Dramatic Bran Castle in Romania

On February 22, 2022February 22, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Romania4 Comments

Bran Castle is often referred to as Castle Dracula, but its history has very little to do with Vlad the Impaler who most people associate as being the inspiration of the novel. Apparently, Bram Stoker based his description of Dracula’s castle on a description of Bran Castle that he had read about during the time that he was writing the book. The castle does indeed match his description in that it does sit on the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley below. Bram Stoker never actually visited Transylvania, but the illustration of the castle in the original novel is supposed to match Bran Castle pretty closely. The only actual relationship the castle has with Vlad Dracul is that it was where the tax officers resided who collected taxes from the aristocrats of Bran. Vlad was also reportedly held in the castle for two months by the Hungarian’s after being defeated by their armies. Regardless of whether you go to the castle because of its association to Dracula or just because you enjoy historic castles, the visit is certainly worthwhile.

We read a lot of complaints about the size of the crowds visiting the castle before our arrival and needless to say, it is true. As with any popular tourist destination, complaining about the crowds is beyond ridiculous, what else would you truly expect. With that said, we were fortunate to be there during the off-season, so it could have definitely been worse. The second thing that we read was that the castle has been refurbished, not restored, so don’t expect what you see to be truly authentic to the period. Although there are some historic pieces of furniture scattered throughout the rooms of the castle, it is the dramatic views and the castle courtyard in the heart of the castle.

It is truly a beautiful part of the country and the views from the castle are quite amazing. Although its popularity is based simply on being the inspiration to the castle in Bram Stoker’s novel, it is quite dramatic to see it almost rising out of the rocky cliffs below. Maybe it is the romantic notion of the folklore, the desire to transcend time and live forever, or just to say we have been there, we enjoyed our brief visit to the castle. There are certainly plenty of things to see in the Carpathian Mountain region of Brasov in Transylvania, but any trip there should probably include Bran Castle.

The Joy of a Strenuous Hike in the Colorado High Country

On February 16, 2022February 16, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado4 Comments

When you go hiking in the mountains of Colorado, you expect the hikes to be fairly strenuous. Unless you’re going on a relatively short hike, there is most likely going to be a significant change in elevation. After all, you’re in the mountains and if you’re going to go hiking, it isn’t going to be flat. With that said, some hikes are harder than others. We’ve hiked to top of Pikes Peak, which is a 12 mile (19 kilometer) hike one-way to the summit and an elevation gain of over 8,000 feet (or 2,500 meters) as well as hiked on trails with ledges that were only as wide as our feet. We’re definitely not rock climbers, but from time to time you have to do some boulder scrambling in order to reach some of the more remote locations when hiking.

The hike that we took during one of our trips to Breckenridge, Colorado, was one of those hikes. The interesting thing about hiking when you have to scale some rocks or go on the edge of some steep cliffs is that it is usually more unnerving going down than it is going up. When you’re going up the mountain, your focus is on the trail ahead of you and the reaching the top of whatever you’re scaling. When you’re heading down, you tend to see how steep things really are and that makes it a little bit more scary.

We almost turned around a couple of times during the hike, but the payoff at the end was worth the effort. As is often the case when you hike in Colorado, the views at the peak or the end of a trail are absolutely spectacular. This particular hike brought us to a gorgeous pond where we sat and ate a brief lunch while we watched the mountain goats relax on the boulders above us. It was just the two of us and nature, and it was one of the most tranquil and relaxing experiences that we’ve had hiking. Perhaps it was due to the lack of oxygen and exhaustion, but the beauty around us was almost euphoric.

Unfortunately all hikes must end and eventually you have to work your way back down and back to reality and to civilization. On our way back down, when we reached the spot where we had climbed up several boulders along a very steep cliff, we scooted ourselves down as opposed to walking, not wanting to tumble down into the ravine. Hearts pounding, once we were down from the boulders, it was back to a normal hike and we were able to once again enjoy that beauty that surrounded us. There truly isn’t anything like hiking in the mountains and totally immersing oneself in nature.

The Beautiful Beaches of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic

On February 15, 2022February 15, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn CaribbeanLeave a comment

The Dominican Republic has some gorgeous beaches, which is definitely the case in Punta Cana. Located on the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic, or “DR” as some people say, Punta Cana has a variety of beautiful resorts. All of them require that you purchase an all-inclusive package, which can make them quite expensive and also discourages you from leaving the resort to visit the surrounding area. We stayed at the Paradisus Palma Real during our trip to Punta Cana a few years ago and were definitely impressed with all of the amenities.

When staying at a large resort, such as the ones in Punta Cana, there are usually many restaurants to choose from, which provides many different options for dining, from casual to fine dining. We took advantage of upgrading to something that the resort called “Royal Service”, which provided us with an ocean view room, access to a concierge to make reservations to restaurants and shows, as well as private pool. It also provided us with a reserved cabana and lounge chairs on the beach without having to get up early and put a towel on it to reserve them.

Obviously, the highlight of going to Punta Cana are the beautiful beaches with plenty of opportunities to partake in water activities. In addition to spending time on the beach or at one of the many pools, there are also shows every evening for anyone that wants with music and dancing. During the day, you can also participate in activities such as yoga on the beach, volleyball, cooking lessons, and more for those that need more than just sun and relaxation. We use trips like this as a vacation and a break from our hectic schedules, so we tend to simply sit back and soak up the scenery as we sip on tropical drinks.

We hope to enjoy other beaches in the Caribbean, but Punta Cana, with beaches that face both the Atlantic and Caribbean, is definitely worth a visit. We would also recommend the royal service to anyone who has the opportunity. It is a bit of a splurge, but truly worth the extra expense, especially if you’re not travelling with children.