Oaxaca, Mexico is magic, especially during the Dia de los Muertos celebrations! Learn about the holiday’s traditions and get an itinerary for your own Day of the Dead trip to Oaxaca!
Where to Stay in Oaxaca, Mexico
When I visited Oaxaca, I loved it so much I didn’t want to leave. My taxi driver and I chatted about it during my ride back to the airport. And even with my poor Spanish, there is one thing he said that I clearly...
Hotel Tiki Tiki: Review of A Mid-Century Gem in Tulum
When I saw a new Tulum hotel called "Hotel Tiki Tiki" featured in Dwell Magazine, I knew I’d have to visit and review it since it combined so many of...
Affordable Tulum: Beach Bliss on a Budget
ulum, Mexico is a hip vacation spot frequented by the stars. Get my best tips for an affordable Tulum trip: budget hotels, restaurants, activities & more!
Tulum Packing List: What To Take To Tulum
My Tulum packing list will help you be ready for a perfect vacation in any season – including weather info and sample outfits!
LoungeBuddy App Review & $10 Airport Lounge Credit
Airport lounge access changed my life. (This is not a drill.) I traveled for several years before realizing that my work-issue Business...
Río Lagartos Flamingos And Las Coloradas Pink Lakes
What if I told you that there was one location on Earth where you could see both flamingos in the wild AND otherworldly pink lakes? It's in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula in the city of Rio Lagartos and the nearby Las Coloradas. So...
Driving in Mexico
On my most recent flight to Cancún, a seatmate and I chatted about our travel plans. When I said I was renting a car and driving in Mexico solo around the Yucatán Peninsula, she was nearly speechless. I had to work to...
Travel Souvenirs: Nativities From Around the World
One of my first Christmases after moving to Washington, D.C., I visited the National Cathedral. An Episcopal church of neo-Gothic design, it's the second-largest church building in the country and one of the tallest...
How To Pet A Manatee (Without Going To Jail)
The first time I saw a manatee in the water, I mistook it for a rock. I first saw the manatee from the beach at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, Florida. It had been surfacing for air at the edge of...
Machu Picchu Booking Resources
Located in the Andes Mountains, Machu Picchu is the ruins of a 15th-century Inca city. The Incas built it around 1450, at the height of their empire, but abandoned it a century later during the Spanish Conquest. UNESCO declared Machu Picchu a World...
Affordable Small Group Tours
Ten years ago, on my first overseas trip for work, I fell in love with traveling. I really wanted to see more of the world but lacked the experience and confidence - as well as a traveling companion - to strike out on my own. A few other international...
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Gallery
In recent years, hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu has become a rite of passage for adventure travelers. By hiking the trail, you enter the park from the "Sun Gate" at dawn and are able to see Machu Picchu from a high vantage point. Trekkers can...
Snorkeling Liveaboard Packing List
For a liveaboard snorkel or dive trip, you won’t need much. You’ll spend your days in and out of the water constantly so I think it’s important to have at least two bathing suits, and other clothes that you can pull on easily after your snorkel or...
Thailand Snorkeling Liveaboard
I spent an amazing 3 days/3 nights on a Thailand snorkeling liveaboard trip. The excursion with Andaman Snorkel Discovery left from about 1.5 hours north of Phuket to the Similan and Surin Islands. The company has recently started trips to Myanmar as...
How To Survive Your First International Trip
Preparing for your first international trip can be as exciting as it is stressful. When I first began traveling, there weren't the same resources available online for new travelers, and I was a nervous mess. I caught my coat on fire the day of my...
Two Weeks In Morocco Photo Gallery
With its dramatic landscapes, fascinating history, and intersection of Berber, Arabian and European culture, Morocco should be at the top of every adventure traveler's bucket list. I spent two weeks there in its cities, winding medinas, mountains and...
Morocco Packing List
Morocco is a crossroads. Spend a few weeks traveling here, and you'll find people, cultures, foods, and languages from Arab, African and European traditions. Similarly, Morocco's landscapes and climates are just as varied. While...
Dry Tortugas National Park: Snorkeling, Day Trips & Camping
During a vacation to the Florida Keys, I took a day trip from Key West to Dry Tortugas National Park on Garden Key, about 70 miles from Key West. With its white sand beaches and a secluded location, Dry Tortugas feels like a...
Best Travel Gear
There is an entire industry trying to tell us we need to buy the latest and best travel gear on the market! Over the years, I’ve learned to keep the travel-specific gear to a minimum and save my money for the trip...
Carry-On Size Limits
Shopping for a new piece of luggage and need to know airlines’ carry-on size limits? Want to avoid having to pay extra to check a too-big bag? Or did you get your old suitcase stuck in the sizer at the gate, while the rest of the airport looked on...
Inca Trail Part V: Booking Resource List
FYI, this post contains affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission if you purchase from them, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting all the free content on my...
Inca Trail Part IV: Machu Picchu
Located in the Andes Mountains, Machu Picchu is the ruins of a 15th-century Inca city. The Incas built it around 1450, at the height of their empire, but abandoned it a century later during the Spanish Conquest. UNESCO declared Machu Picchu a World...
Inca Trail Part III: The Trek
In November, during Peru's rainy spring season, I hiked the Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu with my sister Holly. We did the "classic" 4-day, 3-night version of the trek. By hiking the trail, you enter the park from the...
How to Create A Packing List
When I travel, it’s often for work or a combination of business and leisure travel, so I have to create a detailed packing list or risk dying a slow, arduous death dragging my too-heavy bags over a border in the snow....