Ok, so I admit that maybe it was a mistake not getting to Greece sooner than I have. After all, as far back as my sophomore and junior years of college I’ve had friends that visited and were in love with the experience and the beaches and the food and […]
GYG Tours
Schloss Schonbrunn in Vienna
Fact: America doesn’t have nearly enough sweet castles. Vienna’s Schloss Shonbrunn, just outside the city center, makes for an awesome pretty-day excursion in the city. Arches, palatial rooms, well-situated cafes/beer gardens, and one of the oldest zoos anywhere. Take some time to visit if you’re ever in town. See what we’re missing, […]
Topkapi Palace: Why You Should Skip It.
Topkapi Palace: Why You Should Skip It. There are a lot of beautiful things, and Topkapi Palace is among them. Old harem, rooms full of gold and jewels, mosques, libraries, etcetera, etcetera. Its a pretty place. It also, unfortunately, is just about the single most crowded thing to do in […]
Old Town Vienna
There are places in the world with UNESCO status that make me think “Whaaaaat? Who’d they bribe to get that?!” Old Town Vienna, though, is definitely NOT on that list. The parts I enjoyed most were many of the civic buildings, away from the tourist madness of St. Stephen’s Church. […]
Sultanahmet
Istanbul: Sultanahmet Sultanahmet is the tourist heart of Istanbul, home to the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque and Basilica Cistern and more hotels and guesthouses than I care to remember. For good reason, too. The whole neighborhood is resplendent with beautiful old architecture and street food and Istanbul highlights, and […]
The Spicy side of Istanbul
Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar If you ever find yourself with the immediate need to buy a restaurant kitchen’s worth of spices, Istanbul is one of the highest recommendations I can give. If you just need to indulge your inner child with sweets galore and whole mountains of Turkish Delight, even […]
Hey there! I'm Stephen, this is my travel blog, and that's me in the poofy hat.
I'm a photographer / writer traveling since 2008, and I've been doing my best to visit amazing places.
My current focus is Central Asia, because for a hiking and camping enthusiast it's as good as it gets.