener,” it is “Spring Break for Pilots” and so much more. Whether you are looking to watch amazing aerial demonstrations by the nation’s best pilots, climb through the incredible warbirds or meander through what seems like miles of aviation vendors, Sun ‘n Fun has it all!

Cairo is a great first stop, in not only Egypt but Africa. Desert dunes and pyramids are what comes to mind when most people think of Cairo and Egypt, at least that was the way it was for me before I visited. As a major metropolitan area with around 10 million inhabitants, Cairo only somewhat fits that description. While it is home to the pyramids and there are desert dunes, there is also so much more to Cairo. Some travelers skip big cities when looking for adventure, but just because Cairo is a big city remember, Egypt is a developing country so visiting Cairo can still be an adventure in and of itself and enough to push some outside their comfort zone. I would definitely recommend at least spending a couple days in Cairo.

One of the greatest things about Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, FL is the interactions with the flying community. If you have never attended a fly-in, I would highly suggest it over an air show. It is absolutely the best place to see so many different types of aircraft in one location.

Exploring and photographing an airport is a great way to pass the time while on layovers. I recently captured a photo that perfectly represents the Charlotte Airport to me while on a layover after a red-eye flight from LAX to Florida.

California has finally allowed the theme parks to re-open after COVID-19 as of April 1st, and no, that isn’t an April Fools joke. That means that Six Flags Magic Mountain gets to open again! We have been paying our monthly membership fee for over a year now without having access to the park, other than a couple drive-through events that they have put on for the holidays. So, needless to say, we were excited to get back to the roller coasters so we made a reservation for Sunday, April 4th. This blog will tell you what it was like to be back in the park after the pandemic.

From the white sand beaches of Cancun and turquoise waters of Cozumel to the exclusive resorts of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico is popular among Americans for a tropical getaway.  One place that is more often overlooked is La Paz.  Situated just 100 miles north from the tip of Baja Sur California, La Paz has beautiful beaches, tropical waters and way less tourists that the other hotspots.  The landscape is mountainous and filled with red rocks.  It is as if Arizona were moved to the beach. 

The year was 1920 and the world looked very different than it does today - and at the same time it was eerily familiar. World War I had just taken 100,000 lives and the flu pandemic another 650,000 but it was the beginning of a new decade. The decade that would popularize art deco and become known as the roaring twenties. In September of 1920, my grandfather, my dad’s dad was born. In September of 2020, we would celebrate his 100th birthday!

Drone pilots in Los Angeles have a lot of options for beautiful locations to capture some really amazing scenery. The pier in Redondo Beach is one of those great spots, especially in the golden hour light just before sunset.

San Diego has always been one of our regular locations to fly for the $100 hamburger but COVID-19 has put a damper on that. Since San Diego opened their restaurants for outdoor dining before Los Angeles, it was time to get back to Phil’s for some long overdue BBQ. I know that I have probably said this a million times but general aviation flying in southern California is hard to beat.

The Echo Mountain hike in Los Angeles is one of the most rewarding historical hikes that you can do in the area. It is supposed to be a wide, relatively easy but mildly strenuous uphill hike that takes you from the top of Altadena to the ruins of a mountaintop resort.

I love hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains! And now, after hiking to Eagle Rock from Topanga State Park, I can't believe that it has taken me so long to hike it. It is a hike that is doable for almost anyone as it is 4.5 miles on a roundtrip loop and only about 800 feet in elevation gain. Once at the rock, there is so much to explore, even some hidden caves that are a perfect place to relax and have a picnic.

An afternoon on the Palos Verdes peninsula is not a bad way to spend some time – spending it at the Point Vicente Lighthouse is even better! A friend recently got a new drone so we made our way out there to test it out and get some aerial footage of the dramatic cliff-lined coastline. I have driven this section of Palos Verdes many times and it never gets old. If you haven’t been out to PV (Palos Verdes or Pointe Vicente) in a while, make some time and go.

There is no question that Laguna Beach has some of the best beaches in California. However, there is one hidden beach that lies between Crescent Bay and Shaws Cove that just may take the top spot and have me re-think my list of favorite beaches in Laguna. Twin Points has everything you could ever want in a perfect beach – tide pools, crystal-clear water and even a tide-filled soaking pool. Although it is not private, if you catch it at the right time, it can feel like you have your own private piece of paradise.

I never knew I had an addiction to deserted, incredibly straight roads through nothingness until I drove through the high desert of California.

The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes lie in the heart of Death Valley National Park. The harshness of the desert valley is briefly interrupted by the soft sands that make up Mesquite Flat.