Posts in General Travel
The NY Times' 52 Places to Go in 2019: Reaction, Highlights & Other Ditties

The calendar has flipped to 2019, and only nine days into the new year the good folks over at The New York Times have gifted us with their annual list of 52 destinations that travelers the world over might like to consider hitting up over the next 12 months. With more than 15 locations across Europe, a dozen or so in North America, and a smattering of other choices from Asia, Africa, South America, Australia, and the Middle East, the “52 Places to Go in 2019” list contains options for just about everyone.

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Logan's Run Transformed in 2018, & These Were the 5 Most Popular Posts

I could not have imagined, even a week ago, that I would be sitting here, in a Starbucks across the street from Chicago Union Station, finishing up the final post of the year as I wait to board a train headed for St. Louis this evening. But that’s how life goes, things can change in an instant.

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They Sold Everything and Set Out for Life on the Road — Could You?

The thought of packing everything up, getting rid of the stuff you don’t need, and hitting the open road for a period of months or years is probably one that crosses many people’s minds from time to time — or at least those of us who have been bitten by that little bug called wanderlust, anyway. It’s a tantalizing thought: no house or rent payments, nothing keeping you anchored to one place or another, and the freedom to roam as you please.

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Why Everyone Needs to Travel Solo At Least Once in Their Lives

Everyone — and I mean everyone — should pack a bag and take a solo trip at some point in their lives. Do you need to take seven weeks off work and backpack through Europe? No, not at all. It could be a simple weekend trip. The point is just to go and get out there on your own.

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Into the 'Wild': I Lost Someone Special, Then I Decided to Hit the Road for Two Months

I took two months to travel to 22 states, putting over 8,500 miles on my car. I went to new places with old friends and old places with new friends. Sometimes I drove 14 hours in a day, others maybe one. I listened to hours of podcasts, audio books, and A LOT of music…

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Online Reviews Helped Me Backpack Through Europe Seamlessly — They Can Help You Too

I recently returned to Michigan from a seven-week backpacking trip to Europe during which I had no trouble at all — and that wasn’t just because I got lucky. I owe every person who reviewed the hotels I stayed at, the restaurants I ate at, and every event or activity I threw myself into a big thank you, because they made my trip as seamless as possible.

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Planes, Trains, & Automobiles: Consider Riding the Rails to Your Next Destination

Maybe it’s just me, but these days it seems that taking a passenger train is one of the last things we think of when considering how we’ll make our way to whatever vacation destination may await. Why is this?

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Why Use a Travel Agent in the Digital Age? I Can Think of a Few Good Reasons

With the Internets invading every aspect of our lives these days and an ever-growing repertoire of handy-dandy apps and services like Airbnb and Turo showing no signs of disappearing anytime soon, travelers the world over may find themselves wondering from time to time: "What's the point of hiring a travel agent in 2018?"

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The Highs, Lows, Ups, Downs, & Fluttery Butterflies That Come with Purchasing Plane Tickets

Purchasing airline tickets can be a slightly stress-inducing experience, especially when you look at those fees — for baggage, for selecting where you'll sit, for flight insurance, etc. — that just keep adding up as you go through the process. All of a sudden that $144 roundtrip flight to Houston doesn't look so cheap anymore…

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