Posts Tagged‘travel tips’

Road trip: Watching my dinner swim in Halifax

Each one looked so peaceful. They were all swimming around and climbing over one another in a playful sibling sort of way, vying for what little space was left in their waterfront home. They had no idea what was going on. They had no idea that they would soon be whisked away into a shopping basket and weighed for sale. These innocent lobsters had no idea that they were going to become my very lavish dinner. I don’t like to see my food alive. I am no vegetarian, but I can certainly understand the sentiment when an animal, or crustacean in…

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Road trip: Fatigue and roaches

Please tell me that was not a roach that just crawled up the wall. I didn’t want to believe it, but it was a roach that just crawled up the wall. I very reluctantly climbed out of the bed, in my pajamas, to scope out the scene. I walked over to the side of the room where the roach had been and peeked around for more. I had the unfortunate pleasure of discovering one wedged between the doorframe, one beneath the table by the window, one underneath the air conditioning unit, and one in the closet. Then I stopped looking.…

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Road trip: Happiness in Daytona Beach

It was a far, far cry from the Everglades. I laid on the smooth sand in the cozy Daytona Beach night air and let the warm water roll over me. It seemed worlds away from the hot tent, viscous mosquitoes, and the bathroom lizard of nights prior. As far as I was concerned, everything was perfect. We had stumbled upon what felt like the greatest little place on Earth–or at least in Daytona Beach, the Sand Castle Motel. It was adorable. And it was a stone’s throw from the beach, literally. The faded pastel yellow of the building was warm and…

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Road trip: What I’ve learned in one week

It’s been one week on the road. In the greater scheme of a month long road trip, one week is not much. But when considering that we have been traveling non-stop for one week, covered 10 states 13 cities, and packed in tons of activities, it seems like a lot. There have been great places and weird places, tedious drives and pleasant drives and lots of lessons learned in between. This is what road travel has taught me in one week: Some places cannot be fully understood unless you are there. You cannot always live vicariously through someone else, through…

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Road trip: For the love of music

She just wanted to hear the music. Dressed in a cap and sweats with a rag over her shoulder, the littlest old lady surfaced from the ‘Employees Only’ section somewhere at the back of the room. She appeared to have just finished, or been in the process of cleaning something. She strolled quietly over to the piano on the stage and took a seat. We had stumbled upon the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park by chance as we left the French Market and the intense mugginess of the day. The place was completely void of visitors but filled with…

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Road trip: Grand Canyon unlit and illuminated

Never arrive at a campsite at night, especially for your first visit, and especially if you have any inclination towards wimpy-ness. It was way too dark. And it was cold. All we could see were shadows of the looming forest trees, the barely discernable street signs and the occasional brave (or slightly crazy) person headed into the blackened forest for a nighttime shower. I was just a little bit leery. Okay, time to set up. We shone the headlights toward our lot and took down the camping gear. Well, when I say “we” I really mean my much more savvy…

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Road trip: The adventure begins

I know I am a little bit crazy. But what can I say? I am living with the travel bug and when travel calls, the only way I know is to answer.  I just wish travel just didn’t have to call at 5 a.m.  It’s really not a time for waking up, ever. It should be reserved solely for returning home to begin sleeping post party and late night eats, not for beginning the day. But there is a long way to travel and plenty to see, so early it is. I am ready to go. Of course, we must…

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8 things to love about Toronto

< From the Exhibit "Late News" by Dan Perjovschi at the R.O.M. Toronto, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways… 1. Cultural Diversity.Toronto has it all. You can “travel” across continents without ever leaving the city! There are so many areas and neighborhoods where you can find people, culture, and delicious food from all over the world. There is something for everyone here. This portion of Dan Perjovschi‘s “Late News” Exhibit captures it best; there are so many elements that make up greater Toronto, and to me, that’s the beauty of the city. Plus, I really love to eat.…

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Muddling through Marrakech

Oh, Morocco. Your first trip, first hours, first minutes there can be packed with all sorts of adventure. Check out my first published article “Muddling Through Marrakech” over at Travelmag. Travelmag has a wealth of exciting travel stories from real, independent travelers with great experiences to share. From the magazine’s editor, “Travelmag correspondents travel well beyond the guidebook routes, illuminating little-known corners of the globe and, occasionally, revealing a bit about themselves as well.” This travel writing thing isn’t impossible, you just have to start somewhere.

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Maple syrup and hockey, eh?

I never thought Canada was my type. Or at least I didn’t think we would hit it off like we did. I mean, I always figured it would be nice, but nice in that kind of ‘we could be friends way,’ not the ‘I want to spend every waking moment in your presence kind.’ It is a love affair, my relationship with travel–some countries will set my pulse racing with excitement, while others draw lukewarm feelings, no butterflies in my stomach. But you can never really know a place until you visit it, go out at least once. That seemingly…

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