Arbus Adventures
Saving the Blue Heart: The Ichetucknee River Story
Words by Betsy Schifanella Photos by Tom Schifanella Sacred Waters With early morning mist rising from the crystal-clear run, only birdsong breaks the morning quiet, while spider webs drip with dew. This is a magical paddle over a swirling aquatic garden. Nine named blue-holed springs, frolicking otters, manatees, wading birds, a myriad of fish and maybe even an alligator, make the upper portion of the Ichetucknee an intimate experience. Later, joined by tubers, it is a shared time, all marveling at the beauty, wonder, and cold water at...
read moreArbus Adventures Cuba … It’s Complicated
Images by Vanessa Harper (VH), Alberto Morales (AM), and Lara Ortiz (LO) Words by Cinda Sherman Cuba is both ugly and beautiful. It is ravaged with despair and neglect, yet it is vibrant and alive with promise. This all serves to make Cuba complicated. You can read about Cuba in the news, but you can’t quite capture its complexity until you’re there on the ground in real time experiencing Cuba’s everyday contradictions. The country has been in chronic distress since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and today, the island is suffocating in the...
read moreMorocco: A Land of Beauty and Mystery at the Top of Africa
With its iconic Sahara desert, vibrant Berber culture, and colorful markets, Morocco draws you in and stays with you. With a driver and local guides we soak in the intoxicating beauty of this amazing country at our own pace while also experiencing the hopes, dreams and aspirations of its people. We will a trace a circular path through the country, exploring three of the four imperial cities of Morocco – the historical capitals of Meknes, Fez, and Marrakech.
read moreThe Many Faces of Montenegro
Lured by its rugged peaks, deep, lush, blue-watered canyons, Orthodox monasteries, and walled fortress towns along the coast, my husband, Tom, and I chose to visit Montenegro as part of a larger trip to Slovenia, Croatia and Albania.
read moreWalking the Camino Primativo to Finisterre …
The thousand-year-old Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of St. James,
also known as the Road to Santiago or simply The Camino (the road), is located in
northwestern Spain and is the oldest tourist route in Europe.
Art, Architecture, Wine and the Basque Country
On a recent trip to northern Spain’s Basque Country, I found a treasure trove of art, architecture and wine (along with some exceptional food and beautiful countryside), and learned how at least two of these – architecture and wine – have transformed the area.
read moreA Gracious Hostess
Known simply as “Savannah’s hotel,” The DeSoto is, in many ways, a microcosm of the city itself.
read moreWild Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico is filled with wonder, wilderness, and a colorful history. It is one of my favorite places to visit over the holidays and has become a new tradition. The cool, crisp mountain air is delicious, with or without snow, and the sunsets are spectacular — the mountains become filled with a palette of brilliant colors, their layers and depth illuminated. There is much to do aside from enjoying the stunning sunsets, but let me first highly recommend finding a spot where you can sit and be still for this late day event.
read moreKyoto, Japan: Romantic and Beautiful
I’ve visited Japan three times over the past forty years, most recently in January, 2017. My wife and I chose to spend most of our time in Kyoto; it’s much smaller than Tokyo yet has more cultural sites, and is the home of my friend, Jay Klaphake, Organizer of TEDxKyoto.
read moreWorlds Away: Iceland’s Mysterious Beauty
Tom and I have chosen to go to Iceland in the shoulder season, when the temperatures average from a low of 40° F (4° C) to a high of 50° F (10° C). We also want to avoid the summer tourists. Iceland is slightly smaller than the state of Kentucky with a population of less than 333,000, sparsely populated to say the least.
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