What We Paid: Riviera Maya

This is part of a series where I break down the costs for airfare and lodging for a specific trip, as well as how much PTO time was spent. I am not including costs for food and activities as those prices fluctuate based on traveler preferences. In general, you can assume that airfare and lodging…

What We Paid: Paris 2019

This is part of a series where I break down the costs for airfare and lodging for a specific trip, as well as how much PTO time was spent. I am not including costs for food and activities as those prices fluctuate based on traveler preferences. In general, you can assume that airfare and lodging…

Road Trip: The House on the Rock, Wisconsin

I’m always looking for road trip ideas, and especially for destinations that are within a few hours of the Twin Cities. The House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wisconsin had been popping up in my search results for a few years, so we finally decided to take a weekend to go check it out….

Slideshow: Cruising the Bosphorus, Istanbul

You’ll eventually run into the Bosphorus if you’re ever in Istanbul. One of history’s most important waterways, the narrow Bosphorus connects Istanbul to Russia via the Black Sea and to the Mediterranean via the Dardanelles strait. You can cruise this historic waterway for about $7-10US. When you reach the Bosphorus (and you will), look for…

What We Paid: Turkey and Jordan

This is part of a series where I break down the costs for airfare and lodging for a specific trip, as well as how much PTO time was spent. I am not including costs for food and activities as those prices fluctuate based on traveler preferences. In general, you can assume that airfare and lodging…

All About Passports

PASSPORT BOOKS VERSUS PASSPORT CARDS You’ll need a passport book to travel internationally. A passport book is just the regular old blue passport you see Americans posting everywhere on social media. This is different from a passport card, which will only allow you to to travel by land or by sea (cruise ships, basically) to…

Road Tripping in Croatia

Most visitors to Croatia end up sailing at some point. With over 1,000 islands, Croatia is a sailor’s dream. But we decided to be different and drive through Croatia instead. This is easily one of the best countries in the world for a road trip, with excellent roads and short distances between major tourist cities….

What We Paid: Croatia and Bosnia

This is part of a series where I break down the costs for airfare and lodging for a specific trip, as well as how much PTO time was spent. I am not including costs for food and activities as those prices fluctuate based on traveler preferences. In general, you can assume that airfare and lodging…

Hostel, Hotel, or Airbnb?

HOTELS Best for: Solo travelers, groups of two, the mobility-challenged, new travelers Most of us are familiar with hotels and know what to expect when we book one. This makes it the best option for those who aren’t entirely comfortable with traveling yet or need a little extra assistance. With virtually all hotels, you’re guaranteed…

What We Paid: Vietnam

This is part of a series where I break down the costs for airfare and lodging for a specific trip, as well as how much PTO time was spent. I am not including costs for food and activities as those prices fluctuate based on traveler preferences. In general, you can assume that airfare and lodging…

Open Jaws, Nested Flights, and other Airfare tricks

Looking for flight deals? Maybe you go to Orbitz, search for a flight from Chicago to Amsterdam, and then pay whatever is offered. That works fine for some, but there are other ways to book tickets that you should consider. One might save you some time, and another might save you some money. Let’s look…

When to Start Traveling with Kids

When discussing family travel and taking your kids overseas, I constantly hear parents say: “It’s a waste of money to take my kids somewhere they won’t even remember.” By that logic, you also shouldn’t take your kid to see Disney on Ice, or to a sporting event, or to the movies. Birthday parties are probably…