In the category of Most Awesome Under-the-Radar Travel Destination, the award goes to… envelope please… Chile! It gets the gold medal, the blue ribbon, an EGOT ‘cause why not?, a Heisman, a Nobel Prize in pisco, AND it gets to go on Ellen. We’ll even give it a penguin-shaped star on the Wanderlusty Walk of […]
7 Ways to Spend a Day in Oak Ridge, Tennessee
My journey to spending a day in Oak Ridge, Tennessee began in the least likely of places—Target. Now, while Target isn’t that much of a stranger to starting fires—say, like a downward spiral into Debt-town or I-Really-Don’t-Needsville—this is one I surely didn’t see coming. It all started with a trip to Target for… probably something […]
A Jam-Packed 3-Day Washington DC Itinerary for First-Timers
I don’t like to brag but… I’m pretty unique. 💁🏼 I just so happen to be one of the few brought up in the American school system that didn’t visit Washington DC on a school-sponsored field trip. I went to public school after all—we barely had classrooms. Or teachers. We did have a pretty epic […]
Brooklyn’s New York Transit Museum // Underground and Underrated
One day last year my mom posted something on my Facebook page. Well, let me be more specific. Last year, on 300 out of 365 days my mom posted something on my Facebook page. One of those things was a video on the New York Transit Museum – a New York City museum I had […]
Visiting Ellis Island in a Hurry // A Guide for Time-Budget Travelers
So you’ve spent a good amount of time and energy at the Statue of Liberty (because I told you to) and now you have nothing left to give Ellis Island. I feel you there! After all, two of my best friends have birthdays between Christmas and New Years, so, ya know. This is exactly the […]
An Oktoberfest Tour Guide’s Most Frequently Asked Oktoberfest Questions
This may come as news to you but, besides being a full time blogger, I also moonlight (September-light?) as a tour guide at Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. It’s a REALLY TOUGH JOB that involves spending two whole weeks at Oktoberfest, drinking loads of delicious beer, dancing on benches, singing along with German songs I know […]
The Permanent Motion Sickness Cure That Changed My Life
Having grown up 600 miles from the nearest ocean, I remember my first time on a boat very clearly. The ocean-obsessed 11-year-old me couldn’t have been more excited for my first deep sea fishing excursion out in the Gulf of Mexico. I mean, Free Willy had just come out–I was losing my cool. Speeding out […]
7 France-tastic! Things to Do in the Loire Valley
When I first started looking up things to do in the Loire Valley, my first thought was, “WTF!”– as in, way too feminine! Castles? Wine? I assume there’s going to be a fairy godmother and a glass slipper at some point? Had my travels finally turned me into a Disney princess? The holes in my Converse gave […]
Yes, You Need Travel Insurance! And Here’s Why…
Okay, look. I’m pretty cheap. Always have been. And I’m not just talking flying coach here. I mean, I’ve had the same hairdryer for 20 years and the sum’bitch has been duct taped for 10 of those. I’m talkin’ at-home leg waxing, still wearing clothes I bought in high school (I’m thirty-freaking-five), and I’m currently […]
How to Squeeze in a Day Trip to Salzburg from Munich
Salzburg, Austria is known for many things. Like… well, how about… okay, so maybe Salzburg is known for just one major thing: The Sound of Music. It’s where the movie was filmed; it’s where the movie takes place; and it’s where I went this year to escape Germany’s Oktoberfestivities for a day. You know what’s […]
A First-Timer’s Guide to Spending 3 Days in Lisbon, Portugal
Updated: 4/15/2019 Ahh, Lisbon. I’m saying that as if Lisbon, Portugal has been a topic of much-had conversation over the years. Which it has not. I mean, do YOU know anything about Lisbon? Other than it’s the capital of Portugal? (It is the capital of Portugal, right?) I ask this because… before I booked 3 […]
A Step-By-Step Guide for How to Get a Passport Already!
Step by step, ooh baby! Gonna get that passporrrrrtt. I realize only 19% of you will get that reference (that’s how many of my readers are between the ages of 35 and 44), but I’m still running with it. Original NKOTB forever! So yeah, if you couldn’t tell by the title of this post, it’s […]
Need-to-Know Tips for Spending 2 Days in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
I first decided to spend 2 days in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico after seeing it designated as the “world’s best city” by Travel and Leisure. (Also, let’s face it, I hadn’t even heard of it before that.) It turned out I was going to be back in Mexico City for a time and, at […]
Do This, Not That // Day of the Dead in Mexico for First-Timers
Updated: January 23rd, 2019 For as long as I can remember I’ve been drawn to the holiday of Day of the Dead in Mexico (Día de los Muertos) even if I never really understood the entire meaning behind it. It’s so colorful, so beautiful, and so… enchanting—yes, enchanting is a good word. I always wanted […]
How to Dress for Day of the Dead // A Complete Guide for Both Sexes
Updated: January 23rd, 2019 I’ve been captivated by Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos for as long as I can remember. The colors! The skulls! The flowers! Plus, if you’ve ever seen me apply makeup in the morning, you’ll understand why I’ve been waiting my whole life to celebrate a holiday where I can […]
200 Things to Do in Memphis for First-Time Visitors // A Local’s Guide
Updated: April 3rd, 2019 My beloved hometown of Memphis, Tennessee turns 200 in 2019 and she’s been through a lot in her short lifetime. Most of it good, some of it bad, and that time we lost the NCAA basketball championship by seven points was really, truly ugly. No, I’m still not over it so […]
13 Reasons to Visit Graceland Even If You’re Not an Elvis Fan
I’ve lived in Memphis, Tennessee for almost my entire life and never visited Graceland. Actually, “I’ve never been to Graceland” is practically the subtitle of every Memphian; it should be written under their names on their driver’s licenses next to “Blood Type: Sweet Tea and fry oil”. I’ve never been a fan of Elvis and […]
How to Use the Tampa Bay CityPASS as a Childless Adult
I’m a serious lover of discount attraction passes—possibly the best invention for those of us who want to see a lot, only have a little time to do so, and are probably just a lil cheap. Okay, I may be more than just a little cheap—I have worn seven tops and coats on a plane […]
Do This, Not That // 2 Days in The Bahamas
When given the chance to travel anywhere (which is always, admit it–we’re a pretty privileged bunch), you’ll most likely find a Caribbean resort scraping the sandy bottom of my travel wish list. It’s not that I dislike the Caribbean—I mean, it’s not as far down as rural Arkansas–I’m just not a beach vacation kinda taker […]
Exploring the 700 (!!!) Islands of The Bahamas
Shortly after landing in The Bahamas and having my dreams of tending tiki bar until the end of time dashed (The Bahamas passport stamp blatantly states “EMPLOYMENT PROHIBITED”—it’s like they know we’ve all seen Cocktail), I learned a very interesting fact from my cab driver: There are 700 islands of The Bahamas! During a conversation […]
