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Giving in to wanderlust

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You are here: Home / Archives for history

history

Reasons to Visit Georgia

Reasons to Visit Georgia in 2019

The country of Georgia has been making waves in the travel industry lately, ever since its inclusion on the Lonely Planet ‘Best Places to Travel‘ list for 2018.  A small nation nestled between Russia and Iran to the north and south, and the Black and Caspian seas to the east and west, it is a …

Reasons to Visit Georgia in 2019Read More

Category: GeorgiaTag: architecture, cultural trip, food porn, Georgia, great view, hike, history, national park, temples, tour, travel tips

The Great Pacific Northwest Roadtrip

The Great Pacific Northwest Road Trip

I love a good road trip.  There’s nothing quite like the feeling of setting off to some distant place, knowing it will take you days to reach it, not knowing what adventures await you along the way.  There are many reasons I enjoy living outside of the US, but few places can rival my homeland’s …

The Great Pacific Northwest Road TripRead More

Category: California, Oregon, USA, WashingtonTag: architecture, california, desert, epic, food porn, great view, hike, history, lake, national park, oregon, river, road trip, roadtrip, sea, sunset, USA, washington

Under the Stars in Spitzkoppe

Under the Stars in Spitzkoppe

You would’ve loved this place, brother.  It was wild, raw, elemental.  The type of place that makes you realize how you fit into the universe and be thankful for your capacity to experience just a fraction of what it has to offer.  You would’ve loved the rocks, red with iron and worn down by millennia …

Under the Stars in SpitzkoppeRead More

Category: NamibiaTag: desert, great view, hike, history, namibia, road trip, roadtrip, sunset, writing

Reasons to Visit Anacortes

Reasons to Visit Anacortes

Traveling from Seattle north along Interstate 5 will take you to Bellingham and eventually Vancouver in beautiful British Columbia.  It’s a tempting bit of highway to breeze along, skipping all the drive-through towns in Snohomish and Skagit Counties for more intriguing destinations further north.  You certainly could, but it would be a mistake. You’d miss …

Reasons to Visit AnacortesRead More

Category: USA, WashingtonTag: festival, food porn, great view, hike, history, lake, sea, sunset, tour, travel tips, USA, washington

Exploring Vardzia Like a Local

Exploring Vardzia Like a Local

When my Georgian friend, Nino, was recommending things for me to do, see, and devour in Georgia, exploring the ancient cave city of Vardzia (ვარძია) was at the top of her list.  Primarily constructed in the 12th century and the seat of power of the legendary King (Queen!) Tamar, Vardzia was abandoned during the Ottoman …

Exploring Vardzia Like a LocalRead More

Category: GeorgiaTag: architecture, cultural trip, fortress, Georgia, great view, history, river, road trip, roadtrip, temples

Climbing Mount Aragats

Climbing Mount Aragats

There’s too much snow.  It’ll be too cold.  The weather won’t be good this week.  You’ll shoot your eye out… The reasons why I shouldn’t have gone to Kari Lake and Mount Aragats were many.  All of the above (save one, can you guess which?) were offered up, and I was so close to scrapping …

Climbing Mount AragatsRead More

Category: ArmeniaTag: architecture, Armenia, favorite, fortress, great view, hike, history, lake, river, sunset, temples

Tolma Festival in Dvin

Eating All the Things at the Tolma Festival in Dvin

There are few things which can make me so excited I get teary-eyed.  Coming upon an epic view while hiking is one.  Crushing a huge sale back in the day was another.  But food?  Food can get me just about every time.  So when I saw a meetup on Couchsurfing to go to the Tolma …

Eating All the Things at the Tolma Festival in DvinRead More

Category: ArmeniaTag: Armenia, cooking, festival, food porn, great view, history, temples, tour

Exploring Tatev with One Way Tour

Exploring Tatev with One Way Tour

The south of Armenia is an elongated peninsula of territory sandwiched between Iran, Azerbaijan, and the disputed territory of Artsakh, formerly known as Nagorno-Karabakh.  The area is one of the most mountainous in the country, with elevations ranging from 380 to 3,904 meters above sea level.  It also contains one of the most iconic sights …

Exploring Tatev with One Way TourRead More

Category: ArmeniaTag: architecture, Armenia, epic, fortress, great view, history, temples, tour

The Hidden Monasteries of Garni

Trekking to the Hidden Monasteries of Garni

Sometimes you don’t plan on visiting a destination.  Sometimes you get struck by a flash of inspiration, and your feet wander of their own accord.  That’s what happened this week when I trekked through the mountains outside of Yerevan, exploring the hidden monasteries of Garni. It started with a plan to explore Havuts Tar, a …

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Category: ArmeniaTag: architecture, Armenia, fortress, great view, hike, history, national park, river, temples

Hiking to Gelersen Gorersen

Hiking to Gelersen Gorersen in Sheki

The town of Sheki has been controlled by many powers in the 2,700 or so years it’s been a major settlement.  Persians, Albanians, Georgians, Arabs, Mongols, Russians, Soviets, and Azeris have all had a stake here, and the treasures that Sheki hides bear proof to that diverse heritage.  One such remnant, the fortress of Gelersen …

Hiking to Gelersen Gorersen in ShekiRead More

Category: AzerbaijanTag: architecture, azerbaijan, fortress, great view, hike, history, river, temples

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Spring in Mongolia
Hello, my name's Nathan. I've been living a life on the road since October 2011, and have no plans of slowing down. Come along for the ride!

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