To celebrate our first Christmas as a married couple, we decided to fly to Peru, and eat and drink our way from Cusco to Machu Picchu to Lima. Here’s part one of our oral history of that trip: Christmas in Cusco. Day 1: Views of Peru, Papachos, and Piscos Megan: I slept through most of our flights to Peru. And when I woke up, I got to see breathtaking views of the green AF mountains of Cusco — mountains I’d soon be climbing on our trek to Machu Picchu! Mike: But first, we had three nights to acclimatize in Cusco. It’s over 11k feet, and the altitude takes some getting…
Take a day trip to the Elephant Nature Park in Chang Mai
Years ago, Mike went to visit the Elephant Nature Park during his trip through Thailand. Here’s why you should go there too… There are about twenty different elephant experiences within an hour or so of Chiang Mai. They run the spectrum from very-elephant-friendly to downright cruel. The worst feature circus shows and pile clumps of tourists on the over-worked elephants (even the Frommer’s guide has a photo of people riding elephants) — and the nicest of concierges have no idea why visitors would even have an issue about this. I’m no PETA activist, but I couldn’t have enjoyed myself if I thought I was helping mistreat elephants. So after some…
Poolside pups & pastelitos: Our extremely pet-friendly trip to Miami Beach
We just got back from a weekend away in Miami. It was MY first trip to Florida, and Mike’s millionth… approximately. (He used to work on a show called Burn Notice that filmed in Miami.) But the difference for Mike this time was that he had his dog in tow! Actually it wasn’t just OUR pooch, our friend and The Gifted castmate Skyler Samuels brought her dog Matey along too! If you’re looking for a pet-friendly trip to Miami, you’re going to have to stay at The Standard Miami Beach. This place just set the tone for the perfect getaway with your pooch…
You absolutely need to take a trip to Nara: The magical city of tame deer in Japan
While we were in Kyoto, we decided to take a day trip to Nara. This experience is why you absolutely need to schedule a trip to Nara during your time in Japan! Mike: On our last full day in Japan, we took the train to Nara… or as we call it: “The Place with the Tame Deer.” I wasn’t sure if we wanted to take a day trip an hour out of town when we still had so much to see in Kyoto, but I’m glad we stuck to the plan, because Nara is awesome. Megan: Nara was BY FAR my favorite part about the trip. I’d been itching to…
Hitch a ride on a Vancouver seaplane for a magical vehicular tourist activity
We not only used our time in Vancouver seek out all the best restaurants, but we also accomplish one of my lifetime goals: TO RIDE ON A FREAKING SEAPLANE! I have long believed — since growing up watching Baloo von Bruinwald XIII pilot the Sea Duck in Talespin — that seaplanes are the most kick-ass of vehicles. They are magical. They are amazing. They are boats that become planes and then planes that become boats, and sometimes they can even ski!? My mind boggles. Mike discovered my love of seaplanes when I forced us to stop, mid-bike ride around Stanley Park, to endlessly watch the Vancouver seaplanes become boats and…
From hotels to campsites: Where to stay in Anderson Valley
So you’ve read our post about how amazing Anderson Valley is, and you’ve decided that a weekend getaway to Anderson Valley sounds like the perfect trip. Congrats, you make good choices. But where should you stay? From the fanciest hotel in Philo, to the budget option in Cloverdale, and even camping and the best places to stay for groups… we’ve rounded up where to stay in Anderson Valley for your perfect wine tasting trip! Boonville hotels: The Boonville Hotel The Boonville Hotel is smack dab in the middle of charming Boonville. Conveniently, it’s walking distance to many awesome wineries and eateries. And it also houses one of the best restaurants…
3 unbelievable luxury safari lodges in Tanzania
If you’re looking for some amazing places to stay on your luxury safari, we’ve rounded up our favorites from our honeymoon in Tanzania. Some of these luxury safari lodges are places where you’ll definitely splurge, and some were sneaky deals. Here are our recommendations for mind-blowing luxury safari lodges in Tanzania…
Secretly amazing wine, famous local beers, and hugging giant trees: Things to do in Anderson Valley
Northern California’s Anderson Valley is a very special place for us — it’s where Mike’s ancestral home is, it’s where we got married, and it’s where we go when we have time for a weekend getaway. As we’re prepping for an upcoming visit, we thought we’d share our best Anderson Valley travel tips. Because who doesn’t love awesome wines that’ll give you some major sommelier cred, popular local beers, and staggeringly giant trees!? You may not have thought you’d ever visit this part of Northern California — it’s kept a bit of a secret for a reason — but you’re about to learn that there’s lots of stuff to do…
Pack for a Purpose: How to use your vacation to bring needed supplies to local communities
When we were planning our honeymoon safari, Courtney — the fantastic African Travel Resource agent who booked our trip for us — let us know about a charitable program called Pack for a Purpose. It’s a program that encourages travelers to Africa (and so many other destinations!) to bring much-needed school supplies with them. We were really lucky to be able to do this for several reasons: One of our places to stay was Gibb’s Farm, and they’re one of the places that works with Pack for a Purpose. Plus it was our second stop on our trip. Which meant we wouldn’t be taking many vehicles that would force us…
Eat, Don’t be Prey, Love: Our top 10 favorite safari honeymoon moments
You may have already heard all about the hardest parts of our “Eat, Don’t be Prey, Love” safari honeymoon. But there were far more amazing parts! So we broke them down into this easy-to-digest Top 10 moments (mostly in chronological order):
