The worst part of travel isn’t the security checkpoints with prison-issue wands, puffs of air blowing in your face or gloved agents pawing through your belongings. It’s not the airline seats with their lumbar supports that spear your spine or the $2.25 you pay for a small bottle of filtered tap water at airport restaurants. It’s not the jetlag—which can be so brutal that your left foot doesn’t know where your right foot is walking—or the suitcase that vanished with the travel clothes, gadgets and gear you have spent half a decade assembling.
The worst part of travel is actually coming home. One day you are in Peru, gaping at Machu Picchu or in the Canadian Rockies, heli-hiking amid the granite spires of the Bugaboos. Maybe you’ve been cycling in Italy, trekking in Nepal, cruising down the Nile in Egypt, or sauna hopping in Finland. The next day, you open the door to your digs and…chaos.
The answering machine is blinking, there are hundreds or thousands of emails, the snail mail spills over the edge of a huge tub and stares at you from the floor. There are bills to be paid, deadlines to be met, appointments to be kept. Your hair needs new highlights, your car is due for servicing, there’s a leak in your office, you forgot to send your sister-in-law a birthday gift. The exotic fades as you slip into the quotidian and start trouble-shooting, catching up, returning calls, and squirming in the dentist’s chair. Hooray! You are home.
I have not yet figured out how to make homecoming a celebration. But I have a few tips if you are as overwhelmed as I am when you step over your own welcome mat.
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".
Star-studded A-List destinations
photo courtesy of VisitTelluride.com
Lock up that backpack, throw the sneakers to the back of the closet – you won’t be needing them in any of these glittering destinations. Follow Lonely Planet on a red carpet ride through the top 10 swanky spots the celebrities love – and you just might too.
Check out Lonely Planet’s Top 10 glamorous A-list destinations
Source: Lonely Planet
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".
There’s a Portuguese party going on over on our sister site, YourLifeIsATrip.com, where each day this week we’re celebrating and sharing some very cool places to eat and drink, stay, visit and explore, focusing the YourLifeIsATrip.com spotlight on the “undiscovered” nature of the country.
Helping us help you launch your own Portugal adventure is our favorite travel search engine - TravelDragon.com.
To whet your appetite here are just a few of their Portugal recommendations:
Portugal Biking: From Ancient Towns to Douro Valley Vineyards
Peel back layers of history and tradition as you journey through this captivating corner of northern Portugal. Pedal along pastoral lanes from the ancient market town of Ponte de Lima to Guimarães, a World Heritage site and the birthplace of Portugal. Spin into the stunning Douro Valley, where wine has been produced for nearly two millennia. Explore historic landmarks, climb pine-covered mountains, and encounter friendly locals on horse-drawn carts. Along the way, sample delectable port wine and fresh seafood, and… more
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Portugal: Lisbon and the Silver CoastDeparts June
The journey to Portugal offers magical landscapes of sandy beaches rimmed by burnished-gold cliffs, fantastic Manueline architecture, fairytale walled towns, hilltop windmills and Moorish castles. The dramatic history of the Knights Templar and of the Portuguese discoveries is softened by the coral-colored hibiscus flowers and purple wisteria wrapping around centuries old stone walls, elegantly painted ceramic tiles and soulful fado music. |
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".
The Inn at Westwynd Farm was the sweetest part of my recent trip to Hershey, PA. Photo by Jumping Rocks.
a guest blog by Marti Mayne
My recent trip to the Inn at Westwynd Farm was combined with a “kidcation” to Hershey Park, and while the roller coasters were the high point for my girls, the highlight for me was the chance to stay at this fabulous farm and inn. The Inn at Westwynd Farm had been on my “B&B Bucket List” for awhile, so when planning our end-of-school trip, there was some method to my madness in taking the kids to Hershey Park, just three miles from the inn.
Take a big dose of romance, combine it with a gorgeous horse farm, add a kid-friendly attitude, and you begin to understand the Inn at Westwynd Farm. Now imagine huge helpings of extra amenities like a guest fridge filled with wine, beer, soft drinks, juice, popcorn, Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels, plus four or five different offerings for afternoon refreshments, and you’ll begin to understand the haute hospitality and extra value here. Gorgeous rolling hills with horses grazing, manicured gardens and lilies popping open everywhere complete the picture. Click here for more.
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".
Are you looking for a little adventure this summer? From Family Vacationsto Yoga Retreats, Girlfriend Getaways to Via Ferrate, Canadian Mountain Holiday’s summer adventures are sure to invigorate, educate, and revitalize. CMH vacation planners can customize the perfect trip just for you. But to get you started, here are just a few ideas:
Photography Workshop - Join acclaimed Canadian nature photographer John E. Marriott at Bugaboo Lodge. Shutterbugs will have the opportunity to learn from John in one of Canada’s most dramatic mountain landscapes. And, you will come away with new skills and beautiful photos! More info
Short Escapes - These 3-day Heli-Hiking trips at the Bobbie Burns and Bugaboo Lodges are laden with exploring, indulgence, excitement or peaceful journeying. Short Escapes will quickly unwind you and spellbind you…leaving you wanting more! More info
Yoga Retreat - Led by Anne Douglas, Senior Level Yoga Instructor. The 3-day retreat at Bobbie Burns Lodge is designed to make you stop and find you again. Alpine exploring, tranquil yoga, gourmet food and never-ending serenity await you. More info
High Flying Adventures - Pack some extra adrenaline: you’ll need it! True mountaineering, and designed to challenge, fulfill, entice and downright thrill, this is Heli-Hiking at its best. Zip-lines, via ferrate, glacier travel and other options available. More info
For information and booking, call 1.800.661.0252, send an email or visit www.cmhsummer.com
Source: Canadian Mountain Holidays
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".
Coming up with the perfect Father’s Day gift is never an easy task. But if Dad’s been looking for an excuse to hit the Big Apple, the New York Pass grants access to more than 55 of the top sites and attractions across the city for a single price, many with exclusive “fast-track” entry privileges, allowing card holders to whiz past long lines.
Some of the 55 New York Pass attractions include Top of the Rock; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; The Guggenheim; The Whitney; The Museum of Natural History; the Museum of Television and Radio; Bodies…the Exhibition, and MOMA. Behind-the-scenes tours at Madison Square Garden; NBC studios; Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. Free entry to zoos, aquariums, parks and gardens, and places of interest like Madam Tussaud’s; The Empire State Building Observation Deck; New York Skyride, the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island ferry. The New York Pass also includes shopping discounts at stores like Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s-it even includes discounts on New York City helicopter rides.
New York Pass offers single-day passes regularly priced at $75 for adults, $55 for children; two-day passes, $120 for adults, $100 for children; three-day passes, $150 for adults, $130 for children; and seven-day passes, $190 for adults and $150 for children.
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".