Year in Review, 2018 Travel Goals | RebeccaWanderlusting

2017 Recap & 2018 Travel Goals

On January 10, 2018 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Travel Goals, Travel Tips1 Comment

I won’t lie to you, 2017 was not my year. Though, I have no illusions that I’m alone in saying that. On a very surface level, I didn’t travel as much as I would have liked to this past year. Which, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t an awful problem to have. However, this is a travel blog that I write and not traveling means a lack of content. So, before we get right into it, I’d like to start off by saying that one of my resolutions for 2018 is to post more authentic and unique blogs. I hope to do much more traveling this year, even if it’s smaller trips throughout the Midwest. So, hopefully, this means I’ll be posting more travel essays and trip planning blogs.

That being said, I did have a few highlights in the past year. I went back to one of my favorite cities in the Midwest: Grand Rapids to see my all-time favorite musician, Aretha Franklin. I visited St. Louis for the first time via a Pullman Car pulled by an Amtrak Train, an amazing experience in and of itself. I drove to New Buffalo, MI to experience one of the prettiest beaches on Lake Michigan. I got the opportunity to explore Toronto and the surrounding area, including Niagara Falls and Niagara-On-The-Lake. And, last but not least, I was able to spend more time exploring my hometown of Chicago.

Okay, on to the more optimistic portion of this post: my 2018 travel goals:

Later this month I’ll be heading to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico solo for a long weekend of beach time and relaxation. Let me tell you, I could use it. I’m very excited to experience Mexico for the first time and most importantly, see Chichen Itza in person. I’m so looking forward to this trip!! I will share more of my travel plans for this one next week.
In the beginning of March, I’m heading to NYC for a quick trip to visit my cousin, Gracie. You may remember her from the beautiful photos and words she shared about her journey to Jordan: here, here and here. I don’t have any solid plans for the weekend except to visit with my friends in the city and enjoy their company.
That being said, I’d also like to visit my lovely friends in Salt Lake City and Denver sometime this year if I can! It’s lovely to have friends all over the country to visit (and stay with!).
Before work gets too busy (starting in May), I’d like to explore a new Midwestern city for a weekend. I think maybe Minneapolis, Madison or Indianapolis could be fun. I could take the Amtrak to any of those cities or rent a car and do a little road trip. If you have any strong feelings about any of these cities please share!
This summer, I’ll be heading to Traverse City with my family for a long weekend on Lake Michigan. We’re renting a house right on the lake and plan on relaxing the whooooooole time. I’d like to check out some of the wineries in the area. We also will be visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes to swim and explore.
I’m playing with the idea of taking a solo trip to Acadia National Park in the Fall. I can imagine that it would be the prettiest time to go, and that timeline gives me enough time to save for it. I think the best way to go out about it would be to fly into Boston and drive up the coast. I’m dreaming about a little cabin in the woods where I can write and hike all day long.
The last big plan I have for 2018 is to go on a little birthday trip somewhere warm-ish. I’m thinking of trying to get to Antelope Canyon in Arizona or Albuquerque, NM; somewhere in the Southwest for sure. Again, if you have any suggestions, please share!

I am hopeful that this year will be wonderful and full of adventures, both big and small.

What are your 2018 travel plans?

Trip Planning: Toronto, Ontario

On October 17, 2017 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Canada, International Travel, Trip Planning3 Comments

We’re going to Toronto, Ontario next week! I have never been to Canada and I am so very excited for this trip. It seems like it has been such a long time in the making that it’s almost hard to believe that we are finally going. A couple of years ago, Mike and I were supposed to be heading there in the Spring, but life happened and we weren’t able to make it work. Now, I can confidently say that this trip is happening! (I hope I’m not jinxing myself!) This will actually be our first trip out of the country together, which we just recently realized when we both realized we need to renew our passports.

We booked this trip back in August and have been planning bits and pieces ever since. Our plan is to spend two nights in Toronto and one night at Niagara Falls, another first for me! I am actively trying not to do too much research, because I think we are both in need of a slower-paced vacation. I am using my first vacation days earned at my new job (that I started in February) and let me tell you, I need them! Not because I dislike my job, but because we have been so dang busy!

With that in mind, here’s our little (to me anyways, as you know I do like to over-plan) Toronto, Ontario to-do list:

The Royal Ontario Museum
Casa Loma
Massey Hall
The Hockey Hall of Fame
CN Tower
St. Lawrence Market
Toronto Island
The Monkey’s Paw Bookstore
& These Neighborhoods: Leslieville, Kensington Market, and The Distillery District

As far as packing goes, I will be sticking to my typical travel capsule wardrobe, plus some warmer items as it is supposed to be a little on the chilly side while we’re there. I’ll be bringing sweaters and scarves and my warmer jacket to accommodate the temperature.

We will be staying right downtown in a beautiful Airbnb, which I saved a bit of money on by purchasing a Airbnb gift card through Raise. I know I’ve mentioned them in previous posts, but I have been using this online marketplace quite frequently to save money on larger purchases (like vacations… or new clothes). If you’re interested in trying it out, use my promo code WANDER20 to receive $20 off a purchase of $40 or more. The Airbnb we’re staying at is pretty central to everything we want to see, so I’m excited to be able to walk most places.

After spending a few days exploring Toronto, we’re renting a car and driving down to Niagara Falls to stay the night. We are planning on doing ALL of the touristy things (boat tour, hike behind the falls…). I can’t wait!! From there, we’ll drive the rental car back to Toronto Airport and head home, hopefully refreshed and happy.

Have you ever been to Toronto, Ontario?? Feel free to suggest your favorite spots and recommendations in the comments!

Save Money While Trip Planning, RebeccaWanderlusting

6 Unique Tips to Save Money While Trip Planning

On August 15, 2017 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Travel Tips, Trip PlanningLeave a comment

I’ve touched on this a little bit here and there, but this year did not start out very well. Slowly, each month it’s gotten better and better, due to a change in career, a change in neighborhood and an all-around change in attitude. I think one of the big things that has helped is for the first time all year, I’m planning a trip outside the Midwest. Oh man, it feels so good to be making travel plans again!

Mike and I are heading to Toronto in a couple of months, and planning all the details has been such a joy. More on the specifics of this trip later, but I forgot how much I love looking into new destinations and picking out hotels and restaurants. I got a little bit carried away and started planning a trip to Puerto Vallarta for my birthday in December too.

It was one of my goals this year to visit Canada and Mexico, so I’m trying to make it happen as well. Because I’m trying to fit in two larger trips for the last few months of the year, I’m currently saving up and working on a budget to make it doable. I’m always on the lookout for new ways to save some money, especially when traveling as it’s my most expensive habit. I’ve tried out quite a few different tips and tricks to save money while trip planning and here’s what has worked best:

Be flexible: The best way to start trip planning is by having no plan at all. If you’re flexible with your travel dates, you open yourself up to the cheapest options available.
Clear Your Search History & Utilize the Right Websites: Your search history can impede your ability to get the best deal out there on airfare and hotels. Before you start your trip planning online, clear your search history and use the right websites to find the best deals. My personal favorites are skyscanner.com, rome2rio.com, and tripadvisor.com.
Join Ibotta: This app allows you to get money back from your everyday purchases and in the way of rebates, which can be used towards your travels. You can also use it to search for deals on popular travel booking sites.
Check Groupon/LivingSocial: Either of these sites can provide you with discounts on hotel rooms, dining, and activities. We’ve used both to save money at restaurants when we travel or to book tours and attractions.
Master Travel Credit Card Points: I am, admittedly, a novice at this skill, but it’s still a great way to get money back when you pay for trips with your travel credit card. (If you’re looking for a great resource on this, check out The Points Guy).
Use Raise Marketplace: I just started using this online hub for discounted gift cards and it’s quite the handy resource. On it, you can purchase gift card for your trip from airlines, hotel brands, AirBnB, and more for a percentage off the total. As an added bonus, use my code (WANDER20) for $20 off your first purchase (of $40 or more).

How do you save money while trip planning? What are your best travel budgeting tips?

Eclipse Plans, 2017 Eclipse, RebeccaWanderlusting

Making Plans for the Eclipse

On July 31, 2017 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Travel TipsLeave a comment

In exactly three weeks, a rare eclipse will happen occur over the United States. This eclipse can be seen in totality in a diagonal line across the country, but can also be partially seen from most areas in the U.S. as well. When I was in St. Louis last month, there was a lot of excited talk about this eclipse, as the city was directly in the path of totality. This path stretches from Oregon across the U.S. to the East Coast, in South Carolina.

Unfortunately, I’ll be at work in Chicago at 11:54am on Monday, August 21, but, barring any cloudy weather, I fully intend on watching it from the Riverwalk on my lunch break. I’ve even sent out a calendar invite for my coworkers to come join me, as I can’t imagine why anyone would want to miss this piece of history. This one will be the closest to a total solar eclipse Chicago has seen in over ninety years. But, wherever you are in the United States, you’ll be able to see a partial eclipse, which is what makes this event so exciting. If you aren’t able to get to a destination in the path of the total eclipse, you’ll still be able to see something really amazing. So, what should you do to get ready? I’m glad you asked:

Make sure you’re properly equipped. You will need special viewing glasses, this is non-negotiable. You won’t be safe in regular sunglasses or anything homemade. Luckily for you (and me!), Warby Parker is handing out free viewing glasses is handing out free viewing glasses at any of their stores starting tomorrow. You can find a store nearest you here. This is serious though, you don’t want to do any damage to your eyes by not having the correct viewing glasses.
Be in your chosen viewing point early to ensure you won’t miss a thing. This is crucial, because the eclipse won’t last very long (probably about two minutes, depending where you are in the U.S.)
Photo via NASA’s Eclipse Website
Make an event out of it if you can, but get outside either way to see it. This will be an amazing sight! Like I said, I’m making sure to get out on my lunch break to enjoy this beauty, but even if you can’t take an hour to sit outside to see it, try to get outside to take a peak (with your eclipse glasses of course).
If you’re planning on traveling to a point of totality, be sure to make your arrangements as soon as possible, if they aren’t made already. This is a major astronomical event, and believe it or not, many people are traveling just to see it. In case you don’t already know, here is the map depicting the cities in which the total eclipse will occur:

I am so excited to see this eclipse, and I hope you are too! Please be safe when viewing it and, if you’re willing, share your experiences seeing this beauty with me in the comments!

Top Five Friday #20 - Favorite Travel Writing Tools, RebeccaWanderlusting

Budget-Friendly Ways to Indulge Your Wanderlust

On January 10, 2017 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Travel Tips, Trip Planning2 Comments

I have this problem where whenever I read about or see a photo of any destination in general, I want to go there immediately. It’s a problem because I usually can’t afford there, especially not right away. This results in a very long bucket list and endless pennies pinched. When I take larger trips, meaning further and for longer, I save up for them for months. I would like to think that a lot of people are in the same boat as me with this. I believe that travel is one of the best, most rewarding things you could spend your money on. That being said, I also believe you don’t have to spend a ton of money or travel very far to indulge your travel bug.

Personally, I try to take one or two dream vacations a year, and then go on smaller trips in the months between to satiate my wanderlust. I do feel some pressure to keep up with my fellow travelers, but unfortunately, for right now it’s just not something I can feasibly do. So here’s what I’ll be doing in the next couple of months to keep my travel bug at bay, and things that you can do as well, if you’re looking for budget-friendly ways to seek out some adventure:

Exploring my own city: Chicago has so many different neighborhoods and attractions, I feel like I’ve just barely scratched the surface. I want to explore the different cultural areas and check out museums I haven’t visited yet. And, if possible, I want to plan a little staycation at one of the great boutique hotels.
Take a Friday after-work through Sunday night trip: I budget my paid time off just like I budget my money; saving it for larger trips to faraway places. It is entirely possible to fit a fun vacation into 36 hours, as long as you plan accordingly. The key is to choose a destination with minimal travel time to maximize your time exploring.
Drive to the nearest State or National Park for a day of hiking: I’ve been to Matthiessen and Starved Rock State Parks in Illinois and Kettle Moraine State Park in Wisconsin, and am dying to cross more off my list. Wherever you live, there’s bound to be a State or National Park within a short(ish) drive that you could easily explore as a day trip.
Have a spa day: It’s not for everyone, but for me, a spa day is one of the best ways to relax and get away from the stress of everyday life. The best way to do it is to visit a hotel spa and stay to take advantage the pool and steam rooms and room service.
Drive or take an Amtrak Train to another city in your area: As I said, there’s no need to travel very far to find a worthwhile destination. Last month we drove the 3 hours to Galena, IL and had a wonderful, relaxing getaway. It’s absolutely possible to enjoy a nearby locale for a weekend away.

If all else fails, you can find me making a pillow fort at home with my favorite travel books or movies, dreaming and scheming for future trips.

What are your favorite budget-friendly ways to indulge your wanderlust?

2017 Travel Plans

On January 3, 2017 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Trip Planning6 Comments

I love the new year. It brings all new possibilities for travel, not to mention a tax return to fund said travels. As I mentioned in my 2016 review post, my 2017 travel plans will be on a pretty tight budget. That doesn’t mean that I won’t be traveling this year, just that my trips will be on a smaller scale than last year’s vacations. While not much is firmly set in place, I do have some big plans (as always) for this coming year and I’m excited to share them!

I’m planning on taking four main trips, one for each season, with a few more sprinkled in between for good measure if I can swing it. The two countries I most wanted to visit this year are Mexico and Canada, because I’ve never been to either and we’re practically neighbors. Other than that, I’m planning on traveling domestically by plane, train or automobile. Here’s how it all shakes out (hopefully):

Winter/Spring 2017:

A girls’ trip to Mexico! What better place to escape the Chicago winter than the sunny beaches of Mexico? Right now I’m thinking Playa Del Carmen or Tulum with a day trip to Chichen Itza. My besties and I are thinking we’ll rent a house on vrbo.com and just relax in the sunshine. This is still in the works, so I don’t have all of the details confirmed, but it’s the trip I’m most looking forward to!

Mike and I are planning on revisiting Grand Rapids, MI for a long weekend in April to see my favorite, Aretha Franklin at DeVos Performance Hall. Hopefully, we’ll stay at the JW Marriott again and hit all the places we missed the first time around.

Summer 2017:

Canada! I don’t care who I go with or how I get there. I’m going. I want to see Montreal first, but I would certainly take Toronto as well. In a perfect world, I’d like to drive there and spend a night on the way there or back near Niagara Falls. Right now, I’m just dreaming, but I’m confident I can make it happen.

Fall 2017:

A solo trip somewhere in the States. I’ve got my eye on somewhere in the Northeast like Boston or Maine or even back to New York. Hopefully it will be somewhere I can get some great seafood and clear views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Winter 2017:

Mike and I are both dying to get to the desert. My Aunt and Uncle own a house in Arizona and we’re thinking of flying out there and hopefully using it as a home base to visit Saguaro National Park, Antelope Canyon, and all the other natural beauty the state has to offer. Maybe we’ll rent a car and bring our camping gear to spend a night under the stars.

All that’s left is to figure out the budgets and actually book my 2017 travel plans and I’ll be set! If you have any good recommendations for any of these destinations please share them in the comments.

What are your 2017 travel plans? Where are you most excited to visit?

Life Happens

On December 8, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Trip PlanningLeave a comment

You may have noticed how a Trip Planning: Traverse City blog keeps appearing and disappearing on here. I think I have some explaining to do.

For a few months now, I was trying to plan a small trip for Mike and I (and our pup) for my birthday this weekend. I looked into a lot of different destinations, but no matter what I tried to plan, things kept falling through. Austin sounded great, but soon became too much for our budget, the flights doubled in price when I was looking into going to Boston and waited too long to book, and now this Traverse City trip just didn’t come together. Life happens, right?

We had been planning up until Monday to drive up to Traverse City tomorrow and stay over for a couple of nights, but due to some unforeseen circumstances we cancelled our reservation. Despite all my best efforts, I couldn’t make it work out. It’s unfortunate, but, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining.

After we had decided the trip wouldn’t work out this time around, we were presented with an exciting opportunity to travel somewhere else instead. It took some scrambling and last-minute decision making, but we decided to go for it. So now we are heading to Galena, IL tomorrow for a romantic weekend away, just the two of us.

We’ll drop Brody off with his grandparents (Mike’s parents) on the way and scoop him back up on our way back home again. Of course we will miss our little pup, but I think he would be happier there, frolicking in their yard then cooped up in our hotel room.

We are so excited to get to explore Galena, especially now, when everything will be decked out for the holidays. We had passed through Galena on our way to Dubuque last year and I have been playing with the idea of visiting ever since. Luckily, now, we’re finally getting our chance!

I guess the lesson here is that when life smashes your plans to smithereens, make that shit into lemonade… or something. Sigh, life happens.

Tell me about life intervening in your travel plans in the comments!

A Quick Euro Trip Recap

On September 13, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn International Travel, Trip PlanningLeave a comment

Hi all!

I’m back in the states after ten days of being in Iceland and Denmark and doing my best to keep the jet lag monster at bay with copious amounts of coffee. This trip was amazing, life-changing even, and I’m happy and proud to have been able to do it on my own. It’s always a great feeling to come home from a trip that met and exceeded all of your expectations.

Though there were some bumps in the road (oh hi spending $40 on bus passes I gave away at the end of the trip and drunk man who tried to grab me on the street in Reykjavik!), I had a wonderful time in both countries and wouldn’t trade my experiences for anything.

In my packing list and budget, I promised a trip recap on both accounts. As for the packing list, I wore everything I packed at least once (mostly more than once) . The Packing MVP award goes to the Shout Stain Remover Wipes for saving me from a coffee spill disaster and my Mophie mobile phone battery! I could have done without the towel I brought, everywhere I would have needed it provided towels for me.

As far as the budget is concerned, I under spent by about $200, which was far better than I was expecting! Both countries are very expensive, Iceland more so than Denmark. To compensate for this, I didn’t drink much in Iceland, and when I did, I took advantage of the many Happy Hours there. The Copenhagen Card that I prepaid for got me into many of the museums and attractions there, so that helped me stay in my budget too. I didn’t buy many souvenirs, only a couple of things for my family and Mike.

I’ll be posting more about both of these amazing destinations in the very near future, but until then, here are a few of my favorite photos from this trip:

Stay tuned for more details and photos from Iceland and Copenhagen!

Trip Planning Milwaukee, RebeccaWanderlusting

Trip Planning: Milwaukee, WI

On September 9, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Travel Tips, Trip Planning3 Comments

A couple of weeks after I return from my trip to Europe (which I am currently enjoying – Hello from Copenhagen!), Mike is taking me on a little weekend getaway to Milwaukee, WI. While I have been to this city a few times, mostly for concerts, this will be my first time staying overnight there. Funnily enough, the original reason we were going to Milwaukee in the first place is because we have tickets to a Thrice (one of Mike’s favorite bands) show at the Rave/Eagle’s Club (the last time I was at this venue was to see All American Rejects when I was 15 and in love with Tyson Ritter). Because I am going solo to Europe, we thought it might be nice to have a little romantic weekend away together once I came home, so we made a trip out of it. Milwaukee is only an hour and a half drive from Chicago, which makes it a perfect destination for a quick vacation. It will be very nice to get a little time to ourselves while exploring a new city together. Here is the breakdown of our trip planning Milwaukee, WI:

Trip Planning Milwaukee, Visit Milwaukee — *Photo Via Visit Milwaukee*

Where we will be staying:

The Hilton Milwaukee City Center*

*Mike picked this swanky hotel and surprised me with the reservation. I think he did pretty good!

What we will do:

The Lakefront Brewery Tour (which came highly recommended by almost everyone I talk to about Milwaukee)
The Public Market
Cactus Club for cocktails and live music
North Point Lighthouse
Wisconsin Cheese Mart (my personal version of heaven)
Milwaukee Arts Museum
Riverview Antique Market

What we will eat:

County Clare for brunch
Cafe Benelux
Leon’s for custard
Comet Cafe
Kegel’s Inn for Friday Fish Fry

Resources:

Adventurous Kate – “Milwaukee Rocks! Who Knew?“
Drink Tea & Travel – “Sunday City Guide: What to Do in Milwaukee, USA“
Twirl the Globe – “Bikes, Brats & Beers Tour in Milwaukee, WI“

Have you been to Milwaukee? Please share any Milwaukee, WI travel tips in the comments!

5 Notes on Road Tripping with a Baby

On September 6, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Travel Tips, Trip Planning1 Comment

This post is brought to you by my wonderful sister, Molly Reis, the talented mama of my beautiful nieces and author of Blogging the In-Between.

We took two trips this summer with the family – one to Tennessee (a 10-hour drive each way) and one to northern Wisconsin (a 4-and-a-half-hour drive each way). This is how we planned, what we learned and what worked for us in our travels. Most of it was trial and error. This is by no means a perfect solution for the adventure that is traveling with a baby; however, I do hope what we learned can help you. Enjoy your journey!

ZIPLOC BAGS – They just make organization so easy! Get ready for a new best friend! We used the bags to make everything grab-and-go ready. We brought: pjs, outfits, extra tops, extra bottoms, eating supplies, swimming supplies, and blankets and burp cloths. It was nice not to have to think about what we’d need and when and to just have our supplies ready no matter what our trip threw at us. Also, the Ziploc bags allowed us to fit everything nicely into our Thirty-One bag, which was awesome. I highly recommend it (or something similar) because it fit all the babe’s things and was easy to store in the trunk.

BOUNDARIES – Set your limits and stick to them! If traveling with family or friends (or even if you’re not), be prepared to stick to your guns a bit. You know what your little one needs. If that means you need to duck out early or make dinner reservations for 5:00 instead of “going with the flow” to be flexible for everyone else, then that’s what you do. We wanted to keep our girl’s nighttime routine as close to normal as possible, so we insisted on eating dinner no later than 6 or being able to leave early if we needed to. We were with family, so it wasn’t a big deal. But I’m sure whoever you are with will understand.

BREAKS – Plan on a longer travel time. We needed to stop about every two hours to give the babe a break. We planned feedings and changings around those breaks. If your child is old enough, you can stop at places that offer a little grass or space to run around so she can stretch her legs a bit. Of course, if your baby is still taking three- to four-hour naps, you can probably stop less frequently.

TRICKS – I wish I had a one-size-fits-all trick to make a road trip with a little one easier, but, as I’m sure you know, every baby is different. Here are some things that worked for us, though: Baby Einstein videos (on my phone, using Guided Access so she couldn’t do anything but watch), rolling the windows down every so often, lots of snacks, and music. I also had a basket of toys in the backseat that I kept out of sight for the week or so before our trip. Some people recommend sitting in the backseat, but we found that more distracting than beneficial. It just made her want me to hold her even more, which was torture for both of us. She did better on her own, when she could just play or eat or zone out on her own terms.

FLEXIBILITY – While it is important to know your and your little one’s limitations, it’s just as important to be flexible. You’re not at home – you’re working outside of your normal routine. To expect your baby to behave normally is unrealistic. He might not eat as much or nap at the same intervals. We had to come to terms with the fact that our girl was just going to have to make do with naps in the car as we traveled from place to place on our trip. If we could get back to the cabin early for an afternoon nap before meeting everyone for dinner, great! But we had to be flexible. Trying to stick to the normal routine all day might make you a bit crazy. You’re not in a normal situation – it’s okay for you to put a pin in the schedule until you’re back home. Again, you know your baby best. Follow her cues and trust her instincts.