10 Things You Must Do When In Oahu, Hawaii

by Lindsay Shapka in , ,


While there are tourist sites, museums, art galleries, and more to see on Oahu, my favorite things to do on the island involve slowing down, taking advantage of the weather, and generally chilling out.

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What To See and Do While Strolling Edinburgh's Royal Mile

by Lindsay Shapka in , ,


The Royal Mile (you guessed it, it is literally a mile long) in Edinburgh, Scotland earned its regal nickname in the 16th century when the King and his procession used it to travel between the castle on one end, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse on the other.

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Bear Safety: How to stay safe when camping and hiking in bear country

by Lindsay Shapka in ,


Bears do not go out of their way to attack, track or hunt humans. That is not a thing. What they are attracted to is food, or something that might be scented like food.

Unless you are doing things that will attract bears, you are unlikely to ever encounter one. You may see bears on the side of the highway, but rarely will you see them near your tent or on a hiking trail.

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Hit The Beach! Your Guide to the Best Beaches in the USA

by Lindsay Shapka in , , ,


Winters are long and cold, and I find myself dreaming of the beach for most of the year (who am I kidding, ALL of the year).

There are so many incredible tropical locations to explore in the world, but when the warm weather hits, the beaches in the US are well worth a visit.

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How To Plan a Trip

by Lindsay Shapka in , ,


I don’t know about you, but I am itching to be able to travel again, and with the end of COVID in sight, I am filling my coffee table with travel magazines and my bookshelves with travel guides — it’s time to start planning!

Whether you are dreaming of a one-week escape or a month-long adventure, planning a trip requires more than just buying plane tickets — especially if you want to make the most of your time.

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How to Plan a Staycation

by Lindsay Shapka in , ,


Vacations are looking a little different in 2020, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic grounding flights, closing borders, and shutting down festivals, shops, and tourist sites around the world.

But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still have an amazing staycation right where you live! The key is to think about your staycation like you would your vacation — an escape from the everyday where you are going to explore, have adventures, and experience something new.

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Reduce Your Footprint: How to Travel Sustainably

by Lindsay Shapka in ,


Tourism produces a stagging amount of environmental waste and carbon emissions, in fact, according to the United Nations Environment Program, “tourism produces 5 percent of the world's carbon emissions… and contributes to the depletion of natural resources, the degradation of ecosystems, and the proliferation of the waste found from shorelines to trekking trails.” (source)

When faced with these facts, it is easy to feel traveler’s guilt, and even find yourself questioning if you should travel at all.

Which is a good thing.

The only way to make travel sustainable is to make sure that those of us that are doing it are aware of the impact that we are having, and do our best to counter, offset, and reduce our footprint as much as we can.

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