Land Of Marvels

A Travel Blog

#BloggingDesk : How to Make your Travel Blog Work for You

blogging desk and tips for blogging

Welcome to another installment of #BloggingDesk, where we discuss everything blogging!  One of the things that I have found over the years of blogging, is that a lot of bloggers still don’t fully utilize their blogs or see the potential for what they can actually do for you.  And yes, there are ways to monetize and bring income, but many people forget that there are actually a lot of ways that blogging can offer a lot of options other than monetary income.  So today, if you aren’t sure if you want to fully monetize your blogs, here’s how to make your travel blog (or any blog really) work for you in other ways that are still amazing!

Reach out to Brands.

One of the most under-utilized aspects of blogging is working with brands.  Most bloggers think you have to be a big blogger with thousands of followers to work with brands, but in fact, that’s just not true.  Just because brands aren’t reaching out to you, doesn’t mean they won’t work with you.  Reach out on your end, explain your situation and what you’d like to work on with them and you’ll be surprised at how receptive they are.  Brands are all about working with digital influencers these days, so just be clear about how the partnership would work and what you would get out of it.

I work with big and small hotel chains all the time, whether I get free stays out of the deal or maybe just a free round of drinks, every little bit helps and it’s all from reaching out on my end.

Use your blog to leverage Media Stays.

I don’t make much money from Land of Marvels, mainly because I write here because I love to, not because I’m trying to make money.  However, that’s not to say I don’t get a ton back from Land of Marvels.  I travel a lot already due to my circumstances, so a couple years ago I started reaching out to hotel brands before our travels to see about complimentary stays or media discounts.  Nine out of ten hotels want to work with me after I reach out, either by letting me stay for free in exchange for a review on LOM or they’ll offer me an inexpensive media rate on hotel stays.  I’ve been able to stay all over the world for incredible prices all because I reached out before hand.  Just because your blog isn’t monetized, doesn’t mean you can’t get something out of it!

Don’t forget about Social Media optimization.

Most bloggers have decent social media followings which can really add to your potential for working with a brand.  So when you’re looking for opportunities, don’t forget about optimizing your social media reach.  A lot of places – hotels, restaurants, tourism boards… they’ll all pay or offer free things for a shout out on social media because they know it will bring them business.  So often times if I know I’ll be at a restaurant, I’ll let them know and maybe they’ll comp part of your meal or offer a free drink for a social media shout out.

Get business cards for your blog.

One of the things I should have done long ago (and just did recently) was make business cards for Land of Marvels.  This is a great way to introduce yourself to people and brands, it will help them remember you.  It’s also a great way to show “proof” that your blog is legit and during your travels, if something comes up last minute, handing someone a business card might open the door to other things you never expected!

Keep contacts and relationships.

When you’re reaching out to all these brands – keep those contacts and maintain the relationships.  I’ve been introduced to some amazing people and have connections really high up in some of these brands all because I’ve kept that connection.  It’s also led to connections in my design business as well, so be sure to network and keep those connections you make alive – you never know when they might come in handy!

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The Truth About Traveling : Why Saying Yes Is Important

why saying yes is important

As we get older, our lives become increasingly more busy.  Our calendars are full, our schedules jam-packed with appointments and work events and family commitments.  And it seems, at least for me, that sometimes there is very little time in between all the “stuff” in our lives to leave time for spontaneity.  It becomes very easy to say “no” to things that come up because they are hard to fit into your schedule or hard to make the calendar work around them.  For me, I’m a planner.  I appreciate a calendar filled out months in advance so I know what’s ahead.  I like to plan ahead, especially travel, for a number of reasons like saving money and using points, but also because I like to have a plan.  For me, sometimes saying “yes” to things that come up that weren’t planned for is hard.  I don’t like to break up plans or get myself too busy with everything going on.  But I’ve also learned that sometimes, it’s really important to throw a wrench in everything and that’s why saying Yes is important all the same.

When we heard from Nick’s office that they really wanted him to get up to the Anchorage division sometime in August (all this happening at the end of July), my first thought was, I’m not sure we can make that work with our upcoming schedule.  I really wanted to go with him as we’ve been wanting to get up to Alaska forever, but we already had every weekend scheduled in August and we had a lot going on during the weeks of the month as well.  But it hit me, I needed to say “yes” to that trip and make it work.  At the end of the day, if we don’t say “yes” to new adventures, to pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones, what’s the point?  We need to grow, we need to learn, we need to explore and that often comes about when we are thrown out of our rhythms, our jam-packed, carefully curated schedules.

For me, Alaska was life changing.  I fell hard for our far Northern state and while there, I kept thinking to myself, I’m so glad we made this work.  Had we not, had we said, no, we’re too busy, had we not moved stuff around and fit it in, we never would have had that experience.

Some of the best memories of my life have been spontaneous, like jumping on a flight bound for Portland when I was living in Honolulu 3 hours before it left to spend the weekend at home with Nick, like booking flights to Amsterdam for a long weekend last year only a month before because we needed a serious break from work, like heading to Iceland for the first time years ago when other plans fell through for Thanksgiving and it ended up being a place we now go back to often because we love it so much.  All those trips, they were all ones that I had to fit in to crazy schedules, and all of them were in one way or another life changing.  So the moral of the story is this: we’re all busy, we all have a million things going on and a million things to coordinate, but at the end of the day, sometimes when you throw the schedule out the window, when you learn to let go and say “yes,” amazing things will happen.

A Summer Evening in Seattle

summer evening in seattle

Earlier this year, I got an email from Thompson Hotels letting me know that the new Seattle location was opening this Summer.  Being someone who loves hotels and is in the travel arena with Land of Marvels, I really wanted to check out the new property.  I’m also always up for a little jaunt to Seattle (which is only 2.5 hours from Portland) so we booked a stay at the new hotel for mid-August, thinking it would be a nice escape.  Turns out, when our Alaska plans came up suddenly, the week prior to our stay in Seattle was the only week we could make it up to Alaska in August, so we figured we’d do both and fly back through Seattle instead of direct to Portland.  So after 4 days in Alaska, we hopped on a flight down to Seattle and enjoyed a hot Summer evening in Seattle at the new Thompson Hotel.

Before our stay, the PR rep for the hotel had booked us a complimentary round of drinks on the hotel’s rooftop bar, The Nest, to get a sense of the property.  So after some errands in Seattle and grabbing dinner at one of our favorite spots in the city we headed upstairs for breathtaking views of Seattle and a crisp glass of sparkling Rosé.  If you’re in Seattle and want amazing views of the city, this is the place to go!  With sweeping panoramic views of Puget Sound and the city, I literally couldn’t stop taking pictures and staring at the view.

After our round of drinks, we headed back down to our room where we proceeded to watch the sunset over the water from our floor to ceiling windows as the pastel colors filled the sky and the best part?  Watching it all in our pajamas from a comfy hotel room bed.

summer in Seattle Washington downtown Seattle Seattle views Pikes Place Market Seattle Seattle Ferris wheel Seattle views sunset over Puget Sound Summer evening Seattle roofdeck at Thompson Seattle cocktail at Thompson Hotel Seattle summer sunset over Seattle Thompson Hotel Seattle

Cruising the Kenai National Park Fjords : Glaciers + Wildlife

cruising kenai park fjords

One of the things during our time in Alaska that I was looking forward to most was our glacier and wildlife cruise out of Seward through the Kenai (pronounced “key-nigh”) National Park fjords.  I’ve always wanted to see a glacier, so I was super excited about that.  But on top of that, I love animals, so the prospect of seeing wildlife like whales and otters and puffins blew me away.  We chose the Major Marine 6 hour cruise and were blown away by their service.  To be honest, if we had had more time to plan this trip, I would have probably reached out to see if they would work with me through Land of Marvels for our cruise, but since it was so last minute, we booked and paid for it ourselves.  From start to finish the staff was amazing and the boat was great, I’d highly recommend them for your adventures in Seward.

For the first couple hours, I literally didn’t want to go inside the boat cabin.  All I wanted to do was stand out on the top deck, watching the wildlife, seeing us weave through islands up and down fjords and out into the open ocean.  It was cold and rainy (actually toward the end it was so blustery, we couldn’t see much further than just in front of the boat) but I was on such a high from the experience that I literally didn’t care.  During our time on the cruise, we saw otters, puffins, bald eagles, seals, sea lions and 2 humpback whales – one of them breaching in and out of the water which was amazing!  And on top of the wildlife, we saw an active tide water glacier up close as well as chunks of ice falling from it and making sounds like thunder.  Seeing the glacier up close, witnessing its power, for me was a huge moment, because due to climate change, glaciers might not be around in 20 or 30 years, maybe less.  So to see it with my own eyes, to witness the power of nature, it was truly a remarkable thing!  The whole cruise was amazing and though we were soaking wet and freezing by the end, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat!

PS – This post is super picture heavy but everything was so beautiful I can’t help but share everything!

Tips for Marjor Marine’s Glacier Cruise:

-Pay the extra $19 for the Prime Rib and Salmon dinner – it was amazing!

-If you’re prone to sea sickness – don’t do this cruise or take something to help you.  It got really rough for about an hour of the trip since you’re out on the open ocean.

-Wear a ton of layers and make sure everything is waterproof!  I wore leggings under jeans, rubber boots, a sweater, puffy vest and a waterproof jacket and I stayed pretty warm the whole time – but this was also in August.  So no matter when you go, wear a ton of layers.

-Bring a hat that holds you hair in and fits tight on your head.  I brought a beanie for me but at first it kept flying off in the wind, so bring either a tight-fitting hat or I ended up using Nick’s “chullo” hat that we brought home from Peru that has string you can tie under your chin to keep it from flying off.

-Make sure you coat is waterproof.  Mine was by Barbour (which I’d highly recommend) and it was amazing because the water never soaked through.  Nick’s wasn’t and he was soaking wet most of the trip because of it.  It’s worth investing in a great waterproof coat for a trip to Alaska.

wildlife cruise Kenai Alaska otter in Alaska bald eagle in Alaska seals in Alaska seals in Alaska puffin in Alaska cruising the Kenai National Park fjords cruising the Kenai National Park fjords cruising the Kenai National Park fjords cruising the Kenai National Park fjords cruising the Kenai National Park fjords whales in Alaska outfit for Alaska glaciers in Kenai Alaska glaciers in Alaska glaciers in Alaska birds on ice in Alaska Alaska cruising the Kenai National Park fjords cruising the Kenai National Park fjords

Oceanviews + Harbors : A Few Hours in Seward

a few hours in Seward Alaska

For our one night at the end of our trip that we had some time to explore during our trip to Alaska, we stayed in Seward.  Since our glacier cruise wasn’t done until 5:30pm, we knew we wanted to stay nearby and then drive back to Anchorage in the morning for our flight back to Seattle.  Seward is a tiny town, actually much smaller than I was anticipating and doesn’t have a whole lot going on other than a gorgeous setting and the many tourists that come through for the glacier cruises and the giant cruise ships that dock here.  However it does have a harbor and a cute downtown that was worth exploring. So even though we only had a few hours in Seward before and after our glacier cruise, we still got to see what this tiny seaside town was all about.

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Driving the Seward Highway through Alaska

driving the Seward highway

Everyone told me, before our trip to Alaska, that the drive from Anchorage to Seward is one of the most beautiful in the world.  And now, after driving it myself, I can honestly say, they are right.  I had no idea there was so much beauty in Alaska and was constantly blown away by the sheer awe we were in as we drove through (a very tiny part of) the state.  Alaska is huge and there is so much to see that has been added to my ever growing list, but for this quick trip, we only had 1 day to explore so we chose to drive from Anchorage to Seward and stay one night there.  Our main reason for choosing Seward as our destination – a glacier and wildlife cruise that leaves from there.  But this drive on the Old Seward Highway was breathtaking at every turn, from the fjords to the mountains overlooking crystal clear lakes to small ponds with lily pads and fireweed growing in bundles, Alaska is truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.

We left before dawn to head to Seward from Anchorage and though it ended up being a pretty cloudy day, the views were stunning the entire time.  My favorite part was the first 45 minutes outside of Anchorage as you drive along the stunning fjords, as the clouds and the pre-dawn light lit up the surreal landscapes.  And along the rest of the route, we stopped as much as we could at every breathtaking view, at every incredible landscape.  After all, with the crazy beautiful landscapes in store for you on this drive, you can’t help it but pull over every 10 minutes to take in all the beauty around you.

PS – I bought this amazing bag in the photo above from my dear friend Abby’s shop, Farm | House Market before our trip to Alaska and it was so gorgeous I couldn’t help but include it in a few of our shots while driving the Seward Highway.  I got a lot of questions on social media about the bag, so if you’re interested in it, here’s where to get it!

driving the Seward highway Alaska driving the Seward highway Alaska driving the Seward highway Alaska driving the Seward highway Alaska driving the Seward highway Alaska driving the Seward highway Alaska driving the Seward highway Alaska driving the Seward highway Alaska driving the Seward highway Alaska driving the Seward highway Alaska Alaska landscapedriving the Seward highway Alaska taking photos in Alaska

Exploring Anchorage : Views + Coffee Shops

exploring anchorage

We booked our trip to Alaska about 2 weeks before we left and while sudden, it ended up being a place we loved!  We had actually been looking into heading to Alaska next Spring and it’s been on our list for a while, but when Nick’s work really wanted him to head up to their office in Anchorage, we booked flights and headed North earlier than expected!  For the first couple days, Nick was working out of his office there in Anchorage, so I had 2 days to myself to explore Alaska’s biggest city.  While I spent a good amount of time working from my laptop in coffee shops around the city and from my hotel room, I also really tried to get out and explore a little and I’m so glad I did!  I ended up really enjoying my time exploring Anchorage and could honestly see us having a small second home up there at some point in the future.  The city was totally beyond what I was expecting and it had a really unique charm all its own.  The best way to explore downtown Anchorage…. on foot!  I loved wandering the city and taking it in and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

My Anchorage Recommendations:

-Wander down the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail along the water.

-Eat at Ginger for a nice dinner.

-Grab a reindeer sausage for lunch at any of the numerous carts around the city.

-For coffee or a place to work, head to Kaladi Brothers Coffee for a caramel latte and great wifi.

-Get out of the rain with amazing hot chocolate at Steamdot.

-Enjoy the best cinnamon rolls of your life at House of Bread.

sunrise in Anchorage Alaska cinnamon rolls in Anchorage Alaska Anchorage Alaska exploring downtown Anchorage Alaska exploring downtown Anchorage Alaska exploring downtown Anchorage Alaska exploring downtown Anchorage Alaska exploring downtown Anchorage Alaska

I Fell in Love with Alaska

i fell in love with alaska

There are certain places in this world that connect with us, that draw us in, that speak to us.  And for me personally, I get really emotionally connected to places and feel really deeply connected to certain spots around the world.  Places like Paris, Vienna, Udaipur, and Iceland…all of them speak to me, all of them make me feel whole, make me feel like maybe in a past life I called each of them home.  Like maybe a part of my soul connects me to them.  And when we booked our last minute trip up to Alaska for Nick’s work a couple weeks ago, honestly, I had no idea what to expect.  And because it came about so fast, I didn’t have enough time to research, to plan, to really get an idea of what it would be like.  And yet, it turns out it’s a place I will now add to that list of other destinations above.  It’s a place that I fell hard for, a place I know will become a big part of our lives going forward.

On the way there, I just had a feeling.  I kept saying to Nick on the plane, “we’re going to Alaska!!!!”  I haven’t been so giddy as I was for a long time when traveling but something about heading North, something about this trip just had me from the beginning.  And upon arrival in Anchorage, I just knew it was special.  I just knew that this amazing state was speaking to me, pulling me in.  There is a magic there, a presence.

And I found myself, during our time there, being drawn in.  And while yes, the state is gorgeous and breathtaking and everything in between, I found myself drawn into the lifestyle, the cool gray weather, the authentic local vibe, the true essence of Alaska.  Much of Alaska reminded me of Iceland, another spot in the world that I count among my favorites.  Alaska just felt right, a connection that I felt immediately and lingered with me after we left.

There are certain places in the world that certain people just fit.  There are certain places that you just have a feeling about, an emotion you can’t quite put your finger on, but an emotion that just feels perfect.  Alaska made me feel like I had arrived home, like some years down the road I might be there again curled up in front of a fireplace sipping a hot cup of tea as the snow falls outside.  Alaska marked my soul, it captured my imagination and it stole my heart.  And so when I think of this gorgeous state, I’ll always remember how I fell in love with Alaska.

Filming and Sunrise in Waimanalo : Color + Cameras

sunrise in Waimanalo Hawaii

For our second trip to the Islands in July, we had a crazy busy work schedule for the 1.5 days we were in Hawaii.  On top of work projects all day Saturday, we spent Sunday morning filming a really exciting project I have upcoming here on Land of Marvels.  My cousin is a videographer, so he and his girlfriend and Nick and I headed over to Hawaii together.  The goal: to grab footage on a Hawaiian beach at sunrise – a goal we fulfilled for sure!  I can’t wait to share this project, but for now, some views of the sunrise at Waimanalo Bay will have to do!

sunrise in Waimanalo Hawaii sunrise in Waimanalo Hawaii sunrise in Waimanalo Hawaii sunrise in Waimanalo Hawaii sunrise in Waimanalo Hawaii sunrise in Waimanalo Hawaii sunrise in Waimanalo Hawaii sunrise in Waimanalo Hawaii

Twilight at the Aloha Tower : Vintage Ships + String Lights

twilight at the aloha tower

On our second trip to Hawaii in July for work, we had a crazy day of work on Saturday so for dinner we wanted some place casual but still with a nice view.  We settled on the Gordon Biersch patio at the Aloha Tower right around twilight.  While this is out of the main tourist area of Honolulu, it’s near where the cruise ships dock in Honolulu and offers stunning views of the surrounding bay and harbor.  We happened to catch sunset here as well as views of a stunning vintage ship from Chile docked right near the restaurant.  Twilight at the Aloha Tower offers stunning views with a more local perspective, lending it to be one of my favorite spots in Honolulu for a causal dinner with breathtaking views.

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