For many travelers across the world, budget travel is the holy grail of adventure. There’s nothing like striking out somewhere new and feeling like you’re exploring the place from the ground up. Who wants to simply visit a succession of five-star hotels that are all the same, where you could be anywhere in the world, right!? It sort of defeats the point of traveling in the first place. However, on the flip side, it’s alright…
If you find yourself visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Gatlinburg area, going on a hike is of course THE main attraction! Having visited Gatlinburg, on many separate occasions, these are the hikes I’ve done that have stood out to me the most! Also please make sure to check the park website for trail conditions and closure notices before setting out. Cades Cove: If you aren’t a big hiker, you can drive this…
Living just a few hours away from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I’ve visited Gatlinburg, Tennessee at least twenty times. Thinking back on all these ventures, I’ve compiled my personal recommendations on the top things to do! These activities may all fit into one Gatlinburg trip, or you can spread them out over separate visits. I’ve gone down there for Bachelorette parties, with my family growing up, on my honeymoon, and for a college…
I’ve traveled a lot in my lifetime, but some places have had a bigger meaning or impact on my life than others. Singer Island, Florida is one of these locations that will always have a part of my heart! Growing up, my grandparents had a condo on this gorgeous island near West Palm Beach. Every summer we’d spend about two weeks there. Until I was 25, it was host to some of the absolute best…
I’ve always been one to love “themes”. I’m that girl who has been forcing her friends to dress up and attend my various themed parties for years. Having a sloth theme nursery then should come as no surprise. After perusing Pinterest for years, there were two themes I couldn’t ignore: travel, and sloths. Since my wedding in 2014 was travel-themed, most of my home decor is, and even my baby shower was “welcome to the…
If you find yourself in Albania’s quirky capital in the heat of summer, you know how hot it can get! As much fun as it is exploring Tirana, it can be nice to get away and cool off by the ocean. This is where the tiny town of Durrës comes in- Only a 40 minute drive from Tirana, Durrës is situated on the Adriatic coast. When I traveled there with my husband, it felt like…
This summer, my sisters threw me the Pinterest-worthy baby shower I'd always envisioned. Even during Covid and all its challenges, they still made it happen! This post is dedicated to the details of my travel themed “welcome to the world” baby shower! While the original goal was to host this at a neighborhood clubhouse, we had to have it in an outdoor venue due to occupancy restrictions. Thankfully, my Dad's cousin has a farm with…
Of course I normally blog about travel, but since travel has been a no-go lately, I figured I’d dive into writing about my second favorite topic… CATS! As a self proclaimed “crazy cat lady”, I am of course very qualified to talk about this important topic! I currently own two indoor manx cats, and they are spoiled by the epic catio my husband built (I’ll save that post for another day!). Here is the list…
If you’re like me and you love the water, living in a “landlocked” state can be frustrating. If you want a place to float around mindlessly on your unicorn tube, here's where to find that closest beach to Cincinnati you've been dreaming of. These lakes, within a 1-2 hour drive from Cincinnati, all have “public beaches”. This means you can pack a beach chair, umbrella, and a cooler and pretend you’re in Florida for a…
With just a few days on Santorini, here is what I recommend! This is based on my girls trip here, which was arguably the best vacation of my life. There are loads more things to do, but this should be a good overview for any first timers! Don’t forget to check out my FULL GREECE ITINERARY blog that corresponds with this post! Map of the sites in this post: DAY 1- Arrive to Fira, Santorini…
