Erika Bisbocci
Erika is an avid traveler and explorer of over ninety countries on six different continents. Since 2011, she has spent time studying Arabic in the Middle East, teaching English in Namibia and working as a flight attendant for a major US airline. When not traveling overseas, she loves exploring her own backyard in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
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Visiting Jasper National Park in Canada
The Canadian Rockies are a hyperbole of beauty and an exaggeration of nature. Home to sparkling lakes, towering mountains, and jaw-dropping vistas, they contain some of the most photographed and revered alpine scenery on Earth. It goes without saying that I had high expectations for the area. But despite these expectations, my four days in Jasper and Banff were everything I had dreamed of. They gave me a break from by hectic summer flying schedule and allowed me to trade my rollaboard for a backpack, my hotel room for a…
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Banff National Park: Jewel of the Canadian Rockies
‘Amazing’ might be one of the most overused words in the English language. We use it to describe everything from food to places to moods to people. Yet, as Dan and I drove into the Canadian Rockies and craned our necks to see the majestic peaks of Banff National Park in Alberta, I could think of no other word to adequately describe what I was seeing. Throughout our short Canadian Rockies road trip, I would try time and time again to come up with words that could convey the majesty…
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Spending One Day in Moscow on a Layover
In 2007, when I visited St Petersburg with my parents as part of a vacation to the Baltic region of Europe, I remember being struck by the city’s elaborate architecture and world-class art. My family and I spent nearly a week walking up and down St Petersburg’s bustling streets and cruising the city’s canals–taking in the sights of glimmering gold-domed churches, world-class museums and grandiose palaces Yet, after a visit to Russia’s cultural capital, I immediately realized that I had barely scratched the surface of what the world’s largest country had to offer. I longed to delve deeper into…
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Day Trip to the Cinque Terre
Set against the backdrop of the Italian Riviera’s dramatic coastline and overlooking the sapphire waters of the Ligurian Sea, the Cinque Terre have soared toward the top of Italy’s list of must-see attractions. The Cinque Terre are five idyllic fishing villages that fall within the boundaries of the Cinque Terre National Park. Thanks in large part to the proliferation of social media and travel blogs, the five heralded villages have become near-permanent fixtures on the Italian tourist trail. And for good reason. The area is stunningly beautiful. I remember visiting the Cinque…
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The South Coast of Iceland: Highlights and Attractions
The South Coast of Iceland is something out of a fairy tale. With its lush vegetation, its fields of purple lupins, its black sand beaches and its misty waterfalls, its spectacular landscapes are a photographer’s dream. Both familiar and otherworldly, Iceland’s coastal landscape at times reminded me of my home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. And yet other times, I was convinced that I had just set foot on the moon. The area is desolate and treeless, yet also grassy and green—giving it the unique position of looking both lush…
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Driving the Golden Circle in Iceland
The Golden Circle offers a snapshot of Iceland’s most dramatic scenic wonders. A popular day trip from Reykjavik, it features thunderous waterfalls, spouting geysers, crater lakes, geothermal pools, and wide open roads. In the summer of 2014, I spent a short layover in Iceland for work. My brief visit consisted of walking the streets of Reykjavik and relaxing in the Blue Lagoon. When I left Iceland a mere 24 hours after my arrival, I vowed to return in order to explore the Golden Circle’s volcanic scenery. So when I finally…
