Recent content by meridiver

We spent two weeks in the Dolomites in 2017 (last week of August, first week in September). We drove in from France and stopped in Sirmione for two days. Because it was still August, we found Sirmione beautiful, but very crowded. From there, we drove straight through to Val di Gardena and stayed...

We did a memorable trip to Normandy and Paris in 2012, picking up the car in a town near Mont Saint-Michel. We had no problems at all, visiting the Mont, a few of the beach landing sites, Bayeux, Honfleur, then dropping the car off in Paris. (Do NOT attempt to drive in Paris if you value your...

Given the snowmelt situation, rafting could be dicey in May, but two areas where it should be be fine are the CO River south of Moab and the Green River south of the town of Green River. These two come together in Canyonlands NP at a place called the Confluence, and once they join, there are...

The advent of microweight puffy jackets has been a godsend to all travelers who want to pack light. On my last trip to Italy, we got caught in a snowstorm in the Dolomites at the end of August. With the puffy, a lightweight pair of gloves and my lightweight rain shell, I was perfectly...

When I retired in 2018, we did not qualify for any subsidies. I went on COBRA for 18 mos, then switched to ACA, still with no subsidy and was paying $1400/mo for myself and my partner for a bronze HDHP PPO plan. However, the subsidy situation has changed considerably since Covid. We are now on a...

The last time we were in Switzerland was in late August about 15 yrs ago. We planned 3 days in Zermatt. It snowed (hard) on the mountain for 2 of those days. Luckily on the third day it finally cleared enough to actually see the Matterhorn and visit the high observation station, but we would...

I never drank coffee (even during two years on a night shift) until I was 50 years old when I started drinking 1 12 oz cup/day. Once I started, I couldn't figure out why I'd waited so long! :facepalm: I find caffeine's appetite suppression qualities has made a big difference in my ability to...

If you are avid, relatively strong hikers and not bothered by heights, there's an amazing hike in Zion called Angels Landing. I haven't been there in years, and apparently there is now an advance lottery because it got too popular thanks to Instagram >:(. I'm not sure of the demand this time of...

I hate to say this, but you might want to consider finding a CPA who is better informed on the ACA rules. It isn't all that complicated and it makes no difference at all whether you receive monthly income or lump sums, whether you overestimated or underestimated your income during the year, or...

What a great trip! I hope it all works out. The Dolomites are startlingly beautiful and quite different from the rest of the Alps. We spent two weeks there in 2018 and are hoping to go back. Since you are going near the end of the season, make sure to check the summer ending dates for any...

If you are looking for a compromise between fully independent travel vs. the "tour bus" model, take a look at Intrepid Travel (Aussie based) and G Adventures (Canada based). Both companies have small group sizes (12-16 people typically) and use mainly local transportation (ie, trains, ferries...

Is it possible that you retired because you were financially able to and were told you should, rather than because you actually wanted to? If so, maybe you should go back to teaching, just do so on your own terms. Either volunteer (you'd be surprised at how much more enjoyable it is to work...

We visited HVNP in May. If you want to see active lava, you should plan your visit around spending some time in the park after dark. The lava is visible within the main crater from a viewpoint about 4 miles from the park visitor center. You can see it faintly in the daytime, but it's much more...

Ahh, that explains it. We just got back from a lovely road trip to Vancouver and I had the same experience at the border as OP. I was very confused as to why we had to fill out the ArriveCan app in advance when they were completely uninterested in looking at the QR code at the border crossing...

We have a small awkward living room with numerous openings. We ditched our couch years ago in favor of two comfortable recliners and never looked back. We rarely entertain, but between a third (spare) recliner in the living room, and a modular loveseat/ottoman that normally lives in the spare...