*Originally posted on apanueloworld.com regarding a trip taken in 2011.

In the summer of 2011, between my junior and senior years of undergrad, I spent a month in Antigua, Guatemala studying Spanish. I went with my sister, friend, cousin, and cousin’s friend (who became my friend by the end). We did 6 hours a day, 5 days a week of 1-on-1 Spanish lessons. We went to a little school called ‘La Enseñanza’ that a lot of Mennonites tend to go to. It was incredibly influential in how far Spanish has taken me now, especially since I now use Spanish every day at work. (This school has started offering zoom classes since COVID, so if you’re interested, DM me.)

But aside from the hours of study, we had weekly field trips and weekend adventures. If you ever go, I recommend hiking volcanoes and the lake area of ‘Lago de Atitlan’.

In sweeping terms, Guatemala is a beautiful place, teaming with natural beauty, colorful homes, and crumbling ruins. I highly recommend going in the summer. It’s not too hot (like South East Asia) and all the flowers are in bloom.

Like many ‘developing nations’ Guatemala is a place with a story. Native people walk among ruins left by their conquerors, to sell hand made items to travelers from around the world. The juxtaposition is startling at times. My advice: observe. It’s not a place you can figure out before you go. Just watch. It’s interesting!

To end, I will share one picture of my sister and I, as the babies we were on this trip. And, I will say, if you want to see the breadth of a Spanish city, sit in the ‘parque central’ (central park) for a few hours. Picnic. Talk to the people that talk to you. The whole world will walk by eventually. It quickly became our favorite thing to do.

Guatemala was the place I first experienced nutella crepes, started sorting out my tu and usted forms in Spanish, and rode ‘chicken buses’ to remote towns during Corpus Christi. Remembering it all reminds me why travel is so rewarding. It truly is a gift. We aren’t entitled to it, so I think we should be grateful for it. IMO.

*Originally posted on apanueloworld.com regarding a trip taken in 2019.

This trip took place in 2019 and came together on one man’s spontaneous idea to pursue the cheap flights he saw online. West Bound! was the name of our trip planning google doc for this adventure.

Here’s how our itinerary broke down:

Days 1-2: Seattle

Our first stop was the Boeing Factory Tour. If you are into airplanes, I definitely recommend. If you aren’t, you will probably still find some of it interesting like I did.

The next morning we started our day at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. We figured that we had to get Starbucks at least once in Seattle, so we settled for the Reserve. I’m not a coffee snob so I guess you can take my review with a grain of salt, but I thought it was delicious and beautiful.

Next stop, Pike Place Market. We didn’t spend much time there but I think we easily could have. The shop owners we met were very friendly and the booths were endless.

Around the corner from Pike Place is the gum wall. We were slightly grossed out and highly entertained.

Then we went up the Space Needle. Personally, this is my favorite thing we did in Seattle. You probably don’t want to do it every time you go, but the moving glass floor is fun and the views are phenomenal!

We had brunch at the Fat Hen. I can only say, do that. Wonderful eggs Benedict. We were seated next to some cops who chatted with us and gave some great local recommendations. We decided that Seattleites are pretty friendly.

Next stop was the Ballard Locks. It’s no Panama Canal I’m sure, but still very interesting to watch the boats transfer from the fresh water lake to the ocean. We also got to see a salmon swimming upstream, even though it was not really salmon swimming season. I definitely recommend taking the tour as it gave me a better understanding of what all we were looking at.

We stopped at Gas Works Park to kill some time. It was an interesting park with great views of the city.

We ended our day at Waterfront Park. It has a Ferris Wheel we didn’t ride, lots of food, and views I highly recommend. Obviously, I’m all about a good city vista.

Day 3: Mt. Rainier

Mt. Reiner is pretty self explanatory. We drove to the visitor’s center in Paradise and did a little hike on the Nisqually Vista Trial. There was still snow on the trail in June but it was a perfect short hike for us. Our group loved the nature time after a few days in the city.

Day 4: Oregon Coast

Day 4 had us trolling down the Oregon Coast, stopping on our way for beaches and views as needed. My favorite stop was in the town of Seaside, because of the ocean views. It’s also the end of Lewis and Clark’s trail, so that was pretty cool.

My second favorite stop was at the Tillamook Creamery. The ice cream is delicious but they also have cheese and food and a fun little tour about how it’s all made.

I can’t remember any more where all we stopped, but these views are pretty easy to find, so if you pass a stopping point, pull off and hike a little.

Day 5 & 6: Portland

Our first day in Portland was very rainy, as to be expected I suppose. We stopped that the Multnomah Falls, just east of Portland, before tromping around the city for Blue Star Donuts and Powell’s Books.

Our last day in Portland, and of the trip, was spent flying through all of Portland’s main attractions. We started with the Pittock Mansion. One thing that is very interesting about the West Coast vs. the East Coast, is that the ‘old money’ of the city isn’t as old out west. Case in point, this mansion was built with electricity and fancy shower jets.

Next we rode the aerial tram for elevated views of the city.

A walk through the Rose Testing Gardens and a stop at the “Keep Portland Weird” mural concluded our day in Portland before our ‘red eye’ flight home.

And that was it. Thanks to Dervin for the idea and everyone for pulling it together. It came together like magic.

Why you should visit the Pacific North West:

1. As you can tell from this post, Washington and Oregon offer a beautiful variety of scenery. It’s especially nice for groups because, as long as you keep it moving, everyone enjoys some part of the trip.
2. It’s very tourist friendly but not overly touristy. While we definitely ran into other tourists (some from Australia even), most of our stops didn’t feel like tourist traps.
3. The weather was delicious. I’ve discovered that I really enjoy heading north in the summer. There is something refreshing about needing a light jacket when all of your friends are sweating it out at home.

*Originally posted on apanueloworld.com regarding a trip taken in 2019.

Back in 2018 this group of friends traveled to Maine. We liked it so much, we decided to go for a sequel. Toronto was the selected destination, but we made a few stops on the way up and back.

Niagara Falls

The first stop was Niagara Falls. We spent the day soaking up the spray from the falls and roaming the town.

We stopped at the imax theater for some history and folklore of the falls as compiled in the 1980’s (it was a rather outdated movie). That said, my favorite part was discovering that they had real actors tied to ropes and swimming at the top of the falls in the retelling of a story from the 50’s. That was one dedicated actor!!

From there we headed to the Niagara Falls History Museum. We were very amused by the dress up costume options, but the rest of the museum was pretty average I would say. If you are looking for dinner along the way, I’d recommend Potato Jackets for heaping servings of Halal food or poutine.

Toronto

We started our time in Toronto with a walking tour, to orient us to the city. My favorite thing I learned is that there is a piece of legislation in place in Toronto that gives incentives for businesses to build around history rather than starting over. This leads to amusingly mismatched architecture that I really enjoyed!

We also stepped briefly into the PATH. The PATH is an underground city that connects most of Toronto’s downtown. It’s full of foods spots and shops and anything business people may need during their lunch break. As a city dweller, the concept enamored me.

We stopped at Toronto City Hall for a free public bathroom and pictures with it’s infamous sign.

From there we roamed a few miles, through graffiti alley and chinatown for lunch.

The next day we made good use of our Toronto City pass and hit Casa Loma. It reminded me a lot of the Pittock Mansion in Portland, but was much bigger and had a much deeper history. Also, it had towers to climb with sweeping views of the city. That said, it did have the same shower jets in the bathroom.

We wrapped up the day at Bluffer’s Park beach and dinner at the Victorian Monkey, an eclectic gastro-pub with excellent burgers. Would recommend!

For our final day in Toronto we again used our Toronto Pass, this time for the Ontario Science Center and the Ripley’s Aquarium. Both a very family friendly and fun activities if you are looking for something to do in doors.

We divided our indoor time with a trip to Toronto Islands, for a round of Frisbee golf and views of the city at dusk. The taxi ride to and from was definitely my highlight.

Buffalo

We broke up our drive home with a stop over in Buffalo, NY on the way back. Buffalo was once a major city, linking rail systems with the Erie Canal. It’s also the home of General Mills but we unfortunately missed out on the wafting smell of Cheerios that I was anticipating.

From there we got lunch at I don’t remember where and headed to Rust Belt Books, a charming used bookstore with a residing cat. We got lost in there for awhile. Books make great souvenirs.

We ended this day with Shakespeare in the Park, which is literally a Shakespeare play by local performers on a public park stage. We caught, Loves Labours Lost, which was a comedy. We STILL laugh at some of the lines from that show!

Our final day of the trip was a slow start with breakfast at Undergrounds Coffee House and donuts to go from Paula’s Donuts, two wins in my book.

What I loved about this trip:

1. I love cities, so a trip almost entirely about cities was a win for me. Toronto is casually considered the clean version of NYC and is often used as a filming location of NYC based movies. Something about that made it especially lovable for me.
2. Toronto is a VERY diverse city. Since diversity makes me happy, I liked that.
3. We took it slow(er) and got to enjoy more. Often I end up traveling long stretches and at least one day in the middle of the trip is wasted driving. With only 7 hours round trip, we got to spend more time doing things and less time entertaining ourselves. I hope I’ve learned a lesson there.
4. As always, the people make the trip. This trip was no exception. I have especially hilarious memories from this trip that still come up around campfire reminiscings.

*Originally posted on apanueloworld.com in November, 2020.

It only seems appropriate that my sister who owns an escape room was the person to bring me a little fall respite from the city. So, this travel hearted girl finally got to do the smallest bit of travel this year.

It was Columbus day weekend and fall had just begun. I wanted to see some foliage and leave the city while I could, so I persuaded my guests to abandon part of their itinerary for a few days and travel out. New Yorkers talk about going upstate all the time and now I finally get the hype.

We headed north and soon found the green fading into oranges and reds. We headed to West Mountain to ride the ski lift up and hike down. Word to the wise, don’t go 30 minutes before closing, it’s not fun to be rushed. Also, ski trails are rather steep to walk down…. but it was still fun.

Yes, obviously I have the cutest nephew. How would it be any other way?

From there we headed to Lake George for New England town vibes. We didn’t like where we ate, so I have no food recommendations for you, but it was still a visit worthy town.

We spent the night in a castle in Amsterdam, NY, because we could. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I spend money on things I wouldn’t normally because all my trips got canceled. Castle hotel rooms are definitely one of them.

Our destination on day two was John Boyd Thatcher State Park for a short hike and wild foliage views. It has a wide variety of trail lengths and stunning vistas. I highly recommend.

Our drive home included a stop at a local produce stand adjacent an apple orchard. Quintessentially essential, I’d say.

And that was it, my only trip for the entire year that required any amount of travel and exploring. Needless to say, I was thankful it could happen. The day my sister and co. left, Ohio was added back on the quarantine list.

This year has been a lot of ‘take what you can’ but I’d say, even on a good year, upstate New York in the fall is still worth visiting.

*Originally posted on apanueloworld.com in September 2021.

My first, post-covid trip in 2021 was out west. Domestic travel was easier at the time and I had friends to visit, starting with this short trip to Los Angeles, California.

This trip was a short, two night stay with the primary purpose of visiting my friend Kai. She’s a brilliant friend from grad school and I always enjoy our long talks on everything from speech therapy to diversity to city living to crypto currency. Between her and her husband, I always leave a conversation feeling smarter. They keep me on my toes!

From there I headed to Grand Central Market for ice cream, because what is city exploration without dessert?

Across the street I stumbled upon Angel’s Flight Railway, the world’s shortest railway. It looked too fun not to jump on for a lift to the top.

I found a few more skyscrapers and at least one iconic building before heading back to Kai’s for boba on the beach.

We closed out the evening with a sunset walk on the Manhattan Beach boardwalk– beautiful homes and beautiful views.

Day 2 was all about Joshua Tree National Park. I’ve been wanting to check it out for a while and God bless Kai for agreeing to face that 100* desert with me. But first stop, brunch. If you’re in the area, I do recommend Crossroads Cafe. Delicious!

Now, all I knew about Joshua Tree was the tree part. What I didn’t realize was it also has some famous rock formations.

And that was it. Oh, except that we also did some outlet mall shopping at Desert Hills Premium Outlets and got take out Korean food for dinner. This is why travel is best when you are visiting people, because it provides a variety that tourists cannot capture.

What I liked about this trip:

1. Travel is back! I savored the feeling of take off, of stumbling across new things, of being anywhere other than my little routine. Oh the absolute gift it is to travel.
2. This was my first city trip in two years. Now, this summer I did tell my friends that, “It’s not that I need concrete, it’s that I need real people connections.” I’ll leave the context for that quote for another post, but after 12 hours in LA I realized, maybe I do need concrete? I mean, mountains and lakes are beautiful, but cities give me a different kind of joy. Probably the same joy you get from mountains and lakes, that I don’t get. I’m not sure. But I think it has to do with 1. people, 2. my lack of nature survival skills, 3. my life experiences, 4. how God made me. All that to say, “Yay! A new city!”
3. The East Coast/ West Coast comparison was interesting to me. I think you need to step a toe into each of the major cities and wade around through the Midwest for a bit to get an understanding of the diversity that is America. As a New Yorker, this is an especially interesting topic as there is always a little rivalry between us. So, it was interesting to see what LA is like. (Spoiler: I still think New York is better.)
4. Kai time. As you know, when you’ve been friends with someone for almost a decade, it’s a special treat to see them in the place they grew up. So, while travel is coming back and you may be dreaming of all the places to go, I recommend prioritizing friendships. Visit someone. Take them with you. Of all the things we’ve lost in this pandemic, real connection is the one that is probably hurting us the most. It’s up to us to do something about it.

*originally posted on apanueloworld.com in September 2021.

I know most people go to Colorado for the nature. I like nature as much as your average city dweller might, but I went for the people. With the return of travel came the return of summer trips with my Lancaster Friends. This is my fourth trip with some of them so we have the routine down pretty well.

Have I mentioned how thankful I am to have friends to travel with? It’s everything.

We started our trip in Breckenridge, exploring the famous ski town and riding its lift in circles. We underestimated the affect of the elevation on us so we limited hiking our first few days. Word to the wise, if you are planning to go to Colorado, keep your higher peaks for later in your itinerary.

We closed out our second evening there with a ride through Boreas Pass for views.

Our next stop was Colorado Springs for the Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Garden of the Gods, Pike’s Peak, and more hiking. Except that, surprise, surprise, I got tired of trees and requested a break. My friends (bless them) obliged me with a stop at a bookstore instead. Colorado Springs turned out to be a fun little town with decent restaurants, bookstores, and sometimes even folk music festivals in the park for you to enjoy while the rest of your group finishes their hike.

Our last stop of the trip was Rocky Mountain National Park. Tickets to national parks these days are a bit complicated, so make sure you do some research ahead of time. We were very thankful to snag some last minute tickets to round out the end of our trip. We spent the day stopping off for hikes between long, scenic drives. We found mountain lakes and elk and still had things to talk about after 5 days of traveling together. That’s always a good sign.

The trip ended with a short night at an airport hotel before we each departed to our respective destinations. The hotel had fun mirror running the entire length and height of the wall behind the beds, just to add a layer of oddity to a place we were already planning to leave at strange hours of the morning. I would not recommend.

Why Colorado?

1. It’s domestic, which makes the logistics a little easier.
2. It’s scenic. For someone who can get tired of trees, I still have to admit, Colorado is beautiful.
3. It’s accessible. If you want to enjoy the scenery but aren’t very “outdoorsy”, Colorado is very drivable and beautiful spots are easy to access without exerting yourself too much. Take Pike’s Peak for example. You can take a train or drive if you don’t want to hike it.

UPDATE: REGISTRATION DEADLINE HAS PASSED

What it is: This is a 10 day group trip of the highlights of South Korea. This includes 1 night in Seoul, 2 nights in Busan, 1 night in Gyeongju, and ending back in Seoul for 4 nights. The target dates are August 3-12, 2023. The target group size is 8-10 people. Price: $1300 + airfare and food. Sign up by March 14, 2023. 

Goal: The primary goal of this trip is to explore the culture and history of the Southern half of the Korean Peninsula. The secondary goal is to have fun doing it. I cannot promise you that I won’t make any mistakes as a newbie tour guide, but I can promise that I will be responsible to solve it. You can just relax and enjoy the ride! Along the way you can anticipate nearly 2000 years of history, family style meals, humidity, mountains, and coffee shops!  There is no end to the cute cafe culture in South Korea.  

Itinerary:

Day 1: A Trip’s Beginning

Leave your home and head to the airport. Pack a pillow, it’s going to be a long flight!

Day 2: Arrive in Seoul, South Korea

We will use the first day to gather ourselves and explore. Seoul is a massive city, larger than any in the US. We will take it slowly and just find the highlights, starting with a walk in our neighborhood for some food. 

Day 3: Off to Busan

Busan is South Korea’s second largest city and the only city that wasn’t overtaken by North Korea during the Korean war.  We will make our way to the coastal city by bullet train in time to catch dinner, a yacht ride, and views of Busan’s famous Saturday night drone show on the Gwangalli Beach. 

Day 4: Explore Busan

We will have a full day of seeing the sights.  Haeundae beach and SkyCapsule ride, the unique coastal temple of Yonggungsa, Gamcheon culture village, and Changseon-dong Food Alley are all options on the list. If you’d rather have a local guide do a similar tour, we could opt for this $37.40 option.

Day 5: Off to Gyeongju

We will jump headfirst into history, visiting the UNESCO heritage sights of Gyeongju, including the ancient Silla tombs (from 600 AD), roaming the Hanok lined streets, and enjoying the night views of Wolji pond.  We will then take our turn at staying in a Hanok (traditional) house, complete with sleeping on the floor. (It’s not as bad as it sounds, I promise!) If you are certain that you are in need of a bed, we will accommodate, but I want you to at least have the option.  Korean homes were historically warmed with floor heat by placing heated rocks, and then coals, under the floorboards of the house.  This has resulted in a culture of floor sleeping and sitting.  Koreans will often opt to sit on the floor, even using the couch as a back rest rather than a chair.  This is your opportunity to experience it for yourself!

Day 6: Bullet Back to Seoul

We will head back to the capital to finish out our time in South Korea.  This day will be mostly a breakfast, travel, dinner day, but if you’d like, we can make it back in time for the infamous night market food tour with jfromkorea for $77. 

Day 7: Historically Seoul

We will start our time in Seoul with a historical perspective, renting a Hanbok (traditional Korean clothes) for a free ticket to Gyeongbokgung Palace. From there we will visit the Korean Folk Museum, Bukchon Village, and Insadong, hilly neighborhoods with Hanok style buildings and countless small shops and eateries.

Day 8: Modernizing Seoul

Our morning will start with a guided tour into the DMZ, the Demilitarized Zone. I have been on this tour and really enjoyed it as I thought it was very informative and not too scary.  You will not be crossing any borders into North Korea, but you may be able to see little people walking around through telescopes, if the weather is good.  If you would prefer not to take this tour, you can stay back with me in Seoul (I will not be taking it again) and I will deduct it from the price of your trip. In the afternoon you will have free time.  For those that are interested, we will head to Myeong-dong for an afternoon of shopping.  If you don’t want to shop, I can help you find something else of interest to do. We will meet in the evening for a golden hour view from Namsan Tower, Seoul’s Iconic high point. 

Day 9: Seoul

For our last full day, we will fit in as much of the city as we can (or want to).  A guided hike along the historical city wall, through the Ihwa Village murals will start our morning.  From there we will cross the Cheonggyecheon Stream to visit the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. In the afternoon we will cross Seoul’s largest river, the Han River, to explore the other side, including the COEX Mall in the neighborhood of Gangnam (of the infamous ‘Gangnam Style’ song).  The mall houses many great stores, an aquarium, and a beautiful library. From there we will catch a fireworks show and self serve ramen at Mapo Bridge Park before ending our final night in Hongdae, the college town of Seoul, known for their small shops, eateries, karaoke rooms, selfies booths, and street performers. 

Day 10: Fly home, from Seoul

It’s our last day!  Breakfast and flights are what is in store for us. 

What to Expect of South Korea in August: It will be hot and muggy.  August is still part of South Korea’s rainy season, and while the monsoon rains will have passed by then, it will still rain and/or drizzle every few days. Or every day, who knows?  You will want to pack cool clothes. You can also pack a small umbrella and fan, or buy them as souvenirs.  Also, many meals in Korea are served family style, or in the least, shared side dishes.  This is a great way to try out everything and see what you like! 

South Korea is roughly 97% Korean, so you can expect to be a minority at all times.  We may find some English speakers along the way, but you will be going with the understanding that you will not know what’s going on, most of the time.  Don’t worry, Korea is an incredibly safe and interesting place.  Crime does happen, but it’s fairly rare.  So just enjoy the ride.  You will be endlessly entertained and curious, a wonderful feeling to have when traveling.  And I will help you the best I can, leaning very heavily on lessons I learned from my trip in 2022 and my 2.5 years of Korean language studying.  

Also, you can expect to walk, a lot. As you may have noticed, much of our itinerary involves roaming. It is the best way to see a place that’s dominated by stairs and hills.  Korea is 60% mountainous and the mountains don’t level themselves for the cities.  You will be hiking every day.  On the plus side, it gives you a lot of freedom to eat whatever you want!  Not to mention, we will be relying on public transportation. South Korea is very walking and public transit friendly, but that can make it tiring. You should be physically and emotionally prepared to walk more than 10,000 steps a day.

Note on the flight: You will be responsible to get yourself to and from Seoul Incheon Airport, arriving by August 4th and leaving August 12th.  If you want to extend your trip in any way, you are welcome to do so.  If you need help with figuring out flights, let me know. 

What to expect from me: If you don’t know me well, you can read about me here. If you want to learn more about my travel style, I blogged about my favorite experiences here. By the time of this trip I will have been to 24 countries, the majority of which I have had a significant role in planning. I do enjoy figuring out the details, but I also love the travel itself. Sometimes things don’t go as planned but my favorite part is when they go better than planned. So I keep planning and going because I love the surprises that travel brings. I’m excited for the opportunity to share these surprises with you and want to thank you profusely for even thinking this is an idea worth reading about.

What I expect from you: I expect that you are adults. I am agreeing to coordinate but I’m not agreeing to be a chaperone or a maid. I ask that everyone is considerate and responsible, that you ask for help if you need it, chip in where you can, keep track of your own travel documents, and you don’t wander off without telling someone.

I always say that travel is a gift. It’s an incredible privilege and my hope is that we can all keep this in mind as we go. Gratitude and grace go a long way about half way through a trip when the sun is beating down and you don’t know where the nearest bathroom is and maybe your travel coordinator is scrambling to pull the group together. So, I am asking that you bring your gratitude and your flexibility because we’ll be growing together.

Luggage Policy: If you haven’t traveled much in Asia you are going to be surprised by my next statement, but everyone will be allotted one carry on suitcase and one hand bag/backpack. First, because we are being budget friendly and probably basic economy airfare. Second, because travel= stairs and you do not want to be lugging a full sized suitcase over the notorious mountains of Seoul. Also, we will be traveling by train and public transportation. You will be very thankful for packing light, even if it means you have to decide what you will wear before you get there. In light of this, I will be booking accommodations with a washer and dryer at some point on our trip in case you need to do any laundry.

Cost

$1300 depending on final train costs, size of the group, and lodging needs.  Should this change, you will be given adequate warning.

What Is Included

Trip Planning Fee: itinerary formation and managing tour and within trip transportation bookings

Transportation between cities: Trains and buses between Seoul, Busan, Gyeongju, and Seoul. Also, airport train from Incheon to Seoul city will be included.

Accommodations: These are double occupancy accommodations, assuming that you will be willing to share a bed. If you would like to pay extra for your own bed, or your own room, this is available upon request and for a fee. Some locations may be hotels and some may be airbnbs. I prefer airbnbs as they get you into local neighborhoods, but I will be cross-referencing prices and booking hotels if they are better options.

A sim card for phone data and calling within South Korea. This will keep us from getting too lost in the city and from each other.

Tours: Tickets to the Busan yacht ride and Sky Capsule, Gyeongju tombs and bridge, Seoul hanbok rental, Namsan Tower, and City Wall tour. 

What Is Not Included:

Your international flights and public transportation. It is impossible for me to guess how much tickets will cost from each of your homes, or to calculate how many subway rides we will be taking, so I am not able to include that in the price.  However, I am happy to help you with booking, if you have any questions, and will be helping you purchase public transit tickets upon arrival.

Meals and food: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee shop stops, bingsu (Korean shaved ice), etc are not included in the price. This is to allow you maximum control over your food budget and preferences. The internet recommends budgeting an additional $35-$45 a day to cover this cost, although I would keep in mind the rising price of food. I am not opposed to getting groceries for breakfast some days, or packing lunches, if the group wants to cut some corners.

Souvenirs. 

Extra tours or excursions.  Currently the options include:

Busan Guided Tour: $37.40.  We can see the same things via public transit, so it’s more a matter of if you want a local guide and private transport, or if you want to follow me around. 

Seoul Night Market Food Tour: $77

You will have the opportunity to sign up for desired tours when you book the trip.  If you opt out of the tours, you are welcome to use your free time as you wish.

Travel insurance (including health insurance). Given the events of 2020, I do recommend travel insurance. I have found World Nomad’s Travel Insurance to be reasonable in the past, although I haven’t needed to file any claims yet.

Sign Up

You can sign up by following this link SIGN UP and completing the trip application. 

The Payment Plan

If you have read all the way to the bottom of this page, I’m assuming you are pretty interested in this trip. Hooray! If you are ‘in’ and ready to make it official here’s the plan:

1. Follow the link to Sign up and confirm your spot.
2. The sign up is open until March 14th.  At this point, I will contact everyone who has signed up with the verdict on if the trip is officially happening.  If it is, you will be notified on how to pay a $100 non refundable deposit that will go towards the total cost of your trip. If, for some reason, I need to cancel the trip, I will refund the money to you, no cost.
3. On April 3, 2023 the final payment of $1200 + optional tours will be due. 
4. Pack your bags because…
5. August 3rd, we will head out on the adventure of a lifetime!

NOTE: Payments are accepted via zelle and venmo. I will share my accounts to receive payment when you sign up. This trip is non refundable and any travel insurances that you wish to purchase will be additional costs to you. Prices are subject to change, with adequate notification to participants.

There! That’s the whole thing! (I think)

If you have any questions, email me at: tripsbycamille@gmail.com or contact on my socials. 

UPDATE: DEADLINE TO REGISTER HAS PASSED

What it is: This is a 10 day group trip of the highlights of Spain and Portugal. This includes 2 nights in Barcelona, 2 nights in Granada, 1 night in Porto and 3 nights in Lisbon. The target dates are July 18-July 27, 2023. The target group size is 8-10. Price: $1300 + airfare and food. Sign up by March 14th. 

Goal: The primary goal of this trip is to explore the culture and history of the Iberian Peninsula. The secondary goal is to have fun doing it. I cannot promise you that I won’t make any mistakes as a newbie tour guide, but I can promise that I will be responsible to solve it. You can just relax and enjoy the ride! Along the way you can anticipate 1000+ years of history, late night dinners, tapas, hot summer sun, and gelato! There will be plenty of gelato.

Itinerary:

Day 1: A Trip’s Beginning

Leave your home and head to the airport. Pack a pillow, it’s going to be a long flight!

Day 2: Arrive in Barcelona, Spain

We will use the first day to gather ourselves and explore. Barcelona is a city made popular by hosting the 1992 Olympics.  This is when the world discovered the layers of history, color, and culture this city holds.  It is now a city with more tourists than locals annually.  It is located on the coast in Catalonia, a region of Spain with its own language (Catalan) and culture (and palm trees). As the home of historical creatives, including Pablo Picasso and Antoni Gaudi, the city is splashed with color and textures beyond your imagination.

Day 3: Dig In

We’ll start our day with a bike tour to orient ourselves with an overview of the city.  Since Barcelona has so much to offer, you’ll have to make some decisions for your afternoon.  Park Guell, Sagrada Familia, and the Barcelona History Museum are all worthy places to visit. Park Guell and the Sagrada Familia are both architectural works of Antoni Gaudi. The park (pictured above) offers views of the city with mosaic scenery for $11. The Sagrada Familia, the world’s longest, still active, construction site is a funky and detailed cathedral.  We will see the exterior from our bike tour, but if you want to see the interior, tickets are $28. The History Museum houses underground Roman ruins for $6.  If you are interested in all 3, we should be able to fit them all into the afternoon, if we keep it moving.  Or, you may select the ones of interest and spend your free time resting or exploring.  

Day 4: Fly to Granada

Due to the accessibility of budget airlines in Europe, a quick flight is our best option for reaching Southern Spain. Granada is located in Andalucía, a unique state of Spain that was ruled the longest by the Moors, the African Muslims that ruled Spain for 800 years. They were expelled from Spain in 1492 but have left their mark in the culture, architecture, and food in that region. We will spend the afternoon with free time to explore and the evening enjoying a flamenco show, a traditional dance from the region.

Day 5: Visit the Alhambra

Spend the afternoon in a guided tour of the Alhambra, a massive Moorish palace and last standing grounds of the Moors in Spain. Known for its beautiful architecture and gardens, the guided tour will give us the context we need to enjoy the views. We’ll end the day exploring the white walled Muslim quarter for shopping, hidden gardens, and scenic views of the city.

Day 6: Fly to Porto, Portugal

The city from which Portugal got its name is the second largest city in Portugal and a reported, must see, on everyone’s travel list. Since we only have 1 night here, we will use our time wisely with a walking tour to orient ourselves and free time to explore.

Day 7: Train to Lisbon, Portugal

Enjoy the scenic route to Portugal’s largest city, Lisbon, by train.  Upon arrival we will explore the Carmo Convent and Pink and Green Streets.

Day 8: Day trip to Pena Palace, Sintra, 

We’ll take the train to discover Sintra’s beauty and history, its romantic Pena Palace, Moorish Castle, and Quinta de Regaleira, on a full-day trip from Lisbon.

Day 9: Explore Lisbon

Another walking tour will start our day before we enjoy a ride on a scenic tram, eat egg tarts, and explore the city’s ancient, hilly streets.  An optional guided day tour of Lisbon by walking, bike, tram, and boat is available for an additional $45, should you want more structure and explanation. 

Day 10: Fly home, from Lisbon

It’s our last day!  Breakfast and flights are what is in store for us. 

What to Expect of Europe in August: August is peak travel season and we aren’t the only ones looking to experience the classics. You can expect it to be hot and warm and you can expect large crowds. You can also expect smaller serving sizes and family style dining. Spain is famous for its ‘tapas’ dinners made entirely of shared appetizers. They also tend to eat slow meals and late at night, so prepare yourself for that!

Also, you can expect to walk, a lot. As you may have noticed, much of our itinerary involves roaming. It is the best way to see a place that’s dominated by stairs, hills, and cobblestone streets. Plus, you have to work off all the carbs. Not to mention, we will be relying on public transportation. Europe is very walking and training friendly, but that also can make it tiring. You should be physically and emotionally prepared to walk 10,000 steps or more a day.

Note on the flight: You will be responsible to get yourself to Barcelona, Spain by July 19th and from Lisbon, Portugal on July 27th. If you find that it is cheaper to fly back to Barcelona in order to have a round trip route, you are free to do that. 

What to expect from me: If you don’t know me well, you can read about me here. If you want to learn more about my travel style, I blogged about my favorite experiences here. By the time of this trip I will have been to 23 countries, the majority of which I have had a significant role in planning. I do enjoy figuring out the details, but I also love the travel itself. Sometimes things don’t go as planned but my favorite part is when they go better than planned. So I keep planning and going because I love the surprises that travel brings. I’m excited for the opportunity to share these surprises with you and want to thank you profusely for even thinking this is an idea worth reading about.

What I expect from you: I expect that you are adults. I am agreeing to coordinate but I’m not agreeing to be a chaperone or a maid. I ask that everyone is considerate and responsible, that you ask for help if you need it, chip in where you can, keep track of your own travel documents, and you don’t wander off without telling someone.

I always say that travel is a gift. It’s an incredible privilege and my hope is that we can all keep this in mind as we go. Gratitude and grace go a long way about half way through a trip when the sun is beating down and you don’t know where the nearest bathroom is and maybe your travel coordinator is scrambling to pull the group together. So, I am asking that you bring your gratitude and your flexibility because we’ll be growing together.

Luggage Policy: If you haven’t traveled much in Europe you are going to be surprised by my next statement, but everyone will be allotted one carry on suitcase and one hand bag/backpack. First, because we are being budget friendly and probably basic economy airfare. Second, because Europe= stairs and you do not want to be lugging a full sized suitcase over the notorious hills of Lisbon. Also, we will be traveling by train and public transportation. You will be very thankful for packing light, even if it means you have to decide what you will wear before you get there. In light of this, I will be booking accommodations with a washer and dryer at some point on our trip in case you need to do any laundry.

Cost

$1300 depending on final domestic flight costs, size of the group, and lodging needs.  Should this change, you will be given adequate warning.

What Is Included

Trip Planning Fee: itinerary formation and managing tour and within trip transportation bookings

Transportation between cities: Flights from Barcelona to Granada and Granada to Porto. Also, train from Porto to Lisbon.

Accommodations: These are double occupancy accommodations, assuming that you will be willing to share a bed. If you would like to pay extra for your own bed, or your own room, this is available upon request and for a fee. Some locations may be hotels and some may be airbnbs. I prefer airbnbs as they get you into local neighborhoods, but I will be cross-referencing prices and booking hotels if they are better options.

A sim card for phone data and calling within Spain and Portugal. This will keep us from getting too lost in the city and from each other.

Tours: Tickets to the Barcelona bike tour, Alhambra tour, flamenco show, Porto walking tour, Lisbon walking tour, and Sintra day trip.

What Is Not Included:

Your international flights and public transportation. It is impossible for me to guess how much tickets will cost from each of your homes, or to calculate how many subway rides we will be taking, so I am not able to include that in the price.  However, I am happy to help you with booking, if you have any questions, and will be helping you purchase public transit tickets upon arrival.

Meals and food: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee shop stops, churros con chocolate, etc are not included in the price. This is to allow you maximum control over your food budget and preferences. The internet recommends budgeting an additional $35-$45 a day to cover this cost, although I would keep in mind the rising price of food. I am not opposed to getting groceries for breakfast some days, or packing lunches, if the group wants to cut some corners.

Souvenirs. 

Extra tours or excursions.  Currently the options include:

Park Guell entrance: $11

Barcelona History Museum: $6

Sagrada Familia entrance: $28

Lisbon walking, biking, traming, and boating guided tour: $45

You will have the opportunity to sign up for desired tours when you book the trip.  If you opt out of the tours, you are welcome to use your free time as you wish.

Travel insurance (including health insurance). Given the events of 2020, I do recommend travel insurance. I have found World Nomad’s Travel Insurance to be reasonable in the past, although I haven’t needed to file any claims yet.

Sign Up

You can sign up by following this link SIGN UP and completing the trip application. 

The Payment Plan

If you have read all the way to the bottom of this page, I’m assuming you are pretty interested in this trip. Hooray! If you are ‘in’ and ready to make it official here’s the plan:

1. Follow the link to Sign up and confirm your spot.  
2. The sign up is open until March 7th.  At this point, I will contact everyone who has signed up with the verdict on if the trip is officially happening.  If it is, you will be notified on how to pay a $100 non refundable deposit that will go towards the total cost of your trip. If, for some reason, I need to cancel the trip, I will refund the money to you, no cost.
3. On March 18, 2023 the final payment of $1200 + optional tours will be due. 
4. Pack your bags because…
5. July 18th, we will head out on the adventure of a lifetime!

NOTE: Payments are accepted via zelle and venmo. I will share my accounts to receive payment when you sign up. This trip is non refundable and any travel insurances that you wish to purchase will be additional costs to you. Prices are subject to change, with adequate notification to participants.

There! That’s the whole thing! (I think)

If you have any questions, email me at: tripsbycamille@gmail.com or contact on my socials.