We traveled to New York City this past weekend in order for me to attend NYT Journeys Travel Smarter Weekend: Food and Photography in New York City. Sounds like my kind of adventure, don’t you think? I honestly did not know what to expect exactly, but knew that I would come away with lots of inspiration and definitely a few handy tips and tricks for successful and enjoyable travel.
My first trip to Nebraska was such a delightful experience, that I am already planning a return trip for Craig to come with me. A good friend and fellow travel blogger, Sara Broers of Travel with Sara, told me about Plains Safaris, a Conference in Kearney, Nebraska focusing on ecotourism.
Nebraska? Hmm, I would have to think about that. I am passionate about nature conservation and always looking for a new adventure, so I took her advice and booked a ticket to Omaha and I was not disappointed. From beginning to end, I met warm, intelligent people who cared about the same things that I did and I learned so much in such a short few days. Check this out!
The truth is that the Empty Nest isn’t really all that empty. It is actually a place full of ideas and possibilities that will blow your mind! It may seem very quiet and empty right after the kids have left for school, but soon it won’t feel that way. It takes time, but the Empty Nester Adventure is an enlightening one and one filled with promise.
More food info today – I just can’t help myself. I have been introduced to so many delicious dishes recently that my inner foodie is doing cartwheels!
While in Japan we ate some ridiculously amazing food that I could really write about for days. I am spreading it out so as not to make you hungry every freaking time you come to the blog!
My traveling foodie friend Angela is currently enjoying a fantastic three-week trip to Portugal. She sent me a kind of cryptic message via Facebook that said “Do you know about this?” There was no link and just the photo of the pizza with no other references. It turns out that Anderson Cooper (Yes, that one from CNN) posted this enticing pizza photo on Instagram and raved about his friend’s new restaurant in San Francisco.
The magical drive up the rocky California Coast should be on everyone’s adventure list and anytime of year is the perfect time to go. As a native Californian, I have been making this drive since I was a youngster and my husband and I have been vacationing in Carmel for at least 30 years. We have stayed here during every season and they all offer something different.
What’s up for Spring Break? Baseball tournament? Football or Lacrosse practice? Rehearsal? Term Paper? Nope, none of the above.
Now that the nest is empty…WE are in charge of our holidays. Woo Hoo! What are we going to do? It’s time to start planning. Although I do miss those activities, it is our time to decide what new adventures we are interested in doing!
Part of the fun of travel is to immerse yourself in the local culture. To visit the farmer’s markets, fish markets and fruit stands to see what is fresh and in season is always at the top of our list of adventures. Our trip to Japan with Collette Travel was no exception, we were treated to some fantastically prepared meals, visited charming local markets and ate like kings and queens.
Where is my favorite destination? I often get asked this question and truthfully this is nearly impossible to answer! We travel to many extraordinary places, so I usually answer with whatever place I have just returned from! So today, my favorite place in the world is Japan. Seriously it is. My recent tour of Japan, Cultural Treasures of Japan by Collette Travel, allowed me to dive in to a culture and experience things I never knew existed!
An email arrived yesterday from a new friend from the trip to Japan with the photo above attached. Pascal and his wife Laure who are French, but who live in Wales (very interesting!) sent me this snapshot from a very special afternoon.
We had just arrived in Hakone, a quiet idyllic town in the mountains. I was reminded by this moment in time that I will never forget.
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