A Video Guide to Booking Travel

September 15, 2016

I get a lot of questions in general about how I book our travels and what websites I use and how I do the research. So in an effort to help each and every person looking for a little bit of guidance on how to book travel, I’ve put together a video of the process I use when I’m booking travel. This video showcases how I’ll be planning and booking our trip to Paris and Provence next July and exactly which websites I’ll be using!

This Travel Tips video is also live on my YouTube channel – so check it out below or head over to YouTube to watch how I book travel and how you might be able to book your very own trip based on my system!

You Don’t Have to be an Expat to Travel (and here’s how)

September 14, 2016

Do you ever notice that a huge majority of travel blogs out there are written by expats, living abroad and traveling all the time? And not to say they aren’t great, many of my favorite travel blogs are written by expats (and I even grew up as an expat kid) but I also think there is this misconception that you can’t travel extensively or often if you’re not an expat. I am an American living in America and I travel all the time, near and far, and I’ll tell you first hand, you don’t have to be an expat to travel. I should note also, that I think everyone should live overseas at some point in their life because it’s a very rewarding way of life, however, I also realize it’s not feasible for everyone so today, I’m here to tell you exactly how to travel, even if you aren’t an expat!

Distance is Relative.

The first thing most people say about travel is that it takes a lot of time. And perhaps if you’re an expat in Europe, it’s easy to take a weekend to explore a new location. Let’s say you arrive somewhere late Friday night and can head home Sunday evening. Well here’s the thing, distance and time is relative. So while it might take a little more time to get overseas from the US, it’s still totally doable for a weekend adventure. For example, from Portland to Iceland is only about 6.5-7 hours (that’s just a tiny bit longer than it takes to get to Hawaii from the West Coast.) So say you fly Friday night and arrive Saturday morning, then leave Sunday evening, with the time difference you’ll still get back home Sunday night. So while yes, you may be a little jetlagged (but probably not since it’s so quick), weekend travel from the US to Europe is still totally doable.

You can still find cheap flights.

Another great thing about living overseas: access to cheap airfare, especially in Europe with carriers like Ryan Air and EasyJet. But here’s the thing, the US has been quietly adding lots of amazing overseas low cost carriers to it’s roster of airlines to escape on. Airlines like Condor, Norwegian Air and WOW Air offer insanely cheap fares from the US to Europe. I got an email from Condor the other day that they were offering $139 fares for a one way from Portland to Frankfurt! Seriously. I can’t even get to LA for that sometimes. WOW Air offers $99 flights to Iceland often and we just booked a roundtrip from LAX to Stockholm for only $370 on Norwegian Air. So cheap flights are still available, you just have to do the work to find them.

There are also amazing places closer than you think.

One of the amazing things about being an expat is having amazing destinations just hours from you. However, keep in mind, whatever country you live in, there are amazing and interesting places close to you. As Americans, we tend to discount our own country with this and want to head abroad, but oftentimes there are lots of amazing destinations within close proximity to where you live. Don’t forget about exploring nearby because many times those places are just as amazing as some far off destination.

3 Affordable Fall Trips (and what they cost)

September 13, 2016

I hear a lot “travel is so expensive!” And while yes, if you are just booking the first thing you see or not scheduling your trip according to dates you can travel cheaper, it can be. But here’s the thing, there are tons of locations and flights out there that you can get at relatively low prices. When we first started traveling abroad after we got married, Nick and I would just search Orbitz not really knowing anything about airfare or how to get deals. We always figured on planning about $1,000 per ticket to fly anywhere abroad from the US West Coast. But in all actuality, we rarely pay that anymore and many times we’re getting both tickets for not much more than that. There are lots of ways to save on travel, but good airfare is one of the biggest. So here today, I’ve found you 3 affordable Fall trips abroad (from the US) and I’m telling you what they cost! If you’re looking for a great Autumn getaway with a lower price tag, I’ve got you covered!

All 3 trips below are to cities I have personally been to or have heard amazing things about, as I wouldn’t recommend them if they weren’t great deals and great locations!

New York JFK to Barcelona (via London Gatwick) | $584/person roundtrip

17 October – 26 October

Book directly through Norwegian Air’s website.

Barcelona is a fantastic spot for a Fall getaway! Indulge in late night tapas and sangria, while visiting all of Gaudi’s amazing architecture with less crowds and cooler temps!

Need a hotel recommendation? Here is my fave spot to stay in Barcelona.

Seattle to Frankfurt (Direct) | $699/person roundtrip

20 October – 27 October

Book directly through Condor’s website.

I haven’t yet had the pleasure of visiting Germany but we have a trip to Bavaria booked next March and I’ve heard amazing things about the whole country! And let’s be honest, I think most of us would head to Germany just for the food alone! With Condor servicing the West Coast of the US, there are so many great travel deals – so sign up for the airline’s email list and watch for amazing fares like this one.

Chicago to Paris (via Keflavik) | $548/person roundtrip

24 October – 4 November

Book directly through Iceland Air’s website.

One of my all time favorite places to escape to in the Fall, Paris! Wander the City of Light as the leaves fall around you and the crowds are gone… it’s the perfect time to explore the city and take in the beautiful Fall weather.

Need a hotel recommendation? Here are my fave spots to stay in Paris.

*All of these flight deals were found 9/7/16.

How to Take Incredible Travel Photos

September 12, 2016

If you’ve been following Land of Marvels for a while, you’ll know that my husband Nick takes a large majority of the travel photos that I share here on the blog from our adventures around the world. And while he just does photography as a side gig and hobby, Land of Marvels has come to be known for beautiful travel photography showcasing many of the amazing places we see around the world. And while I’m an amateur Instagram-er at best, Nick knows his way around a camera and after years of traveling, he’s nailed down exactly how to take incredible travel photos. So today, we’re sharing our secrets for how to take incredible travel photos!

Take your time.

One of the things most people don’t realize from behind the scenes of our travels, is that at beautiful spots where Nick is taking photos, we’re there a long time. I’m waiting around for a while when Nick is shooting at specific spots. It’s really important to not rush your shots for those amazing, breath-taking, incredible travel photos – take your time and don’t worry about waiting around to get that perfect shot.

Photo story: Taken at the Svortuloft Lighthouse in Iceland, we spent a solid hour or more at this location as Nick took multiple angles of this shot. We also had to wait out a steady stream of visitors as well to get this barren shot with no one in the frame.

Do your research ahead of time.

We do a ton of research before all of our trips and Nick does his own research specifically on photo spots he wants to shoot. It’s important to have an idea of locations, of timing, and all the details of a place. For example, maybe you need to buy a ticket to get in somewhere you want to take a photo and you might need to know what time they open and close. Or maybe you need to look up what time sunrise or sunset will be at that location to time your shot exactly. Make sure you do your research before traveling so you’re aware of everything surrounding those specific shots you really want.

Photo story: Taken at the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, we arrived at the Taj with our guide at sunrise, though fog had enveloped much of the monument until a little later in the morning. Finally when the fog lightened up a bit early in the morning, we arrived at this spot for this shot. For monuments like this, you always want to make sure you know what times they open and close so you can plan you shots around those times.

Schedule your shots around good light.

When we travel, we schedule many of our travel days around lighting for photos. If we’re heading somewhere that Nick wants to get photos of, we’ll head out super early at dawn or wait until later in the evening for Golden Hour and Sunset. It’s important for amazing travel photos to get good lighting, so try to set up your travel schedule around good light.

Photo story: Taken at the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA, we planned our drive around Northern Arizona to make it to the Grand Canyon shortly before sunset. This way, we got amazing light and color in the sky along with a soft light on the canyon itself.

Give yourself multiple options.

This is often hard for us as we generally do quick trips through many destinations and we might not have more than a couple days in one place. But it is nice to give yourself a couple different options for a shot. For example, say the first day the sunrise is not great and you want to go back the next day to capture it with a better scene – it’s nice to have the option to do that. Or perhaps you’re rained out the first time you try to shoot something, you can go back the following day if need be. So allow yourself time and multiple options for the same shot if you need to reshoot it.

Photo story: Taken in Amsterdam, our first night in town saw us completely rained out of this shot and while we tried to stick around to get the shot, it was a downpour and freezing cold. So the next night we came back to wait out the darkness and the lights around these canal openings.

Know how to use your camera.

And finally, be sure you know how to actually use your camera. I can’t tell you how many people ask us what camera they should get and when we tell them honestly, they always say back “well, I want to get a DSLR,” even though they don’t really know what that means or how to use one. You don’t have to have a super expensive camera to take amazing travel photos – the most important thing is that you know how to use it regardless of model. Read your manual, practice before your trip and watch tutorials and become a pro on your camera before you hit the road!

Photo story: Taken in Newport, Rhode Island, the effects in this photo on the water and the clouds moving across the sky are created by knowing how to use your camera. Without Nick knowing what he was doing, we wouldn’t have been able to get this effect.

See more of our Photography posts here!

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

September 8, 2016

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!

Looking for more posts on Blogging?

See our archives here for Blogging posts.

The Truth About Traveling : Why Saying Yes Is Important

September 7, 2016

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

September 5, 2016

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.

Cruising the Kenai National Park Fjords : Glaciers + Wildlife

September 2, 2016

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.

Oceanviews + Harbors : A Few Hours in Seward

September 1, 2016

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.

Driving the Seward Highway through Alaska

August 31, 2016

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!