Author Mark Johnston

Besides picking a good backpack, selecting the right shoes was probably the most important decision I needed to make when shopping for this year-long trip. Thankfully, unlike my backpack selection, I was...

I'm ashamed to admit that I arrived in Barcelona with no idea who Antoni Gaudí was, only knowing that I had to visit that "crazy-looking cathedral" I'd seen pictures, (turns out it's actually a minor...

Six nights in Paris and so much to eat! We made stops at many of the stunning sights around the city including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe and Versailles. But the...

I was excited to return to Paris for my second visit for the wrong reason. I say wrong because as it turned out the food I was looking forward to enjoying was of Swiss origin. Raclette is a dish indigenous...

Upon our return to Kinlochbervie in northern Scotland, I sat outside my friend Kate’s house admiring a picture-perfect morning... heartbroken that I couldn’t enjoy the day as planned. Britnee and I had...

An extended visit to Scotland, Mark's home country, where we were hosted by gracious family and friends from the northern coast to the southern borderlands. Over two weeks we listened to the debate over...

Although I grew up in Scotland, until age 12 when my family moved to the U.S., there was still much of the country I’d never seen. Over the years I managed a couple of trips back there but both of them were...

These past couple of weeks have been an interesting time to be visiting Scotland as they prepare to vote in two days on their independence. Scottish Independence! Kind of a big deal, I know. Thankfully as...

My godfather Malcolm referred to England’s Lake District as “Heaven on Earth” as he unfolded various topographic maps on the coffee table. When Britnee and I found out we had a week to spare before...

A whole lot of hills! We enjoyed four days of hiking and a little relaxing while staying at the YHA Helvellyn Hostel near Glenridding in the Lake District, England. Thanks to some guidance from Mark's...

We chose to stay at YHA Helvellyn during our time in the Lake District and we chose right! This hostel is tucked away in the old Greenside Lead Mine area a mile from the village of Glenridding where we...

It was a familiar footpath that I’d walked countless times before with my grandparents, my parents, my brother and now on which I walked with my wife. Crossing through fields, over a small bridge and down a...

We visited Somerset, England, for some family history where we stopped in Sampford Brett, the home town of Mark's late grandparents, and explored the quaint coastal towns of Minehead and Watchet with a ride on...