My husband and I are thinking of cycling through Europe next March. Where would you recommend we start? - Stacey M. 
Hi Stacey, Thanks for touching base. It’s good to hear from you after our meet up in Baja.
A European biking vacation sounds fabulous. I just spent an invigorating week at the Adventure Travel World Summit with some of the world’s best outfitters ,a few who specialize in just that sort of trip. A personal favorite, Ciclismo Classico, based in Massachusetts and owned by female dynamo, Lauren Hefferon, comes immediately to mind. I cycled with them in Sicily and am thrilled to be traveling again with them in Norway in 2010. Check out their innovative menu of trip offerings at www.ciclismoclassico.com
Another longtime adventure travel favorite, and recently voted World’s Best Tour Company by readers at Travel + Leisure, is Austin-Lehman Adventures.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
article via partner site Divine Caroline by Emily Goligoski
When the Australian university I was studying abroad at announced a two-week fall break, three expat friends and I rushed to plan a road trip up the east coast of Oz. Before we departed, we fantasized about Sydney nightlife and tested how many bathing suits we could fit in our backpacks. While the trip did include great nights out and beautiful scuba diving, the day-to-day enjoyment was disrupted by disagreements about who paid for what, who had to drive on the “other side” of the road, and trips to hospitals with one of our companions, the extent of whose alcoholism was unknown to the rest of us. Had we had more discussions about splitting responsibilities and what we each wanted to get out of the trip, more of us might still be in touch now.
Clearly, there are more than a few headaches that can arise from going to new places with good friends, but they can usually be nipped in the bud or downplayed with a few honest discussions and planning.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Bea Broda, President of the Society of American Travel Writers, shared these tips for peaceful travel with SATW members today and I wanted to share it with you… Let’s play it forward!
The International Institute For Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) Credo of the Peaceful Traveler
Grateful for the opportunity to travel and experience the world and because peace begins with the individual, I affirm my personal responsibility and commitment to:
- Journey with an open mind and gentle heart
- Accept with grace and gratitude the diversity I encounter
- Revere and protect the natural environment which sustains all life
- Appreciate all cultures I discover
- Respect and thank my hosts for their welcome
- Offer my hand in friendship to everyone I meet
- Support travel services that share these views and act upon them and,
- By my spirit, words and actions, encourage others to travel the world in peace
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
I just encountered some information even I did not know—when US citizens return home from overseas, TSA is entitled to seize our laptops and KEEP THEM FOR MONTHS if we present suspicious aspects. Please see:http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/08/new-dhs-laptop-search-policy-crap-sandwich-fancier-bread.ars
If you think this is not something to worry about, may I remind you that TSA recently detained a former president of India?
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
America’s Newest International Crossing
The 2000 mile border the United States shares with Mexico has dramatically increased focus on security in recent years. One adverse impact of this increased security is that bottlenecks are created at the border in the distribution pipeline of products and travelers between the two countries. Enter the much anticipated Anzalduas International Bridge set to open in October 2009 and connecting Mission, Texas (part of the larger McAllen MSA), to Reynosa, Mexico.
“Anzalduas will be the newest and one of largest border crossings in the country, and will directly increase traffic flow for industrial, retail, commercial travelers and tourists,” said Pat Townsend Jr., CEO of the Mission Economic Development Authority.
“This is a very unique international area and we have to keep the traffic flowing,” said Townsend. Businesses and commerce here is booming, and the Anzalduas Bridge is going to help spur even more growth to the area.
Source: Mission Economic Development Authority
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
You’ve eaten seafood until you’re beginning to feel like a crustacean, you’ve sipped Mochas at the original Starbucks, you’ve even crowded into the Space Needle elevator with hoards of perspiring tourists – so what else is there to do?
Pick up a copy of Seattle’s newest hiking guide, Best Easy Day Hikes – Seattle, published in July by Falcon Guides, and hit the trail. These hikes, all within an hour of downtown Seattle, range from urban treks to foothill trails. The twenty trails featured in the guidebook each offer the promise of discovery and live up to the book’s title – every one of them is classified as “easy” and is a fresh alternative to the usual Seattle must-dos for people of all hiking abilities, from kids to grandparents.
In researching this book, I discovered my new favorite hike. Who knows? Pick up a copy and you might discover yours as well. - Allen Cox
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BEST EASY HIKES - SEATTLE is now available in the ‘Great Reads’ section of the new Travel Store at EllenBarone.com powered by Amazon.
Click here for book description
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".