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Travel

SoloDivaTravel is a huge part of my life. I often joke that I must have been a gypsy in a past life, because my urge to change my scenery never subsides.

My travel philosophy is to seek out authentic ways to experience the cultures of the places I visit. I gravitate toward locations/excursions that are recommended by locals, and don’t cater exclusively to tourists.  And while I’ve been known to splurge on luxurious accommodations, my trip planning overall tends to be more budget-conscious, so that I can stay longer, do more, and see more.

Over the years I’ve taken some really amazing trips, and discovered some really awesome locales. Below you will find a collection of reviews and recommendations for some of my favorite vacation destinations. May you find yourself inspired enough to plan a trip of your own. :)

Please feel free to hit me up if you have any travel-related questions!

ARIZONA

Sedona

CALIFORNIA

Big Bear

Calistoga

Costanoa Lodge (Half Moon Bay, CA)

COLORADO

Orvis Hot Springs, Ridgway

Telluride

Recreational Marijuana

 WASHINGTON DC

National Museum of African American History and Culture

 

 

 

ASIA

Philippines

CARIBBEAN

Jamaica

CENTRAL AMERICA

Belize

Costa Rica

Guatemala – Tikal National Park

EUROPE

Amsterdam

Venice, Italy

Cinque Terre, Italy

Pisa, Italy

Rome, Italy

The Amalfi Coast (Positano), Italy & The Isle of Capri (off the coast of Italy)

Menaggio, Italy (Lake Como) / Lugano, Switzerland

Switzerland

*** The 2006 Cross-Country Tour Revisited***

The summer of my 3oth year (2006), I decided to fulfill a dream of mine — drive across the country. To date, this remains the most impactful journey of my life, and is truly the spark that ignited my passion for traveling. The journey was epic — 36 days, 23 States (and into Canada), and 10,302 miles, a large chunk of it traveling by myself. I am so thankful that I blogged every step of my journey — fantastic memories.

Trip-Planning Resources

40 Genius Travel Tips

There are so many resources available online to help you plan your dream trip. I rely heavily on several sites when planning an itinerary, particularly the reviews from other travelers. Folks who love to travel tend to have very helpful spirits, and are always sharing their tips and recommendations. You just need to know where to look. ;)

Here are some of my favorite sites:

Yelp
Really handy site with a very active reviewer community. I love Yelp, it has really led me to some incredible finds. If you download the app on your phone, it will use GPS to search for restaurants, massage parlors, etc. near your current location. SUPER handy. I finally started submitting my own reviews, and it feels great to be able to support businesses that I had a fantastic experience at, and caution others against ones that are not exactly as advertised…

TripAdvisor
Another Yelp-like site that is focused on travel. I use TripAdvisor to search for lodging in a particular city, and for reviews on hotels/excursions/etc. They also have active forums where you can post a specific question and get feedback from other travelers.

Other Lodging Sites: AirBnB, Booking.com, Hostelworld

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