I’ve been going to art museums since I was very young. I remember going on adventures with my grandparents to downtown Chicago where we’d go to the Art Institute of Chicago, which I think was my first art museum. Of

“Stay at Home” Order Map for Coronavirus / COVID-19
First of all, if you don’t feel safe while traveling with Coronavirus ‘in the ether’, this post isn’t for you–please stay at home. For everyone else who wants or needs to travel, I’ve developed a map of all of the

Travel Souvenir Collections
A brief field guide to all of the zany travel collections that Joe has accumulated.

“Immersive” & “Experiential” Art
People who know me understand that I’m a real art geek. I’m an engineer, and I’d argue with anyone that engineering is art–and if it isn’t, you’re doing it wrong. I define immersive and experiential art as “art that has

Caribbean Cruise Ports
Like cruise ships, not all cruise ports are created equal. In this entry, I’ll list all of the Caribbean ports I’ve been to, rated from “worst to first,” and I’ll include some thoughts on each of the ports of call.

Top 10 Tips for Walt Disney World Beginners for 2020
I’ll admit–I’m a Disney nerd. Many people know this. This information gets around… So I get asked for my advice often. Usually, someone asks me about my tips for Walt Disney World about a month or two before they depart

The 13 NARA Presidential Museums, Ranked
I enjoy embarking on travel “projects.” (I discuss these under “travel projects” under the “navigate” section on the right.) The first project that I completed was visiting each presidential museum curated by the NARA. To complete the project and visit

Travel Gear
I’ve had many friends come to me asking for advice about what I use when traveling. I intend for this post to be the running list of different items that I travel with, and my justification for those items. (Note:

16 Tips from a Veteran Cruiser
As of this writing, I’ve been lucky enough to been on 6 Carnival ships, specifically: Carnival Conquest Carnival Freedom Carnival Fascination Carnival Vista (twice) Carnival Splendor Carnival Magic I’ve also been on the Celebrity Millennium and the Royal Caribbean Mariner

Kansas City
Kansas City isn’t the kind of place that most people would think of as a “tourist destination.” However, it’s a great city to visit! I’ll go through some of my favorite spots in this post, and why I like them.