When Alpacas Fly

Camino de Santiago, Spain: Planning a First Trek The Camino de Santiago in Spain is a route through Spain that began nearly 1,000 years ago, and has in recent years become fairly popular – e.g. in 2024, roughly 500,000 trekkers hiked at lea…

The Camino de Santiago in Spain is a route through Spain that began nearly 1,000 years ago, and has in recent years become fairly popular. After sending my son off to college, I decided to try part of the trek myself!
#Travel #CaminoDeSantiago #Spain ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/10/15/c...

Martha’s Vineyard: Ferrying Over and a Ride on Rental Bikes Living in Greater Boston, we’d meant to visit Martha’s Vineyard for some time, but kept putting it off. We finally visited for a few days last July. Here, we will share about a bike rid…

Living in Greater Boston, we’d meant to visit Martha’s Vineyard for some time, but kept putting it off. We finally made it! Read about a 20 mile bike ride we did as part of the trip on our first full day there.
#Travel #MarthasVinyard #Massachusetts ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/10/08/m...

Uzbekistan Part 4: Khiva During our tour of the “5 Stans” in Central Asia in June and portion through Uzbekistan, the final city of our trip was Khiva. This 2,500 year old city was one of our favorites – …

During our tour of the “5 Stans” in Central Asia in June and portion through Uzbekistan, the final city of our trip was Khiva. This 2,500 year old city was one of our favorites!
Read about our travel adventure!
#Travel #Uzbekistan #CentralAsia ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/10/01/u...

Turkmenistan, Part 3 – Darvaza Gas Crater Following previous posts on our trip to Turkmenistan, as part of our Silk Road adventure, we found ourselves arriving at the Darvaza Gas Crater, at 8pm, as the sun was going down, after a 4 hour dr…

As part of our Silk Road adventure, we found ourselves arriving at the Darvaza Gas Crater, a.k.a the “Gates of Hell,” in Turkmenistan as the sun was going down. Read about our adventurous overnight trip from Ashgabat!
#Travel #CentralAsia #Turkmenistan ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/09/24/t...

Turkmenistan, Part 2: Ashgabat On our second day in Turkmenistan, which we did as part of my son’s graduation trip to the Silk Road, we woke up in the capital, Ashgabat, ready to see the surrounding area. The actual hotel …

On our second day in Turkmenistan, which we did as part of my son’s graduation trip to the Silk Road, we woke up in the capital, Ashgabat, ready to see both the city and the surrounding area. Read about our adventure!
#Travel #CentralAsia #Turkmenistan ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/09/17/t...

Turkmenistan, Part 1: Prep, Border Crossing, Merv, on to Ashgabat Turkmenistan, which we saw as part of a larger trip to Central Asia, is one of the most unusual places that we’ve seen. It is a somewhat closed country with fairly small numbers of visitors; …

Turkmenistan, which we saw as part of a trip to Central Asia, is one of the most unusual places that we’ve seen. It is a somewhat closed country with fairly small numbers of visitors. See what we did on our first day!
#Travel #Turkmenistan #CentralAsia ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/09/10/t...

Uzbekistan Part 3: Bukhara As part of our trip to the “5 Stans” in Central Asia in June and portion through Uzbekistan, we visited Bukhara. Like Samarkand, Bukhara has been continuously settled since ancient time…

As part of our trip to the “5 Stans” in Central Asia, we visited Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Like Samarkand, Bukhara has been continuously settled since ancient times. Read about our adventure through this historic center!
#Travel #CentralAsia #Uzbekistan ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/09/03/u...

Uzbekistan Part 2: Samarkand During our tour of the “5 Stans” of the Central Asia in June, our day in Samarkand was one of our favorites. Labeled by UNESCO a “Crossroad of Cultures,” it is a unique cult…

‪During our tour of the “5 Stans” of Central Asia, our day in Samarkand was one of our favorites. Labeled by UNESCO a “Crossroad of Cultures,” it is a unique travel destination. Read about our adventure! #Travel #CentralAsia #Uzbekistan ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/08/27/s...

Tajikistan: Seven Lakes and Panjakent As part of our tour of the “5 Stans” in Central Asia last June, we spent much of 2 days in Tajikistan, exploring parts of this mountainous post-Soviet country. With a population of abou…

As part of our tour of the “5 Stans” in Central Asia, we spent much of 2 days in Tajikistan, exploring parts of this mountainous post-Soviet country as well as the city of Panjakent. Read about our adventure!
#CentralAsia #Tajikistan #SevenLakes #Panjakent ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/08/20/t...

Uzbekistan Part 1: Tashkent After leaving Kyrgyzstan, as part of our “5 Stans” Central Asia trip in June, our evening flight arrived in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. As the largest city in Central Asia, it&…

As the largest city in Central Asia, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, is a gateway to the Silk Road with 2200 years of history. Tashkent felt fairly modern, although there were plenty of ancient sites as well. Read about our adventure!
#Travel #CentralAsia #Uzbekistan ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/08/13/u...

Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek and Burana During our tour of the “5 Stans” of Central Asia in June, we spent a good chunk of 2 days in Kyrgyzstan. On the first day, we visited the capital, Bishkek, and on the second day, we lef…

During our tour of the “5 Stans” of Central Asia, we spent 2 days in Kyrgyzstan. During this time, we visited the capital, Bishkek, and then left the city to see the Burana Tower, ancient ruins, and a yurt construction demo.
#Travel #Kyrgyzstan #CentralAsia ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/08/06/k...

Almaty, Kazakhstan Our first stop through the “5 Stans” in Central Asia last summer was Almaty. When planning the trip, I wasn’t honestly super sure what to expect – my image of the Kazakhstan…

Our first stop through the “5 Stans” in Central Asia last summer was Almaty in Kazakhstan. I wasn’t super sure what to expect, but I didn’t necessarily envision what we saw. Read about our adventure in Almaty!
#Travel #CentralAsia #Kazakhstan ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/07/30/a...

Silk Road & Central Asia: Planning a Trip After many kids graduate high school, they might want to go to the beach or Disney. Our oldest decided that after graduation, he wanted to see the Silk Road. It wasn’t just a casual suggestio…

After many kids graduate high school, they might want to go to the beach or Disney. Our oldest decided that after graduation, he wanted to see the Silk Road. Read about our travel planning for this exciting destination!
#Travel #CentralAsia #TravelPlanning ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/07/23/p...

Xi’an, China: City Walls, Muslim Quarter, and more Last month, we saw the famous Terracotta Warriors just outside of Xian, China – a collection of 8,000 soldiers of clay made 2,200 years ago, commissioned by the first emperor who united China…

With the famous Terracotta Warriors located just outside of Xi'an, China, it’s easy to forget that Xi’an is not a small town, but actually a city of over 10 million people, and an ancient capital of China. Take a look at our adventures!
#Travel #Xian #China ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/07/16/x...

Xi’an, China: Seeing the Terracotta Warriors One sight I’ve wanted to see for years is the famous Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, China. Discovered in the 1970’s by some farmers digging a well, this 2,200 year old creation boa…

One amazing sight to visit is the famous Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, China. Discovered in the 1970’s by some farmers digging a well, this 2,200 year old creation boasts an army of 8,000 detailed, life-sized soldiers made of clay. #Travel #China #Xian ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/07/09/x...

Alaska: Denali and Fairbanks Last summer, we took an Alaska cruise to see Southeast Alaska, and afterwards, we drove from Anchorage to Fairbanks, so that we could see Denali National Park. Here we write up this final leg in De…

After taking an Alaskan cruise to see Southeast Alaska, we drove from Anchorage to Fairbanks so that we could see Denali National Park. See what we did on this final leg in Denali and in Fairbanks!
#Travel #Alaska #DenaliNationalPark ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/07/02/a...

Alaska: Glacier Bay, Wildlife, and North from Anchorage In this post, we wrap up the tail end of our Alaska cruise from last summer. This includes the final part cruising by Glacier Bay, as well as the start of our self-drive land portion towards Denali…

As we wrap up the tail end of our Alaska cruise, this post includes the final part of our Alaska cruise. See our experience with Glacier Bay, as well as the start of our self-drive land portion towards Denali National Park.
#Travel #Alaska #Cruise ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/06/25/a...

Alaska Cruise: Skagway Stopover Last summer, we did an cruise for the first time, to Alaska. Here, we explore the last of our three port stop-overs, in Skagway. Yukon Railway The main attraction that people do in Skagway is ridin…

Read about our adventure in Skagway as part of an Alaska cruise!
#Travel #Alaska #Skagway ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/06/18/a...

Alaska: Dog Sledding on a Glacier Last summer, we went on a cruise to see Southeast Alaska. When planning possible activities in the port of Juneau, one that struck my teens’ attention was taking a helicopter to a glacier and…

On a cruise to see Southeast Alaska, one activity that struck our teens’ attention was taking a helicopter to a glacier and dog sledding there. Read about our experience and thoughts! #Travel #Alaska #DogSledding ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/06/11/a...

Alaska Cruise: Ketchikan Saxman Native Village & Lumberjack Show Last summer, we wanted to see Alaska, and decided to go on a cruise for the first time to see the area. On that trip, our first port stop was in Ketchikan. We separately wrote up about John and Jen…

On our Alaska cruise, our first port stop was in Ketchikan. Read about James’ and Jeremy's visit to the Saxman Native Village, as well as seeing the well-rated lumberjack show.
#Travel #Alaska #Ketchikan ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/06/04/a...

Alaska: Fishing near Ketchikan When we were discussing summer plans last year, one thing our then-15-year-old really wanted to try was fishing in Alaska. Partly because of that, we planned a cruise to Alaska; this was a natural …

When we were discussing summer plans last year, one thing our teenager really wanted to try was fishing in Alaska. In this blog post, we’ll talk about planning this cruise excursion and tell you about our experience in Ketchikan!
#Travel #Alaska #Cruise ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/05/28/a...

Alaska Cruise: Vancouver & First Day Last summer, we went on a cruise for the first time, to Alaska. In our previous post, we wrote about our planning process, how we got on the ship and there. Here we talk about getting there and our…

Last summer, we went on a cruise for the first time, to Alaska. In this blog post, we talk about our day in Vancouver, getting checked in, and our first day on the ship. #Travel #Alaska #Cruise
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/05/21/a...

Alaska & Our First Cruise: Planning Normally, we’re fairly self-directed travelers, and cruises aren’t necessarily our thing. In the past, we’ve seen overwhelming cruise crowds cram the streets of compact cities lik…

Normally, we’re fairly self-directed travelers, and cruises aren’t necessarily our thing. However, Alaska is different as the main areas of Southeast Alaska are not connected to the mainland by road. Read about our delightful experience!
#Travel #Alaska ✈️🗺️
adventuresofthe4jls.com/2025/05/14/a...

Attending the (final?) “Woodstock for Capitalists” Last weekend (May 2-4, 2025), I went to Omaha to hear Warren Buffett speak at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting. It’s an event that typically hosts 40,000 people, and grew over the years …

Hearing Warren Buffett speak at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting has been on Jeremy's bucket list for many years, and it is good thing he went this year! There is a lesson here about not putting things off for too long! #Travel #Omaha #WarrenBuffett ✈️🗺️
whenalpacasfly.com/2025/05/07/a...

Spring Break in Italy: 2 days in Cinque Terre One area that we’d missed in previous visits to Italy and wanted to see on this spring break trip was the Cinque Terre. This area consists of five small seaside towns in the Northern Italy mo…

One area that we wanted to see on this spring break trip to Italy was the Cinque Terre. This area consists of five small seaside towns in the Northern Italy mountains, which are connected by train and hiking trails.
#Travel #Italy #CinqueTerre ✈️🗺️
whenalpacasfly.com/2025/04/30/s...

Spring Break in Italy: Pisa Stop One of our goals for our Spring Break trip to Italy was to finally see the famous leaning tower. Yes, it’s quite touristy, but we wanted to see if after just missing it a few years back. Note…

One of our goals for our Spring Break trip to Italy was to finally see the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. Yes, it’s quite touristy, but we wanted to see it after just missing it a few years back. Read about our adventure to this famous location!
#Travel #Pisa ✈️🗺️
whenalpacasfly.com/2025/04/23/s...

Spring Break in Italy: Day trip from Rome to Capri One destination that caught our youngest’s eye when we were planning our trip to Italy was the Isle of Capri. Long storied, various ancient Roman emperors had villas there. It’s also th…

One destination that caught our youngest’s eye when we were planning our trip to Italy was the Isle of Capri. Read about our adventures!
#Travel #Italy #Capri #BlueGrotto
whenalpacasfly.com/2025/04/16/s...

Spring break in Italy: Planning & Rome Arrival Italy is a great place to visit – beautiful food, culture, and landscapes. We’d actually been a few times as a family and gotten a good overview, but our boys (with stronger opinions no…

Spring Break in Italy: Planning & Rome Arrival
whenalpacasfly.com/2025/04/11/s...

Traveling with Kids: Pros and Cons at each Age -
whenalpacasfly.com/2022/02/16/t...

Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary-aged children, preteens, and teens all present unique opportunities and challenges where travel is concerned. While our children are now teenagers, our blog covers travel at all ages and stages of development! ✈️🌍 #Travel