On a recent short flight to Seattle my sweet, frequent-flier husband gave me his upgrade to sit in First Class.The airline had just renovated the seating in this area of the plane and the cabin was spacious and clean.
I looked forward to just sit and drink my tea and read my new book in peace…. But this is NOT what happened.
I think this subject may be divided into two camps; those that understand the value of a travel blogger and those that don’t. I of course fall into the former. Let’s discuss.
Today, everyone really does their homework, whether it is for a major purchase, a minor purchase or to plan their next vacation. Vacations are expensive and often travelers may only take one trip per year or on a rare occasion and really don’t want to make a mistake.
Here’s where the travel blogger can help. Are you traveling in the Midwest? The South? On a European vacation? A river cruise? Somewhere fabulous and tropical? How about the Southwest? France? Are you planning a scuba diving excursion? I know a travel blogger that has been to and is an expert in each of those possible destinations. I could give you many more examples, but this will get you started. When you plan a trip, go to Google, and type the destination for where you want to go.
You can type for example: Best things to do in Maui? What is the best time of year to visit Napa Valley? What should I do in Los Angeles? You get the idea. Google will offer up different websites and you are off to the races. (I have written a post about each of those topics). Most often Google will take you directly to the post, if not, when you get to the travel blog, use the SEARCH BOX and type in what you are looking for. Whether it is a city, state or country, if the blogger has been there, the post will pop up.
I am no expert, but I do pack an awful lot! I travel a couple of times a month for all types of weather and experiences. Sometimes the trips may be for a few days and others a week or two. Last summer I spent a month in Europe. Sounds pretty glamorous doesn’t it? My Viking Cruise and family trip were back to back on purpose. This saved a lot of flying time! However packing for a month was a bit daunting, I managed. Poor me.
I have explored other blogs and articles about how best to prepare and everyone seems to have a little different take on the subject of packing. Some writers even get super specific, getting down to items like toothbrush and toothpaste.
I believe most of us can remember to bring those things and need more of a general conversation rather than how many shirts/pants/pairs of underwear I need. I talk with my travel friends to learn their tips and tricks as well. We can all learn from each other!
Some people are once a year travelers and would love some extra guidance, others may just be looking for a clever idea to add to their already sufficient packing system. Here we go…
Do you take pictures of your food? Do you think it is silly? I have actually been doing this for years, way before Instagram came along. I have always loved the beauty of the presentation of a dish. I saved the photos just for me, but now I have a convenient way to share my passion: social media.
Do I photograph every thing we eat? No, not everything, but a lot of it. My poor Instagram husband, doesn’t touch his plate until I give him the green light. I try to do it quickly and of course with no flash. Flash is a food photography no-no. For one it makes the food look ugly, two, it is such a rookie move and three, it definitely disturbs the other restaurant guests.
I recently returned from the trip of a lifetime in Iceland. The time difference is eight hours and on my return trip I had to fly from Reykjavík to Seattle, go through customs, layover 2 1/2 hours and then fly home to Los Angeles. I was definitely tired. So happy for the experience but travel can be exhausting, everyone knows this. But mistakes can happen.
Welcome Back Laura! This Guest Adventurer writes the fun blog called CoastofIllinois.com. She is a land-locked beach bum who works days as a nurse and shares her land-locked life with her husband who recently retired from a career in law enforcement; just scratching the surface of their sit-com similarities. They have two grown children who still insist on Sunday dinner and a cat who has no interest in bettering himself, unless he can learn how to open his tiny food cans. A fixer-upper sailboat takes up a good portion of time these days, as does preparing for more travel adventures inspired by good food, Hemingway stories and Jimmy Buffet music.
About three years ago, I sent out a request for all of you to share your favorite holiday destination. This collaborative post was super fun to do and I thoroughly enjoyed reading where YOU like to go!
I think it is about time we did this again!
Although sad to see it end, the wedding adventure is complete. Our grown up adult daughter has married her prince at a lovely destination wedding in Seattle.
Have you been to a destination wedding? I believe the definition of this type of celebration to be any wedding location too great a distance that you could not comfortably drive to and from in the same day.
Seventy percent of all our guests came from outside the state of Washington. That is a huge percentage of wonderful, caring family and friends who wouldn’t miss this day for the world. We so appreciate the time effort and expense of traveling to our Seattle “Urban Garden” Wedding in downtown Seattle.
I introduced these adorable Find Adventure luggage tags several years ago as a practical and fun way to connect as fellow travelers. And they’re back! The holidays are around the corner and why not purchase these tags for the globetrotters in your life? I am hoping to continue to grow the #findadventure movement and these tags will help us get there!
There is never enough space in each post to share every favorite moment and travel photo. I try not to bombard you with too much copy or too many photos, therefore lots of photos are left behind! I wish I could include a photo album every time I publish! However the next best thing is to just tell a story with my never been published photos from my recent BIG summer family trip to Italy.
On social media I have actually noticed several bloggers and non-bloggers have taken extensive trips this past summer. When you travel to Europe, so very far away, it is nice to try to squeeze in as much as you can while you are there. Although the argument can be made that you move pretty quickly and don’t get to dive too deep into each city you visit.
We actually did a little bit of both. We stayed in one villa for a week in Italy in order to enjoy the countryside, slow down, relax and spend quality time with the family and then we usually spent several nights in each city after that. Craig and I left Italy and flew to Mallorca and then I flew to Berlin to take a Viking River Cruise from Berlin to Prague and lastly I stayed in Budapest, Hungary for four more nights. A BIG beautiful summer of travel. For today I am just sharing a little more of Italy.
Get updates on new podcast episodes, blog posts, and travel news that I'm excited to share with you!
