The Well The third time I stopped along the winding road to admire Montezuma Well was a little different. Funny story how these historic site came by the name "Montezuma," but we'll get to that later. For now lets take a journey together, through two ancient sacred sites between Flagstaff and Phoenix, Arizona. On previous … Continue reading A Trip to the Tranquil, Ancient Ruins at Montezuma Well
Chichen Itza, studied it, read about it, taught it to my 9th graders for two years. I take no great joy in saying it was the most disappointing of all of our visits to Mayan ruins. Sure the pyramid is impressive, but the site is grossly over-hyped. The hype is probably one of the reasons … Continue reading A Disappointing Day at the Grand Chichen Itza
Spectacular Mayan ruins, the sounds of nature in its full grandeur, the deepest of blues and the greenest of greens. Would you like to experience these sensations in one place? If the answer is yes, then all you have to do is venture just 10 miles south of Tulum. There you will find the archaeological and … Continue reading The Solitary Beauty of Muyil
The Tulum Ruins They're amazing, and definitely worth the visit. The Tulum ruins are second in number of visits only to the ruins outside of Teotihuacan, Mexico. Hoards of tourists from Cancun and Playa del Carmen descend on the archaeological ruins in Tulum every day. By noon the site is so crowded you can't … Continue reading Tulum Ruins: How to Have an Awesome Visit
Every time I look at the photo above I long to visit Greece again. It's not just the awe-inspiring scenery, amazing food, or ancient history. It's the way of life. Slow, calm, relaxed, and beautiful. Yes, Greece is going through some tough economic times right now, but that shouldn't stop anyone from visiting. The U.S. Dollar goes … Continue reading Why it’s Time to go Back to Greece
I don't often comment on politics or current events, but I feel compelled to write about the senseless and sickening destruction of one of Syria's greatest treasures, the Temple of Bel in Palmyra, which was a UNESCO world heritage site. I am deeply saddened and troubled by this ATTEMPT to revise history by one of … Continue reading Don’t Let the Temple of Bel Die
Reposted from the Ancient History Encyclopedia Cuneiform Writing. Photographer Jan van der Crabben I've been spending most of my free time teaching 9th grade World History, but I'm thrilled too see Jaunting Jen included in the Ancient History Encyclopedia's list of 10 history blogs to follow. 10 History Blogs to Follow by Jade Koekoe There are hundreds … Continue reading 10 History Blogs to Follow
The recent headline, "Mosaic of Alexander the Great Meeting a Jewish priest," recently caught my attention. I have been to Greece twice, once on an archaeological excavation, and I teach 9th grade World History. This is just the kind of headline to get my students excited about ancient Greece. It reminds me of the excitement … Continue reading Conjecture or Fact? The Two Faces of Alexander the Great
We know many things about history, but what we don't know outweighs what we think we know. Throughout my travels, I have come not only to embrace, but to seek out history's mysteries. If your eyes and your mind are open you can find mysteries whenever and wherever you travel. Malta is one of those places where … Continue reading 7 Strange Artifacts from Malta
I’ve neglected my blog for a little while to pursue my license to teach middle and high school history. When I first started Jaunting Jen, I thought I wanted to travel full time, but after two months in Europe and Malta, it's clear to me that it's better to maintain a base to travel from for … Continue reading Curse Scrolls, Mystery Cults, and the Secret Roman History of Mainz
After viewing thousands of artifacts in multiple museums, sometimes it can be tempting to just keep walking. But then there are times when something just grabs you, stopping you in your tracks.That's what happened to me when I was in the Speyer, Germany State Museum a few days after visiting Museum Island in Berlin. I … Continue reading Four Gold Hats: A Bronze Age Mystery
Sometimes the most interesting travel experiences come from bypassing the main attraction. The first thought that comes to mind about Athens, Greece is usually the Parthenon, but if you walk right across the street there is another wonder of the ancient world. The Temple of Olympian Zeus, or Olympieion was built about 2,600 years ago, … Continue reading Just me, a cat, and the Temple of Olympian Zeus
