The year 2023, with all of its ups and downs, peaks and valleys, and trials and tribulations, has come and gone — as has another 365 days here on All Things Wanderful. So now it’s time to take stock. What caught people’s attention? What fell flat on its face? Were you, the loyal readers of this increasingly-sporadic travel blog, entertained, or at least mildly amused? Did you find the content contained within this digital rambling wreck informational? Enlightening? Perhaps even erudite?
Read MoreImmortalized by John Steinbeck’s 1939 book “The Grapes of Wrath”, as well as the 1946 song “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66”, the highway became one of the most recognized thoroughfares in North America, crisscrossing not just from Chicago to Santa Monica, California, and back again, but also across our hearts (*cue studio audience: “aww!”). And though the highway no longer exists in a technical sense — it was officially removed from the U.S. Highway System in 1985 — stretches of what has become known as “Historic Route 66” in some states are still out there waiting for you.
Read MoreIt was a joke. Kind of. But as my brother’s 21st got closer and closer, my resolve grew: we were going to do it. Well, we were going to do something, anyway. I told him we didn’t necessarily need to go to San Diego; we could take a trip wherever his little heart desired. Somehow, some way, we landed on Vegas. Yes, Sin City was going to be the one.
Read MoreTraveling to a new city can certainly feel overwhelming. Whether you’re planning on spending a long weekend partying in Miami or a week sightseeing in and around Paris, you likely want to use your time as efficiently as possible, knocking as many things as you can off your list while still being able to enjoy everything. But sometimes it’s difficult to know where to begin.
Read MoreYou’ve heard of #vanlife, right? That whole thing where people hit the road for long stretches at a time, living out of a vehicle equipped balls-to-the-wall with as many modern conveniences as possible? Of course you have, you don’t live under a rock. Instagram is littered with people who have outwardly embraced the lifestyle, and every time you see one of those posts, you wonder: what if?
Read MoreThe year from hell that was 2020 may be over, but 2021 doesn’t really feel all that different just yet. The world is still attempting to come back from the brink and fight off this accursed virus, businesses and families are still out here struggling financially due to restrictions designed to keep people safe, and many industries are still flailing about with all the uncertainty that remains.
Read MoreDriver beware, you’re in for a scare… because the folks over at Kayak have put together a truly terrifying cross-country road trip stretching from New England to the West Coast. From haunted inns to creepy cemeteries, and old state hospitals to abandoned amusement parks, the 7,500-mile trip truly checks off every spooky box a Halloween-loving traveler could dream up.
Read More2020 has been one weird year. There we were at the start of a brand new decade on January 1st, looking ahead to a year in which practically every major holiday fell on a weekend, the economy was continuing the upward trend that started back at the beginning of Obama’s first term, and the puns concerning 20/20 vision hadn’t even gone stale yet.
Read MorePicture a place straight out of a crime novel or movie, a den of darkness disguised by bright lights, loud music, and decidedly delightful distractions, and then place it in the real world and give it a quintessential quirk — like locating it in two American states at the same time, say, just to up the ante — and what have you got?
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