Best Tips to Help You Afford to Travel in 2020

by Kelly | Mar 10, 2020 | Travel Advice

Last night a business client asked whether I live in a cardboard box to afford all the traveling I do. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Instead, I’ve learned how to afford to travel by spending money efficiently. You don’t need to pinch pennies on your vacations to stay within a tiny budget while traveling. Learn the tips for affordable travel listed below to enjoy yourself on holiday while saving money for your next trip.

Looking for more advice to make travel easier? Check out How to Travel the Wold with Just a Carry-On Bag!

How to Book Affordable Flights

Flights are often the most financially prohibitive part of booking a vacation. Many people opt to drive or take a bus without considering the places to which they could fly because they think it will be cheaper. This not only limits you to a tiny corner of the world, it’s also not often true! Use the travel tips below to book cheap flights for your next vacation.

Be Flexible on Destination

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Being flexible on my destination last year brought me on a surprise trip to the Netherlands!

The easiest way to find cheap flights is to be flexible with your destination. Different locations are cheaper to visit at different times of the year based on their shifting shoulder seasons. For example, last year I spent months planning a vacation to Scotland without booking anything. The week before I was supposed to leave flight prices were triple the original price I had seen. Instead of sticking to my plan for thousands of dollars, I used Kayak’s Explore tool to see where I could fly cheaply and ended up in the Netherlands for a $450 roundtrip ticket! This tip will help you save money and discover new places you may not have otherwise considered.

Be Flexible on Dates

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Want amazing photos of places like Angkor Wat with no people in them? Visit during the off-season!

If your heart is set on visiting a particular destination, be willing to compromise on dates. Traveling on Tuesdays and Wednesdays is almost always cheaper than other days. If you are planning on a four-day weekend, consider traveling Saturday to Tuesday instead of Thursday to Sunday to take advantage of lower flight prices.

Being flexible in the season you travel can also save you a lot of money. Off seasons and shoulder seasons offer lower prices not just on flights but also on accommodations and tourist attractions. The cheapest and least crowded weeks I’ve found to travel anywhere in the world are the first week of September (which also incorporates Labor Day), the second week of February, and the first week of May. Of course, these weeks are difficult if you are a teacher or have children in school, but that is part of the reason they are ideal for everyone else.

Track Flights Using Incognito Mode

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Keeping an eye on the flights you wish to book for a few weeks or months is always a good idea. Many people use tools like Kayak Alerts or Hopper to track flights without having to manually look each day. If you won’t remember to check yourself these tools can be useful. However, I’ve had the best luck checking manually two or three times per week at different times.

The key to getting the best flight prices when you check sites manually is to use your browser’s Incognito Mode to check. On Google Chrome you can access this mode by selecting CTRL+SHIFT+N with the browser open. Incognito Mode removes the cookie and history tracker from your browser. Travel sites use cookies to keep track of trips you are keeping an eye on, such as flights from Boston to Asheville from April 23 through April 27. If you constantly search for a flight or hotel on certain dates, websites will learn you want to make that trip and will raise the price each time you search. Using Incognito Mode eliminates this issue and helps you find the best possible price.

Book Travel Last-Minute

Even if you choose to plan your trip mentally weeks in advance, booking flights within a month or week of travel will often yield great results. Airlines would rather fill seats cheaply than let them go empty, so prices will drop shortly before a plane takes off. This travel tip works best if you are able to be flexible on destination or dates. You can also rely on this method if you have a stomach for high-risk trip planning and are willing to forego a vacation if you can’t find the flight you want.

Sign Up for Frequent Flyer Programs

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You should always sign up for free loyalty programs; this is especially true for frequent flyer programs. There is no penalty for signing up with a frequent flyer program, but there are many perks to be gained. Immediately you may gain access to early boarding or preferred seat choices. You can also start to build up airline miles. Even if you only fly once per year or don’t use an airline very often, you should sign up for the frequent flyer program. You will be surprised how quickly the miles add up, and before you know it you’ll be booking award travel and taking free flights!

If you have a choice of airline within an alliance, do some research to see which miles have the best value. For example, when I flew to Greece on Lufthansa last year it would have made the most sense to sign up with United’s program in the Star Alliance alliance. Instead, I signed up with Avianca, even though I never fly them, because they have the best redemption program in the alliance.

A Note About Frequent Flyer Mile Expirations

One big misconception many people have with frequent flyer programs is the expiration of miles. You may have received notices from your airline that your miles were about to expire saying that you either had to book a flight or buy magazines to stop that from happening. When an airline says your miles are about to expire, what they mean is that you won’t be able to use them to book rewards travel while they are expired. Once you fly with that airline and earn miles again, even if it is years later, all your miles magically reappear! I have had this experience with every airline except Spirit: with Spirit Air, your miles will actually disappear once they expire. Don’t let the threat of expiration prevent you from earning miles!

Want more tips for cheap flights? Check out How to Travel with Just a Carry-On and my Spirit Airlines Review!

How to Find Affordable Travel Accommodations

Once you reach your destination, don’t spend all your money on a hotel you may not see for long. Use the following travel tips to help pick the best travel accommodation.

Consider the Type of Accommodation You Need for your Purposes

If you plan on traveling to a resort and spending your entire vacation on-property, then your accommodation should matter a lot. In cases like this, look for an all-inclusive property so you can truly enjoy your vacation without worrying about the prices of food, drinks, activities, and entertainment. Surprise bills after vacation is over are the worst!

For any vacation where you will not be spending the entire time at your hotel, consider whether it is worth paying top dollar for a five-star property. If you’re going to be out and about from dusk to dawn, then your priority should be a clean, quiet place to sleep and shower. Resort-style properties are nice, but they can be a waste of money if you don’t take advantage of all the amenities that they offer, which you are paying for with the hotel price.

Stay Outside City Center

Hotels and local accommodations will be significantly cheaper if you stay away from the popular tourist areas of a city. Public transportation and taxi systems are very efficient in most parts of the world, so you won’t lose too much vacation time by staying a few minutes away from the tourist sites. You may also see an area of a city you wouldn’t have otherwise visited! Such neighborhoods also provide a quiet respite from a busy day’s worth of activities while traveling.

Visit People rather than Locations and Stay with Friends

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I never would have had such a fun day at the Great Wall without my law school friend and local Chinese resident Dong leading the way!

Local residents undeniably make the best hosts! They know the top highlights to see, tourist traps to avoid, and the coolest off-the-beaten-path places to visit. If you are fortunate enough to stay with friends, it also helps eliminate a huge travel cost. I am not recommending taking advantage of casual acquaintances, but if you plan trips around visiting friends with whom you can stay, you will extend your travel budget, see new places, and connect with important people in your life all at the same time.

Additional Ways to Make Travel More Affordable in 2020

When you reach your destination there is still much more you can do to economize your trips and use your travel budget efficiently to help make travel affordable.

Maintain Your Eating Habits from Home

Vacations will often be an occasion for a special meal or two. You should definitely treat yourself during your trip! However, every meal doesn’t have to include a 3-course sit-down menu at a local restaurant. If you’re on the move in the morning, stop by the local bakery or grocery store to grab something to eat on the go. If your hotel offers free breakfast, take time to fill up there so you can skip lunch: this will also help you get the most out of your time on vacation. Staying in a cabin or AirBNB gives you the opportunity to visit a local grocery store and cook a few meals at your accommodation.

Quick casual meals in your destination are just as worthwhile to experience as the meals at fancy restaurants. Some of my favorite vacation meals have come from street vendors and innocuous-looking cafes. There’s nothing wrong with grabbing quick meals while sight-seeing so you can save time, money, and calories for a couple of big meals out during your trip.

Look for Free Local Events

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In Barbados, I stumbled upon this local horse race, which led to an unexpected afternoon of fun

Did you happen to visit an island on the night of its Fish Fry Festival? Have you ended up in Europe during the month-long Carnevale celebration? If you can find local events to attend during your trip you will save money on entertainment and experience a destination like the locals do. There’s no better way to learn about a new culture than to participate in events as you would if you lived in a place.

Research and Take Advantage of Discounts

Many museums in Europe are free or steeply discounted for individuals under 26 years old, students, and teachers. If you are a student or graduated recently, keep your student ID with you when you travel to get discounts at museums and landmarks. Cities and countries may also have a free museum day or time. All the government-owned museums in London are always free! Museums in France, including the Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay, are free for everyone on the first Sunday of each month. With just a little research you can find any similar opportunities of which to take advantage wherever you travel.

There’s no reason to limit or avoid travel because of a small travel budget. Just use the travel tips enumerated above and soon you too will be jet-setting around the world!

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Best 12 Travel Tips for Millennials to Afford Travel in 2020

Stranded by Your Airline? Here’s What to Do

by Kelly | Oct 1, 2018 | Travel, Travel Advice

On October 1, 2018, Primera Air collapsed, stranding all of their customers. They canceled all of their flights and announced they would be filing for bankruptcy. You can find their official statement on their website here.

On October 17, 2018, Cobalt Air suspended all its operations. It canceled all scheduled flights and told customers not to go to the airport.

In 2010, when Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull Volcano exploded, my parents and I became stranded in Italy. I was living in France at the time, but my parents were visiting me in Europe. This further stranded them in Europe for a week. Classmates of mine were also stranded around the world, from the UK to the Greek Islands to Bogota, Colombia. We all became very savvy travelers very quickly that week.

Based on my experience and lessons learned, I compiled the following list – in no particular order – of things to do to improve your situation if you are stranded by Primera Air. Accomplish whichever you think is best or easiest first. If you have a travel companion or local contacts, tackle multiple items at once.

Consider Alternate Forms of Transportation

Your original intention was to catch a flight to your final destination. If you have a transatlantic flight, this is probably still your best option. However, flights will be packed over the next week or two with every other Primera Air customer. If your original flight path was within Europe, consider taking a train, a ferry, or renting a car.

Trains are the most efficient way to travel within Europe even if there are flights available. If you want to book your trip ahead of time, do so with the local train website in the country you’re leaving from (you can usually only collect tickets from within the country whose website you use).

France: SNCF
Italy: Tren Italia
Spain: renfe
UK: The Train Line
Greece: TrainOse
Denmark: DSB
Norway: NSB
Sweden: SJ

Alternatively, it is pretty easy to show up at a train station and buy a ticket on-the-spot. If your schedule is flexible or uncertain, this may be the best solution for you.

If you choose to rent a car, ask about local laws regarding taking the car across country borders if your trip will be international. This includes trips within the European Union or European Economic Area.

Look into Alternative Flight Routes

So you had a direct flight back from Paris to Boston this afternoon. Perhaps every other flight from Paris to Boston is booked solid over the next four days, but there are many flights available from London to Boston (they do have five airports compared to Paris’ two). If you find yourself in this situation, consider taking a train or a quick flight from Paris to London to catch a flight from there. This alternative may prove effective in getting you home faster and cheaper than waiting to re-book your original flight path.

Book a Flight

If you must fly to get to your destination, whether using an alternative route or your original flight plan, book a flight ASAP! Remember, there are hundreds of people around the world with flights canceled over the next couple of weeks. They will all be trying to get the same alternative flights you are getting. The BBC reported today that many other airlines are trying to help out Primera Air passengers by offering discounted flights for their remaining seats, but these will sell out quickly. [UPDATE: Norwegian Air released a statement this morning offering to repatriate Primera Air passengers for a 50% discount]. Book your flight now through the normal methods online, and then speak with the airline about any discounts they may be offering to help out.

When my parents were stranded in Europe, they booked themselves a Friday afternoon flight back home. They called the airline later that day but were told there were no flights available until the following Monday. My dad told the airline my parents about the reservation he had made on the Friday flight. The airline allowed my parents to retain that flight for free, as would have been the case for the Monday flight. Alternatively, my friend in Bogota went to the airport every day for over a week trying to catch a standby flight back to Europe. Everyone is going to be trying to find a new flight, so reserve yours now!

Reserve Accommodations

This is fourth on the list because I think it makes more sense to figure out travel plans first. However, if you know you’ll be spending at least one night in your current location, I would make this the first thing you do. My family and I did not do this when we were stuck in Milan with thousands of other travelers. We had to stay in the last hotel with available rooms, which was probably the worst place I’ve ever stayed (including hostels)! Check in with your AirBNB host to see if you can extend your stay given the circumstances, or look online for available hotels in your current city. I recommend a comprehensive hotel search site like Booking.com* for a task like this because it will show you every possible accommodation available.

Notify Your Employer, School, Family, and/or Friends

If you will be missing work, school, or a group vacation, remember to notify the necessary individuals. It may be stressful to tell your boss you need an extra three unscheduled vacation days, or to tell your professor you have to miss tomorrow’s exam because you are in another country, but I found that most people are very understanding in these circumstances. You did not cause the airline to collapse. You did not choose to get stranded and have to find your way home. As my mom’s boss told her in 2010, there is nothing you can do about your situation, so make your best effort to return and otherwise enjoy the extra few days off!

Look Into Other Reimbursements and Discounts

The extra flight and accommodation costs will unfortunately not be your only additional expenses. Maybe your vacation is now canceled or delayed, but you have a hotel booked for the next week. Maybe you parked your car at the airport and now suddenly will have to pay for an extra three days. Like the people in your life, most companies are understanding in these circumstances and will give you a discount or full reimbursement. This is especially true with hotels that can re-fill the room in which you were supposed to stay. You may even be helping out a fellow stranded passenger by freeing up a hotel room!

Relax and Enjoy your Extra Time

Once you have completed the above steps, take advantage of your extra vacation days! The stressful part is over. You have additional, unexpected days of vacation. Did you try to cram everything you wanted to do into a few short days? Maybe now is the time to pick your favorite attraction and go spend some extra time really getting to know it. If you’ve already seen everything you hoped for in your destination city, this could be the time to try something off the beaten path or spend time living like a local (if you want to try this in Northern Wales, check out my local recommendations in this post). Make the most of the additional time you now have, knowing that everything is in place for your delayed return.

Recovery from Primera Air

After you have safely reached your destination, you may consider pursuing claims against Primera Air for recovery of any travel expenses or losses. The aforementioned BBC article noted that it is unlikely most passengers will be able to recover anything from the airline because of the bankruptcy filing, but offers alternative avenues to pursue like those with the credit card companies. If you are an American citizen or have a flight involving the States, you may have American remedies available to you. You should contact an attorney if you choose to pursue a legal remedy. Bankruptcy law can be tricky and most customers are the last people to get paid in such instances after most of the money has run out.

Good luck to everyone stranded out there, and safe travels home!

Looking for more travel advice? Check out these other related posts!

*Note, this page contains affiliate links. This means I may receive some compensation for your use of the link at no extra cost to you.

New Years Eve in Orlando 2019 – Part II

by Kelly | Jan 20, 2019 | Florida, North America, Orlando, Travel, United States

Check out Part I here!

Epcot on New Years Eve Day

The main purpose of going to Orlando was to spend New Years Eve at Epcot. I think my love for world travel draws me to Epcot more than the other Disney parks. It features miniature cities (called pavilions) from eleven countries as a main attractions. While I also love Magic Kingdom and enjoy visiting Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, if I had to pick just one park to visit it would be Epcot every time.

The lack of crowds at Epcot early in the morning surprised me. I took a picture of the iconic Spaceship Earth from the center of the park with no people in the picture! Unfortunately, when my dad and I tried to go on the Test Track ride, we learned where all the people were: waiting in line for the rides. The line for Test Track was four hours long, and the single riders line was two hours long. At that point I realized I would only get to go on one ride at Epcot that day. I chose the new "Frozen" ride.

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Norway

The "Frozen" ride is one of the most popular rides in the park. As a fan of the "Frozen" movie - and as a Norwegian - I was excited to go on the ride. The line was forty-five minutes long. Guests in line wander through the castle, a village, and Oaken's Trading Post. Once on the ride, riders see scenes and hear songs from "Frozen."

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The ride was fun, but it was exactly the same ride as the Viking one that had previously been in its location! Having been on this ride multiple times before I was disappointed there was absolutely nothing new about it. Even the boats we rode in were the same Viking boats. The only difference was the wait time: the "Frozen" theme draws a crowd whereas I walked right onto the Viking ride every time before. If you are a huge fan of "Frozen" or have never been on the Viking boat ride, then a line less than one hour long is worth waiting in. If you are expecting something drastically new and different, don't wait in line.

China

Whenever my dad and I visit China, or "China," we end up doing things we didn't plan to. In Beijing, we accidentally saw Mao's embalmed body. In Epcot's China, we accidentally watched a 13 minute 360-degree film about the country.

China is one of many world showcase countries I've visited in real life since the last time I was at Epcot. It was neat to see reconstructions of real Chinese buildings I had seen recently in Epcot's showcase. One such building was the Temple of Heaven structure. In Beijing, the Temple of Heaven is a park with a circular structure surrounded by a concrete plaza. Many people take photos in the plaza but no one is allowed to enter the structure. You can look inside to see an altar but the entrance is locked.

At Epcot, the Temple of Heaven structure is open. My dad and I walked in, passed the exhibits, and made our way through the building. We expected to find shops that we could walk through and exit on the other side. Instead, we ended up in a giant circular theatre. There were about 50 people already inside leaning on banisters in the center of the room. We soon realized what we had walked into, but not quickly enough. The exit doors started closing just as we were about to leave. We were stuck: we would be watching the film about China.

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When you go to Epcot, if you have a strong interest in China or a familiarity with the country you may want to watch the film. It is only 13 minutes long and the effects of being in a 360-degree theatre are pretty cool. It was also interesting to see Beijing represented in the film after having traveled there. However, if your intent for visiting Epcot is to enjoy the Disney-related elements, perhaps a documentary on a foreign country is not the best way to spend your time.

Japan

My dad and I were hungry for lunch when we arrived at Japan's pavilion, even though it was only 11:00 AM. I heard that the restaurants on the second floor of Japan's pavilion were phenomenal and wanted to check them out. All dining reservations in Epcot that day were fully booked months in advance. Our only opportunity to try Japan's restaurants was to arrive when they opened.

We were luckily immediately seated in Tokyo Dining at a table next to a window overlooking the World Showcase Lagoon. From our table, we could see each of the country pavilions and Future World. We could also see and hear the Japanese percussion show performed across the way on the Pagoda's platform. The food was good too! Not wanting a heavy meal, we each ordered a miso soup, followed by panko-crusted shrimp for my dad and a large spicy-crunchy maki roll for me. I would recommend either dish for lunch. The portions were large enough to fill us up for the rest of our day at the park.

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View from Tokyo Dining

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Maki Lunch

Morocco

The final country I want to highlight for you is Morocco, though I recommend visiting all eleven country pavilions. I have not yet been to real Morocco so I cannot compare the pavilion to the country itself. Nevertheless, I feel confident in its authenticity. When the Kingdom of Morocco learned Epcot planned to include its country as a pavilion, it funded and oversaw the construction of the entire area. To this day, the Moroccan government pays for and oversees upkeep and restoration. The next time you visit Epcot, keep this in mind as you wonder at the mosaics and visit the souks in Morocco's pavilion.

Fountain in Morocco

Secret Passageway - The International Gateway

My best tip for Epcot is to use the International Gateway entrance and exit. Located between the France and England pavilions, and a short walk from the Disney Yacht Club Resort, this entrance is not well-known so few people use it.

If you are using Disney transportation or taking a ride share, get dropped off at the Disney Yacht Club. Walk through the lobby to the beach and then go left up the path. Stay left as you go over the bridge and you will soon find yourself at Epcot's back entrance. There are ticket booths available if you need to purchase your park ticket. The best part: no lines!

More important than a quick entrance is a less-crowded exit at the end of the night, which was especially important on New Years Eve! One of my only stressors for this vacation was how my dad and I were going to get back to our off-property hotel after midnight. I had heard horror stories about exiting the park through the main gate, hours-long waits to board Disney's monorail, and traffic jams that turned Google Maps from red to purple. This "secret" exit away from the park's main gate was one key in having an enjoyable end to the night.

Disney Springs

To avoid staying at Epcot for 15 hours and relying on the different fast food areas within the park for dinner (as there were no reservations available), my dad and I went back to the hotel for a few hours in the afternoon to enjoy the resort pool and then went to Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) for dinner.

Disney Springs was bustling at night! There were many people heading to dinner or settling in to enjoy the New Years festivities. Live bands were setting up on various stages for performances later in the evening. As we walked by some of the bands after dinner, it seemed like it would be a fun evening. I can only imagine what the midnight celebration was like!

The Boathouse Restaurant

OpenTable's list of the 100 Most Scenic Restaurants in the USA included Disney Springs' The Boathouse. I did not realize the restaurant was part of the Disney complex at first when I saw the list. As I was considering where to make dinner reservations for New Years Eve, the recommendation on the list convinced me to make a reservation at this restaurant. I'm so glad I did! Not only did the reservations fill up entirely before we arrived in Orlando, but its scenic views were matched only by the quality of the food. Both were incredible! My dad and I sat at a table on a dock over the water. As a Northerner, this was my first time enjoying New Years Eve dinner outside, and in a tank top no less!

As we were enjoying the fresh warm rolls covered in honey-butter, a car drove by. This caught my attention since we were surrounded by water. My dad was enthralled: he had not seen an amphicar in over half a century! Apparently these cars, similar to the duck boats, were a fad in the 1960s. They can drive on land but are also watertight with a propeller that allows them to function as boats. Rides were $125 for about 10 minutes so we did not take a ride, but it was fascinating to watch the cars float by as we were eating.

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Dinner on the water!

Epcot for New Years Eve

After dinner we took a Disney bus back to Epcot for the New Years Eve festivities. Using our newly-discovered secret entrance at the Yacht Club Resort, we were thrust into the party as we entered the park in the World Showcase. The world pavilions had transformed from quaint villages during the day to party scenes at night.

DJs and Dance Parties

England hosted a Queen cover band that led the crowd in a "Bohemian Rhapsody" singalong. Italy featured a DJ leading a proper European rave. When we snaked through this crowd I was immediately transported back to the clubs I encountered during my times studying abroad. The atmosphere was very authentic. China had a more varied musical selection. Its main attraction was a colorful electronic dragon that spewed steam and fire over the heads of the dancers. A live funk band played at America's stage. People were dancing in the area in front of stage while many more weary revelers rested their legs in the amphitheater seating while watching the entertainment.

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Chinese Party and Dragon

There were two dance parties at the entrance to Future World. One was a Silent Groove. Participants took headphones provided by the prak and listened to music played by the DJs. If you did not have headphones you could not hear the music or the DJ's commentary. I did not participate but it was fun watching for a while.

Silent Groove

My favorite dance party was the main party in front of Spaceship Earth. The DJ got into the groove playing the best music and feeling the crowd. After spending some time wandering around the world showcase, I loved watching this DJ in his element dancing to the music along with thousands of strangers.

Midnight Celebration

My dad and I stayed at the main dance party until 11:40 PM. We then went back to the World Showcase in search of champagne and a place to watch the special New Years Illuminations show. Of course the best champagne was in France. After making our purchases, we watched the Epcot globe light up the lagoon with pictures from around the world.

At five minutes to midnight there was a special presentation for each World Showcase country that had already celebrated the New Year. Each country was recognized individually with fireworks shot off from its pavilion in the colors of the country's flag. The group of us watching from France cheered extra loud when it was France's turn! Disney timed the celebration perfectly: after going through the eight previous countries, we had a 10-second countdown for the USA, Mexico, and Canada. As midnight struck, the largest fireworks finale I've ever seen went off! It was an amazing New Years celebration.

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Exiting the Park

Ten minutes after midnight everyone headed for the park exits. My dad and I had strategically placed ourselves next to the International Gateway exit and left quickly with thousands of people. The night before, an Uber driver left us behind because I ordered the ride too quickly, anticipating traffic at Universal Studios' pick up. Hoping to avoid the same fate, I waited until we were back on the Yacht Club property to order an Uber. There were none available in the area! One driver finally accepted the ride only to cancel when he saw we were 20 minutes away.

Our brilliant exit strategy was failing. I had not accounted for the supply and demand problem with ride shares just after midnight on New Years Eve. We also weren't the only ones who planned to make our exit by Uber from the Disney Yacht Club. About 50 other people were also waiting in front of the hotel for rides. I was exhausted from two days of constant walking and was getting deflated about our chances for getting home at a reasonable time. I looked to the curb for a space to sit down.

The Kindest Strangers Ever

I must have looked pretty weary because a man offered me his curb seat, insisting he would rather stand anyway. After sitting I explained the Uber situation to my dad. The now-standing man's wife, who was sitting next to me, asked in which direction we were headed. I named our hotel, not knowing in which direction it was. The couple immediately offered to share their Uber with us! The woman had ordered an Uber about twenty minutes prior on the walk from the park and their ride was almost at the resort. I assumed their hotel was near ours. Considering that our chances of getting a ride in the next few hours were almost nothing, my dad and I took the couple up on their offer.

Due to a few international glitches (her Canadian Uber and Venmo apps would not recognize my American phone number), we had to pay the couple in cash for our part of the ride. I'm hoping our contribution was sufficient because the couple was staying about 5 minutes away, just outside Disney park limits, whereas my dad and I rode in the Uber for another twenty minutes. Without a communication method, though, I had no way of knowing. As the couple left the Uber, I thanked them profusely (again). They said they were just building karma for the New Year and were happy to help. I can only imagine how long we would have been stranded at the Disney Yacht Club Resort had these kind strangers not offered to share their ride with us.

Saying Thank You

Though I've tried, I have no way of getting in touch with the couple again. The woman, Maureen, gave me her business card in case anything went wrong during the rest of the Uber ride. I am posting her business website here as a small thank you: if you have the ability and interest in patronizing her, please do so! Magnolia and Vine - Maureen's website.

Overall the trip was a success! I had a great time and would definitely visit Orlando for New Years Eve weekend again. I would reconsider being in a park at midnight as I think the celebration at Disney Springs would have been just as good, but I loved every second of the vacation.

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Guide to Epcot, Orlando, for New Years Eve

Spring Weekend Adventures in Portland, Oregon

by Kelly | Nov 18, 2018 | Fit Travel, North America, Oregon, Portland, Travel, United States

"Where are you from and where are you going?"

"I'm from Boston and am going to Portland."

"Why don't you just take the train?"

I had this conversation with a stranger at Boston's Logan airport as we were both waiting for our delayed flights one night in May. I thought it was obvious I was flying across the country to Portland, Oregon, and not traveling up the coast a few miles to Portland, Maine, but I guess it was not.

The stranger's confusion was not unfounded. When Portland, OR, was founded in 1845, its name was decided by a coin toss. The two founding settlers were from Boston, Massachusetts, and Portland, Maine. They both wanted to name the new city after their respective former cities. The disagreement was settled by flipping a penny, and the settler from Maine won. Thus Portland, OR, was named after Portland, ME. The penny involved is on display at the Oregon Historical Society Museum in Portland.

I did not have a chance to see the penny when I visited Portland in May for the first time. However, the things I was able to do and see on my visit caused me to fall in love with the city. Boston will always be my home, but if I were ever forced to relocate, I think I would pick Portland without hesitation.

Lake Oswego: A Portland Suburb

My trip began in the upscale Portland suburb of Lake Oswego. The purpose of my visit was to see one of my best friends graduate from Lewis and Clark Law School, which is located in Lake Oswego. I arrived a day before anyone else, so I had a full day to explore the area on my own.

Downtown Lake Oswego

My first stop was a local spin studio. I wanted to take advantage of the three hour time difference from Boston by waking up early and having a full day of activities. Using my global Class Pass account to schedule an early-morning spin class at StarCycle, I was able to get in some fitness before a day of tourist activities. The studio was very welcoming and accommodating considering I was just stopping by for the day!

starcycle; spin; portland; oregon; lake oswego; travel fitness

After class, I treated myself to a pedicure at Tiffany Nails and Spa. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that clients received a free drink with their service. I opted for a strawberry mimosa, light on the champagne. When I mentioned this to my friend later, I learned that it is commonplace at nail salons in Oregon to offer free drinks with the services. Boston, take note!

I ended my morning in Lake Oswego by grabbing a pain au chocolat from the St. Honoré Bakery and taking a quick walk down by the lake. It was still a little chilly in mid-May, but I could tell the area would be gorgeous in the summer.

Lake Oswego from the edge of the downtown area

Accommodation and Restaurant Recommendations

My friends and I stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott* in Lake Oswego, which had an upscale summer-camp feel. Each residence had its own door, and our two-bedroom suite had two floors. The grounds were large and offered many amenities, including a pool, tennis, volleyball, and a fire pit. The hotel was nice, but if I returned in the summer, I would stay at the Lakeshore Inn* on the water in the downtown center. Its location and many water-sport offerings - like swimming and kayaking - would make for a wonderful vacation.

Balcony and front door of our hotel room.

During my trip, I enjoyed an incredible meal at the Oswego Grill. This restaurant offers delicious steak, chicken, Pacific-caught fish, and vegetarian meals. The chefs also easily accommodated many various food allergies at the table, including a corn intolerance. It is the perfect restaurant for a nice, relaxing meal on vacation.

Celebrating my friend's law school graduation at the Lake Oswego Grill

Willamette Valley Vineyards

Being a wine-lover, I could not visit Oregon without exploring at least one vineyard. Before my trip, I researched some of Oregon's well-known wine regions. Dundee Hills, which is part of the famous Willamette Valley region, was only 15 minutes from my hotel. After my morning in downtown Lake Oswego, I hopped in my rental car and headed to Dundee Hills for the afternoon.

Rex Hill

My first stop was Rex Hill Vineyard. An "essence table" greeted me in the lobby. You have probably heard wines described as having a certain "nose" and tasting like things other than wine, such as blackberries, cherries, or even leather. The essence table had 24 glasses filled with various fruits, spices, and minerals that one could use to describe wine. Guests were meant to smell the items on the table then associate those smells with their wines while they had tastings. I did not make many associations during my tasting, but I had fun smelling my way around the table!

essence table; rex hill; willimette valley

I choose to sit outside on the deck during my tasting. The sommelier first brought me some cheese biscuits to enjoy with my wine. He then brought out each of the six wines for my tasting one at a time. The pours began with the recent rosé vintage, then moved on to the typical Oregon Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.

rex hill

Because the vineyard was not crowded, the sommelier had time to tell me the history of the vineyard and the wines. Most interestingly, I learned about the ancient Missoula floods that occurred when the Ice Age ice receded from the region. The floods started in Montana, ran all the way to the Pacific Ocean, and then slowly receded. This created rocky terrain, which causes the grape vine roots to dig deeper into the soil than in other regions. The effect is a deeper flavor in the wine, closer to that of a Syrah than your typical Pinot Noir. This lesson, along with my tasting, gave me a new appreciation for American wines.

Red Hills Market

The Red Hills Market was highly recommended for a quick, local bite to eat. It was also between the two vineyards I wanted to visit, so it made a perfect lunch spot. I had a simple yet delicious soup and salad combo with farm-fresh local ingredients. If you need a spot to grab a bite to eat in Dundee Hills, add the Red Hills Market to your itinerary.

red hills market

Sokol Blosser Winery

My second wine stop of the day was the Sokol Blosser Winery. Located further into the Dundee Hills region than Rex Hills, the Sokol Blosser Winery has three sitting rooms where you can taste your wine. While you are sipping, beautiful views of the region are offered through floor-to-ceiling windows in each room. I sampled the Spring Flight while I was there, which included a Pinot Gris, a Pinot Noir rosé, and three typical Pinot Noir samples.

Sokol Busser; vineyard; wine; portland; oregon

While the wine at Sokol Blosser was delicious, the experience was not as personal nor as relaxing as the one I had at Rex Hill. If you only have time for one vineyard on your trip, I would recommend Rex Hill over Sokol Blosser. However, Sokol Blosser's public areas are larger, and you are able to wander around the vineyards, whereas most of Rex Hill's vineyards are off-site. Considering this, Sokol Blosser may be more accommodating for a larger group of people while Rex Hill is better for a solo traveler.

Downtown Portland

After my day in Dundee Hills, I spent the late afternoon and evening in downtown Portland. I had a few key tourist locations I wanted to check out in my few remaining solo hours. Most of them were interesting, beautiful, and worth visiting again!

EaT: An Oyster Bar

Raw oysters are one of my favorite foods. Similar to wines, they develop particular flavors and textures based on the regions and waters in which they are raised. I have access to many East Coast oysters living in Massachusetts, but West Coast oysters are both more difficult to come by and more expensive. Given this, I wanted to make sure to sample some West Coast oysters while in Oregon.

EaT is an open-air bar and restaurant featuring $1 oyster happy hour specials. Its front wall is like a garage door, which was completely open when I was there to provide access to sidewalk seats. I stopped by and ordered three oysters from Washington state, three from Oregon, and an oyster shooter special. The oysters definitely had a more full-bodied and less-salty taste than East Coast oysters. This makes me wish we had better access to them in Boston, but I at least know where to return for great oysters next time I am in Portland.

West Coast Oysters

International Rose Test Garden

In 1915, as World War I raged on in Europe, a local Portland rose enthusiast convinced city officials to set up the International Rose Test Garden as a safe haven for Europe's hybrid roses. Oregon was so far away from the fighting of WWI, and such an undesirable target, that it was thought the roses would certainly be safe there. Seedlings from England and other countries were sent over in 1918 to begin the garden.

100 years later, the garden provides 4.5 acres of beautiful roses overlooking the city. Access to the gardens is free. If you visit Portland in the Spring or Summer, take some time out of your trip to walk through the garden's grounds. The blooms were already so beautiful in May, and I'm sure they are even more brilliant later in the season.

rose garden; portland; oregon

Powell's Books

If you have heard anything about Portland, you have probably heard about Powells Books. This four-story bookstore takes up an entire city block in Portland's Pearl District. It covers 1.6 total acres. You can find all your typical bookstore books here, as well as rare finds and even out-of-print books. When I visited, I planned to just look around, but I was drawn to the foreign language section and ended up purchasing Dante's Inferno in both English and Italian and Dostoyevsky's Brothers Karamozov completely in Russian. I am just learning to read Russian, so I am on page 3, but I was proud that I could recognize the book for what it was with no English context! These books would have been difficult to find anywhere but Powells Books.

Japanese Gardens

The Japanese Gardens had also been on my list, but I did not have a chance to visit my first day in the city. Luckily, the group I was with all wanted to visit later in my trip. The Gardens span 12 acres and transport you to another world across the Pacific Ocean while you are there. They offer peaceful koi ponds and contemplative zen rock gardens, as well as elaborate displays of foreign flora. You could spend a few hours seeing to the displays you are most impressed with, or wander the grounds for an entire day. Either way, these gardens should be a stop on your tour of Portland.

Koi Pond

Zen Rock Garden

Portland Peculiarium

The Portland Peculiarium was not a place I consider worth visiting again. However, it was an interesting experience so I thought it worth mentioning. When researching things to do in Portland before my trip, a friend trying to "help" found the Portland Peculiarium listed as a suggested destination. He insisted that I visit, and even offered to pay my admission if I went. Seeing as I had some extra time and I would be passing close to the location in my travels, I took a few minutes to stop in.

Front of the Peculiarium

The Peculiarium museum is in a warehouse-like building. There were a few odd, yet obviously fake, "peculiar" things on the sidewalk outside to entice visitors. The lobby inside included the ticket desk, gift shop, and temporary walls to hide the exhibits. The museum itself had three rooms, each about the size of a typical bedroom. The rooms were filled with objects made by the creators from random children's toys, such as a dead zombie baby in a carriage and random body parts in a blood-filled bathtub. The coolest part was the exhibit where you could stick your head through a hole and take a picture of yourself as someone subjected to an alien dissection. Overall, unless you are really into this type of thing or really bored, do not go out of your way to visit Portland's Peculiarium.

Alien Dissection

I made sure to buy my friend a giant rubber cockroach from the gift store, and leave it unknowingly on his desk as a thank you gift for sending me to this place.

Hiking in Columbia River Gorge

On my last day in Oregon I went hiking with my friends in the Columbia River Gorge Valley. Their favorite hiking trails on the Oregon-side of the Columbia River were closed from fire damage caused by last year's fires. Therefore, we had to explore new trails on the Washington-side of the river that day. We got lucky with a beautiful, clear, sunny day with moderately cool temperatures perfect for hiking. While most of our journey paralleled the river, and therefore the road next to it, it was great to get out of the city and experience some of the nature in the area. When I return, I will be sure to save more time for hiking and hopefully check out some of the Oregon-side trails when they reopen!

hiking; columbia river gorge; portland; oregon; washington

*N.B. Some links included in this article are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Looking to spend a weekend in Portland, Oregon this Spring? Check out this post!

Cruising to Bermuda

by Kelly | Feb 23, 2018 | Bermuda, North America, Travel

Last October I joined some of my family members for a 7-day, 10-person family and friends cruise! My aunt, uncle, cousin and her family, and three family friends flew out to Boston from Chicago to embark on the Norwegian Cruise Line ship the Norwegian Dawn with me on a cruise to Bermuda. Being an only child, most of my family vacations growing up consisted of traveling with just one or both of my parents, so having such a big group was a much different experience for me, and one that I certainly enjoyed!

Leaving port, wearing our matching Bermuda shirts: key for locating each other on the first day!

This post will focus on adventures and advice on board the ship that can transfer to almost any cruise, especially those on the Norwegian Dawn. In my next post I’ll provide a one-day itinerary of Bermuda and some tips and tricks for the island.

On Board the Ship

Our cruise consisted of three full days at sea, one on the way to Bermuda and two on the way back. On the outbound trip the weather was warm and sunny so we were able to spend most of the day sitting by the pool and enjoying our unlimited drink packages, which are totally worth it! However, the return to Boston was marked by stormy skies and rough seas, thus requiring us to stay inside and partake in many of the on-board activities offered by the entertainment crew. We still made the most of it and had an awesome time on board.

Here are some of my top recommendations for cruising on the Norwegian Dawn.

Food and Drink

If you have options for free packages with your cruise, the all-inclusive drinks and specialty dinners are absolutely worth it. The bar tenders will make any drink you want (don’t like the pre-made margarita mix? Ask for a cocktail made with just tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and simple syrup) and the food in the specialty restaurants is unique and delightful. The best part about the all-inclusive packages is that you can remove the stress of thinking about the prices of these things from your vacation!

For those of you concerned about how to stay healthy with all-inclusive food and drinks, I’ll share a secret with you: one of the keys to eating in an all-inclusive environment is recognizing that it is not “all-you-can-eat” but instead a break from worrying about price. At an a la carte restaurant perhaps ordering two fried appetizers would be cheaper than the grilled salmon and your favorite vegetable, but in an all-inclusive situation you can go for the salmon with no worries. The same goes for the drinks: if you want to try the rum swizzle and then decide it’s not for you after two sips, you can ditch it without thinking about the $14 you may have just paid for it in order to spend your calories on something you will enjoy.

On the cruise, my travel companions and I appreciated having the all-inclusive option because it allowed us to enjoy a welcome cocktail when we first boarded, drink any wine we desired with dinner, and try a variety of mojitos from the mojito bar on the top deck. Keep in mind when ordering wine that the all-inclusive drink package will give you unlimited glasses, but you will be charged for a bottle! Instead of ordering a bottle of wine for dinner, we would each order a glass of the same kind of wine, and it was completely free. We also dined at two specialty restaurants, the Bamboo Asian Restaurant (which has free options) and Cagney’s Steakhouse, both of which I would highly recommend. Be warned that portion sizes in the dining rooms are smaller than on land: don’t make the mistake I did the first day at lunch thinking I could subsist on just a soup and appetizer salad!

Checking out the unfortunately small sushi appetizer and debating eating it with two knives since we were not provided chopsticks

Attire

One of the first questions I always ask whenever I go anywhere is “what should I wear?” For the most part on the cruise, typical vacation or warm-weather attire will suit you well. If you plan to dress up, be sure that you wear shoes that can withstand walking on a rocking boat (aka no stilettos). There are no formal nights on Norwegian Cruise Lines, but you will not be out of place if you decide to throw on a cute dress or a collared shirt. In fact, in order to dine in the Venetian Dining Room at dinner time you must be wearing either pants or a dress/skirt: you will be turned away if you are wearing shorts, as our party learned the hard way. There are many other dining options so you will not be out of luck if all you have are shorts, but keep this in mind and pack at least one nice outfit if you want to keep your options open.

Our typical evening attire

The other special attire recommendation is to bring something white for the White Out party, hosted on the top deck the night you leave port. Usually the pool deck is relatively quiet at night, but for the White Out party the ship’s Cruise Director brings out live music and the dancing entertainment crew for a huge black light party! You can still participate if you are wearing colored-clothing, but most people will be wearing white, and it’s fun to get in on the festivities with them.

Activities

I’m sure thinking of cruise activities you immediately pictured yourself sitting by the pool all day while at sea, maybe reading a book, listening to music, and occasionally dipping into the water. Almost everyone else reading this also pictured the same thing, so you’ll either have to arrive poolside early to stake your territory or pick different activities to entertain yourself while at sea. Even if you do claim a coveted poolside chair, your space in the water will be limited.

One alternative is to spend some time in the gym or the spa. The gym on the Norwegian Dawn was incredible! They offered classes in their studios (some which cost money), and had a full set of cardio and strength machines as well as free weights. I made a commitment to go to the gym each day we were at sea and do either a HIIT, Cardio Dance, or Cardio Kickboxing workout. Two of the three days I used the studio because it was unoccupied and also had the most incredible views of the sea in its floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows. If you are able to make this type of commitment, as well as commit to taking the stairs instead of the elevator (saving time as well as calories) and practice the stress-free version of all-inclusive food and drink options, you could have an awesome vacation and come back a couple pounds lighter like I did! One thing to keep in mind if you do go to the gym is that the ship will be rocking, so this may not be the best time to practice your static squat.

One of two gorgeous studios in the gym

Another activity option is to check out the daily schedule of activities around the ship and pick a couple that appeal to you. Because my travel group was so large, we were able to attend the activities we wanted, usually with two or three others from our group, and then reconvene for dinner in the evening. I was drawn to some of the travel trivia games, such as “Flags of the World” visual trivia, my aunt attended all of the arts and crafts options, and my niece was excited to help with the towel-folding demonstration.

The evening entertainment is also plentiful, and you can’t go wrong with whatever you choose. We enjoyed the performances by the entertainment crew, comedy shows by Chicago’s Second City cast, and demonstrations by the resident illusionist. I was particularly excited for the Sunday night entertainment because the week I was on the cruise was the week the American football team the New England Patriots were playing a Super Bowl rematch against the Atlantic Falcons, and because the cruise left out of Boston, the game was being shown in the Atrium on a jumbo screen! A few of the ship entertainers hosted a pre-game tailgate in the Atrium and the Irish pub overlooking the Atrium, then all the Patriots fans on board were able to watch the game and cheer together as we were once again victorious over Atlanta. I even made friends with other young adults from Boston once my Midwestern family became bored with the crushing blow the Patriots were serving the Falcons. My one regret from that night was not realizing that everyone else would be donning their Patriots apparel: I hadn’t even thought to bring it, as I hadn’t realized what a big deal the game would be while on vacation.

Cruise Advice

My #1 recommendation is to download the NCL app to your smartphone before you even get to the ship. Once you’re on the ship, pay the $10 per person for the on-board communications in the app. It was so much easier communicating plans among the group using the app communications rather than our original plan of writing notes to slide under each others’ doors and hope the other people saw the note. The app will also give you the schedule of activities for each day of your trip, restaurant hours, and any other logistic information you need. If you decide to purchase WiFi, you will do this through the app as well.

My second recommendation is to forego the WiFi and enjoy your disconnected vacation. If you need to purchase WiFi, purchase the cheapest plan, turn it on to quickly check your email, send a text, and post to Facebook, then go back to the website on which you turned it on and turn it off again. This will allow you to conserve your purchase and hopefully stick to the lowest paid plan, which was $25 when I went, for the entire trip.

Another consideration is to try to select on-board activities that are not located in Gatsby’s Champagne Bar. I was disappointed with how the Champagne Bar was connected with the cigar lounge on board. Even though the smoking area was completely enclosed, the smell still eked out after a while. My 10-year-old niece and I enjoyed a few activities in Gatsby’s, like making flower crafts and learning Filipino phrases, but we couldn’t stick around too long because of how awful the smell became.

Finally, my most fun advice: every day when you return from the island, put your bathing suits on, grab a drink, and head right for the hot tubs. There were almost no people there at this time because everyone else was getting ready for dinner, so we had the hot tubs to ourselves to relax and enjoy before beginning our evenings. It was the perfect end to each day, and something not to be missed. Cheers!

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