Unique digital nomad travel adventures from around the U.S.
Yeah for your birthday! I do not know very many people who enjoy getting older (besides kids that is). Regardless of whether you embrace getting older, pretend it isn’t happening or actively work to prevent it, those birthdays roll around once a year no matter …
Unfortunately, not-so-fun travel moments happen. It is not all hearts and flowers and there are definitely some unpleasant moments on the road. For me, those parts pale in comparison to all of the fun stuff. However, I think it might be worth mentioning the not-so-fun …
Travel resolutions and goals are the best in my opinion. 2017 was an incredible year for travel. I knocked off not one, but two bucket list items (Australia and the Azores), had a lovely Christmas in Europe and experienced many, many weekend adventures. I am hoping 2018 is just as full and fun. My goal for life is to travel more. It is a running resolution and not something I give special consideration to at the beginning of each year. However, if you have made travel a resolution for 2018, we have got some tips for you. Below are 10 suggestions (all starting with S for some reason) to help you achieve your travel goals in 2018:
The keyword here is reasonable. If you have a hard time taking off work for more than one week at a time, it may not be reasonable to plan a two-week vacation somewhere without internet access. One week, or even ten days, may be a reasonable goal however. If you have never left the country before, it may not be reasonable to plan a backpacking trip through Southeast Asia. On the other hand, a guided tour through Vietnam may be a reasonable option. They key to sticking to your New Year’s resolutions is setting one that you actually have a chance of accomplishing. Be realistic with yourself.
It is all well and good to say you want to travel more this year. But what does that mean? I find it harder to meet lofty, big-picture goals than I do something specific. Perhaps your goal could be to use your passport at least once. Or perhaps take an out-of-state road trip. Big or small does not really matter, just try to get a little specific. That will help in planning and executing your travel goals.
Take a road trip this weekend. Visit a friend two states over. When it comes to a travel resolution, no one said you had to go big or go home. If that two-week dream vacation to Italy is unrealistic, do something that is realistic. We wrote a post all about girls weekends. Those are a great way to start to travel more.
Of course, we have big travel plans for 2018. But we also have some smaller adventures planned and those are just as enjoyable as the big ones, they just do not last as long.
Time moves so quickly. Before you know it, summer will be here. The time to make travel plans for 2018 is NOW. Pick a date and tell your boss. Pick out a date and book something. Or pick a date and ask your friends to join you. Just pick a date.
Not only are travel alerts good reminders, but they keep you excited and engaged in planning. I especially enjoy Scott’s Cheap Flights and Travelzoo’s Top 20, but there are plenty of options out there.
We often discuss the places we want to travel to in the future. That way we are both on the lookout for good deals. Not long ago, I got an alert for low fares to various cities in Eastern Europe. Since that was an area we had been discussing, we wasted no time in furthering our research on those low fares. Turns out, the timing and the price was right. So we booked. Would that have happened without the alert? Maybe. But getting that prompt is what prompted us to act and make our plans official. Now we are on our way to checking off a resolution for 2018.
Talk to your friends. Talk to your family. You never know who in your circle may be hoping to do some more travel this year as well. Or perhaps someone in your circle has advice on where to go next. I get most of my destination ideas from talking to my coworkers. And I cannot count the number of times I have mentioned an upcoming trip to someone and they have said, “Have you talked to so-and-so? They were recently there.” Or “So-and-so is originally from there. You should talk to them.” Great things usually come about when you talk travel. But you will not know unless you open your mouth and talk about your resolution plans.
You will never see those travel dreams come true if you do not start saving. I know I have harped on this in the past, but I cannot say enough about the benefits of setting up a separate account with an automatic deposit. It was a game changer for me in terms of saving for travel. If money is your biggest obstacle when it comes to travel, even a small amount each month gets you that much closer to your goals. (Click here to learn more about budgeting and saving for a trip.)
A year ago, I was in the final stages of saving for a month-long trip to Australia. It was the most expensive trip I had even taken. Not only was the country itself expensive, but I was going to be there a lot longer than I am usually gone. It took two years to save up for that trip. I was lucky enough that I did not have to stop all fun while I was saving, but I did have to make some adjustments. The smartest decision I made though, was setting up an automatic deposit. After I returned home from that epic adventure, I left that account and automatic deposit in place. It has become my official travel fund and I enjoy watching it grow over time knowing it will lead to more adventures.
If you are too busy to travel, and you want to travel, perhaps it is time to cut something from your life. I realize this is easier said than done. Do you watch a lot of television? Perhaps now is the time to get rid of that cable bill. You will spend your free time getting stuff done, freeing up time to go on vacation, and you will save money as well. Maybe you have too many hobbies. Or perhaps you work too much. There is no right answer for this one, but I believe simplifying your life will make you happier overall and make it easier to travel.
Just because you cannot go far, does not mean you cannot see cool stuff. There are probably plenty of places near you that are worth a visit. When R suggested a weekend visit to North Cascades National Park, I told her that I had never heard of it. Good thing she had. What an amazing place! Sure, Yellowstone and Yosemite are also amazing. But they are full of people. Try something new and a little different. You may be surprised by what is out there.
You never know when a chance for fun will manifest itself. The Azores had been on my bucket list for almost 10 years. Still, I had no plans to visit them in 2017. However, an opportunity came about that I could not pass up. I was supposed to attend training in Boston for work. When the training fell through, I was left with a plane ticket to Boston. My company would have refunded me the ticket. Instead, I kept the ticket and bought another plane ticket to São Miguel in the Azores. I was already planning on being out of the office that week, so why not make it a vacation instead? That was a most excellent decision and one I do not regret in the least.
I am not an expert at staycations. In fact, I have never taken one. However, I feel like they have a lot of benefits and are a good use of vacation time, especially if you live somewhere where other people like to travel to. My friend in Arizona will often book a hotel stay and spa treatment at one of the resorts in the Phoenix area. In the off-season, she can get great deals. It is a great way to feel pampered, take it easy and check out for a while—without the added stress of leaving home. I may just have to give this a try someday. Perhaps I will make it a resolution next year.
2018 is a brand new year full of possibilities and travel opportunities. If you made a New Year’s resolution to travel more, great! Get to it! A few simple steps can help you achieve your goals and bring a lot of joy to the upcoming year.
I know not everyone loves winter or winter travel, but there are so many great winter activities! If you throw a little travel into the mix, you have got yourself one hell of a good time. You may choose to travel to a particular destination …
This week we are excited to have a guest author, my friend from grad school, Genevieve Brown. Like us, Genevieve enjoys traveling. Unlike us, she sometimes travels with a side of volunteering. We asked her to tell us a little bit more about volunteering abroad, …
Salt Lake City is not the most exotic location on the planet. However, there are plenty of fun things to do and see there. It is an especially good location to begin a trip out west. Due to its proximity to Idaho, it makes an excellent weekend getaway and we find ourselves there a couple times of year for various events (mostly concerts). Below are my five favorite things about Salt Lake City.
I go to a lot of concerts. I hesitate to put a number on it because then I will realize how much money I am spending on concerts and I would rather not go there. So I will just leave it at “a lot.” When one goes to a lot of concerts, one spends a lot of time in concert venues. I have enjoyed large events at places like the Gorge and Red Rocks as well as events at hole-in-the-wall bars that hold 15 people. Each venue comes with its own set of pros and cons.
Of all of the concert venues I have been to, the State Room is my favorite. The only con, in my opinion, is that it is not located in my hometown. I would attend events there a lot more often if it was closer. The State Room is small and intimate and even during sold-out performances, there is room to move. You can choose to sit down or stand. Either way, you will have a great view. Sometimes R and I go to concerts in Salt Lake City instead of Boise simply because of the State Room is hosting. If you get a chance to see one of your favorite bands there, do not hesitate.
The Wasatch Range, a mountain range that stretches north and south from the Idaho border to central Utah, is awfully pretty. It is also really close to Salt Lake City. Not only are you afforded gorgeous views just by looking up, but it could not be easier to go exploring in the mountains. A short drive from the city (sometimes less than 10 minutes) can find you winding through a canyon with gorgeous views of breathtaking scenery. Salt Lake City’s proximity to the mountains means easy access to skiing, hiking and camping. The people there really are spoiled with this range right in their backyard and it is wonderful perk for those of us visiting the city.
I only recently discovered Bruges Waffles and Frites on a trip for work. A coworker had tried it out and raved about it so I figured I would give it a whirl. Excellent decision on my part. From their website, it appears they have several locations. However, I went to the teeny-tiny original location in downtown. There were three places to sit and barely enough room for two people to stand. Since I was the only customer “dining in,” the cramped space did not bother me. If you have a larger party, I suggest one of the other locations.
How was the food? It was better than fine. The menu is interesting and I had a hard time deciding what to order. I finally settled on some sort of hot dog, fries and a waffle for dessert. It was all tasty, but the dipping sauce for the fries and the waffle exceeded my expectations. I was an instant fan and I cannot wait to travel to Belgium to see how it compares. I also recommend you try it out for yourself ASAP.
Okay, so this one is not exactly in Salt Lake City. It is about an hour drive north in a town called Ogden. If you are driving to or from Idaho, it is right on the way and well worth a stop. (Note: it is closed on Sundays so do not try then.) They sell just about everything at Smith and Edwards. I am serious. From clothes and tools to penny candy and kitchen gadgets, they have everything you need and several things you did not even realize you did needed. I have bought over-sized bags of Swedish Fish, kid-sized boots that fit me like a glove, garlic power and a clay pigeon launcher. Seriously. Everything.
About the only thing you cannot buy, as far as I can tell, is groceries. But there is a fast-food restaurant inside so it is not like you will go hungry. The people watching is also pretty good. I do have a couple of warnings however; be prepared to feel overwhelmed. There is a lot to see and a lot of people shopping, especially on Saturday. It is very easy to feel overwhelmed. Also, I recommend you set a spending and/or time limit. I always to seem to walk out an hour later and $100 dollars poorer. I guess that works for me, but you may want to set some stricter guidelines. I do not know of any other store like Smith and Edwards and I always enjoy the time spent meandering its vast and varied offerings.
After having visiting Salt Lake City numerous times, I rarely visit Temple Square anymore. The exception, however, is Christmas time. The hundreds of thousands of lights transform Temple Square into a winter wonderland, making it a delight to stroll around at night. It will be cold this time of year so you will want to bundle up first. And maybe grab some hot cocoa. Once fortified against the cold, you will be ready to enjoy the sights and sounds of Temple Square. It is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit.
Salt Lake City is an excellent place to visit. It just so happens to be a good example of a place in our “backyard” that we can easily visit in a weekend. So we do so often. If you have never visited before or are looking for something new to try, give one of my top five recommendations a go. Then let me know what you think.
Recently, R and I spent a day in Boston, Massachusetts. Now one day may not sound like much, but even a short amount of time in Bean Town is better than no time at all and I am going to share with you some tips …
One of the biggest impediments to travel is cost. Even though B and I have talked about how we don’t spend as much as you would think on our trips, travel still costs more money than staying at home. One way to keep travel costs …
R and I spent five and a half days driving around and exploring São Miguel Island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. Locally, it is referred to as The Green Island. I just called it stunning.
Turns out the Azores make a great micro trip. We are part-time travelers with full-time jobs, so we have to maximize our weekends, holidays and vacations days. It is very easy to see all of São Miguel Island in a relatively short amount of time.
We knew it would be pretty and we figured we would have a good time. It was and we did. However, there were definitely some surprises in store for us on this particular adventure. Most were good. But there were a few that were not so good. Below are 10 surprising things we learned about São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal:
At 293 square miles and with a population of 150,000, São Miguel Island is the largest and most populous island in the Azores. However, large is relative. Five and half days was more than enough time to see the entire island. By the fifth day, we were actually struggling a bit to find something new to do and we even went back to a couple of places. I did not realize how manageable the island is until we had been there a couple of days. It really is possible to see and do everything on your to-do list in less than a week.
Everything I read said it was easy to drive a rental car around São Miguel Island, that the roads are well maintained and relatively car free. This is all true. But what I failed to read anywhere was a warning about the teeny-tiny streets through towns. Every car on the island is small because they have to be. The roads are narrow and although they are sometimes a one-way street, often they are not.
The most challenging part is maneuvering around parked cars. People park pretty much wherever they want. So you have to figure out how to get around them, often with oncoming traffic. Oh, and sometimes there is also a pedestrian or two walking down the street because sidewalks are microscopic or nonexistent.
Perhaps, if you are vising from another part of the world that has a similar driving situation, you will not be fazed. But coming from the western U.S. (where everyone drives a truck), this was a whole new driving environment for us and one we were not mentally prepared for.
Okay, so we knew the official language was Portuguese before we left. But what we did not know was that many of the islanders would only speak Portuguese. We got around and bought stuff just fine, but it has been a long time since I have visited a place where English was not readily known. It was a bit more challengimg, but it was also a nice change of pace.
I knew the weather could change on a dime and we expected rain at some point. However, we mostly enjoyed gorgeous, warm weather. So warm, in fact, that most of the clothes I packed were all wrong for the weather (60s in Idaho means something very different than 60s in the Azores). With the sun and the humidity, my long-sleeve shirts were completely useless. I am not sure if we just got lucky or what, but I recommend preparing yourself for warmer rather than cooler weather.
Side note: hurricanes do make it to the Azores (who knew?), although they are rare and more mild. One rolled through the day after we left and although the danger was minimal, there were driving restrictions.
I actually had high expectations for the food based on everything I read. But my reality was much different and overall, I found the food to be just meh. Our first restaurant meal, chosen because of a local’s recommendation and a busy atmosphere, left much to be desired. We had the famous Cozido das Furnas (or Furnas stew), a dish of meat and vegetables cooked for six hours in the ground by Mother Nature. To be fair, I did not read good reviews of the stew itself. But we were excited for the experience. However, it was bland and rather expensive, and it felt like this first meal set the stage for the rest of our meals.
In addition, places to eat are a little hard to find in the smaller towns. Often, they have a bar in front where local men like to stand outside and smoke. To be honest, it is a little intimating. We found ourselves gravitating toward grocery stores to fix our own meals instead of looking for a place to eat.
Thankfully, there were some exceptions to the meh food. The Azorean pineapple is definitely a winner, as are most of the pineapple dishes made from them. As you drive around the island, you notice dairy cows everywhere (including the road). Naturally then, the cheese is pretty darn tasty. We enjoyed the yogurt as well. In fact, the yogurt section in the grocery store was much larger than any I have ever seen. The local bread, Bolo Lêvedo, was very good and very versatile. It worked for savory dishes as well as for sweet dishes. And speaking of sweet, I have no complaints about the pastries. They were delicious! Although most of our restaurant meals were disappointing, we did not go hungry while we were there.
One of my favorite parts about this trip was the lack of tourists. They existed, but they existed in far fewer numbers (and packs) than I am used to seeing. We only encountered them at major tourist stops and even then, it was not hard to find a private spot to enjoy whatever it was you came to see. Sadly, I do not think the lack of tourists will last much longer. This place is too great.
Good news: there are no poisonous insects or snakes on São Miguel Island. That means you can hike around to your heart’s content and not have to worry about stepping on something that can hurt you. Also, I did not get bit by a single mosquito. I did not even see one! If they exist on São Miguel Island, they did bother me at all. And we spent a lot of time outdoors.
Things are very affordable in the Azores. For example, I paid €1 for a large slice of pineapple cake from a local baker. It was awesome! When you visit places like the tea and pineapple plantations or the ceramics manufacturer, the price to enter is zero. That’s right. It is free to walk right in and roam around. And very few areas are off limits. You just walk around and check out how things are made. The workers ignore you and go on their merry way, just doing their job. It is a novel experience and it is hard to believe you do not have to pay anything to enter. Of course, most of the places we visited sold goods. But even those goods were affordable. I gladly paid €1.50 for my green tea and €8 for my handmade ceramic dish.
There are exceptions of course. Where there are tourists, there will be higher prices. We found a company online located in Ponta Delgada (the capital cities where most of the tourists hang out) that would rent us a kayak for €30 per person. Thankfully, we ignored that and instead found a place in Sete Cidades (a small town on the lake with much fewer tourists) that rented us a kayak for €10 total. That was the Azorean price we had come to love and expect.
I loved the use of lava rock in the Azores. Here in Idaho, people sometimes build homes from lava rock. We call them giraffe houses because they look like a giraffe’s hide. In the Azores, people build just about everything from lava rock, but we rarely saw anything that resembled a giraffe. The towns are quite beautiful with their narrow streets, old buildings and towering churches. Walking around and admiring the way they were built is very enjoyable. You will fall in love with the small, seaside towns on São Miguel Island. It is impossible not to.
Most of the things I read about Ponta Delgada were not flattering. However, I enjoyed this small capital city very much. It has a lot of charm. Plus, it is the best place to go shopping and find a bite to eat. I would not have wanted to make it my home base while on the island, but it made for an enjoyable afternoon visit.
I hesitate to say too many wonderful things about São Miguel Island and the time we spent there. I do not want it ruined by mass tourism. However, I have no control over that. For now, São Miguel Island in the Azores is lovely, with just enough surprises to keep even a seasoned Jane on her toes.
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