What's your favorite trip? Historic sites.

We get that question a lot so we are putting together a series of posts to try and answer that question. Wow you have done so many cool things, but what was your favorite trip? The answer? It depends. We have lots of favorite experiences across the trips that we have taken so its impossible to say which is our favorite trip. We can share some of our favorite experiences (some on this site and some to come). The focus for today is on history.

Historic Sites

Our list is probably not very traditional and is a mix of beauty and reminders of horror. One constant, we learned much as we visited each.

Domus Aurea (Nero’s palace) – Rome

• Tucked away behind the misnamed Coliseum (it’s actually Flavian’s amphitheater) is Nero’s palace. Not generally well visited but truly fascinating. It’s also buried in the hillside so a nice cool relief from a sweltering Rome summer’s day. Details will come soon.

The Palentine – Rome

• Sitting on the hillside overlooking the Forum is perhaps the richest neighborhood of the Roman Empire. Most people stick to the Forum, but if you want to see how Rome’s 1% lived its worth the climb. Details will come soon.

Jerash – Jordan

• One of the best preserved Roman sites outside of Italy. The amphitheater is intact and you can get a feeling for what once was by walking the ancient streets. More information click here.

Petra – Jordan

• One of our favorites partly because of what we saw and partly because of how we experienced Petra. The architecture is amazing. Coming out of the sique to see the famous “Treasury” is better than Indiana Jones, but what made our visit special was that we had hired Bedouin guides to show us their Petra, so not only did we see all the sites, but had moments like sharing tea while sitting in front of the cave our guide was born in. More information click here.

Red Square – Moscow

• Not at all what we expected. Our preconceptions were colored by images of tanks rolling through Red Square showcasing the military might of the Soviet Union. While this does happen, the normal experience is quite different. The square is bordered by the Kremlin, Lenin’s tomb, St Basil’s basilica and GUM (the showcase shopping center from Russia’s past and present) so it abounds with history. It is also and wonderful place to stop in at a café and enjoy the view. Details will come soon.

The A-bomb dome – Hiroshima

• The darker side of history. If you are in Japan, visiting Hiroshima is a must. The A-bomb Dome is the skeletal remnants of a building that remained standing after the bomb detonated. A stark reminder that this should never happen again. It is also an entry into the Peace Park, which shows the human impact that was caused by the bomb, including stark images of nuclear shadows – the only remains of victims who were instantly incinerate – a permanent shadow on stone. More information click here.

Dachau – Germany

• Remaining on the dark side, a reminder of the cruelty that humans can inflict on others through hatred – industrialized genocide. We have been more than once and have said it was the most important day that we have spent in Germany. Details will come soon.

Normandy – France

• You cannot help but be moved standing in the American cemetery and seeing the visible symbols of sacrifice. We will not forget our son looking across the markers realizing that each was a remembrance of a young man who was his age or less. Beyond the beaches on the memorial, there is also a very well done museum that walks through the history of World War II in Europe. Details will come soon.

Ayutthaya – Thailand

• North of Bangkok, Ayutthaya is the old capital of the Kingdom of Siam (from 1350-1767). It is filled with iconic temples and Buddha statues. One note, the Buddha’s are all headless. When the Burmese sacked the city they chopped them all off. More information click here.

Pompeii – Italy

• I’ll admit to a personal fascination with Pompeii since I was a kid. It started with the wow of the story – volcano erupting, people getting buried and preserved. Great stuff for a kid. As I grew and understood more the fascination grew too. You get history, architecture and art, tragedy all rolled together in Pompeii. Details will come soon.

Paestum – Italy

• Not enough visitors. This Greek ruin south of Rome is beautiful and mostly empty. You can explore it without the crowds that you get in the more famous sites in Italy. Also, if you are into architecture you can see the difference an arch makes. Greek architecture, no arches, massive columns spaced closely together. Details will come soon.

Villa d’Este, Italy

• If you don’t get to be pope, you can apparently get quite the consolation prize.Cardinal d’Este did not get the white smoke but he did get a villa with incredible gardens.Nice side trip out from Rome and while you’re at it, stop into Hadrian’s villa which, while not on this list, just barely missed the cut. Details will come soon.