In 2025, we finally realized our goal of seeing Wimbledon in person. My dad loves tennis, so for 2026, Leandra set up an account for my parents and watched the secondary market for tickets. After...
Blog posts from hotels
Eric’s 50th: Galicia, where we stayed
NORO Plaza, A Coruña Our apartment here was a comfortable 1-bedroom with tons of space, which felt especially roomy after our tight spot in Gijón. The apartment had lots of windows, and each one...
Eric’s 50th: Gijón, where we stayed
In Gijon we had a one-night stay on our way to the mountains, and then a week-long stay near the beach. ARTIEM Asturias ARTIEM was a good stopping point after a morning of travel, located on the...
Eric’s 50th: Picos de Europa, where we stayed
We wanted to be close to certain hikes and sites and ultimately chose three different towns around the park. If we had to do it again I would have skipped Las Arenas and added an extra night in...
Eric’s 50th: Madrid, where we stayed
Madrid: Hyatt Regency Hesperia Madrid We had a nice quiet room at the end of the hallway that faced an inner courtyard, which was perfect for sleeping. The bathroom was a good size, but the frosted...
Euro Trip 2025: Treviso – overview and where we stayed
We originally chose Treviso because it was reachable via a direct shuttle ride from the bus station in Ljubljana to the Treviso airport. From there, we caught the Airlink to the main bus terminal, a...
Euro Fall Trip: Slovenia – where we stayed
Maribor Very comfortable space overall with a dedicated parking spot out front. Due to flight delays we arrived after 2am but were able to get inside with clear entry instructions. The outdoor patio...
Himalayas 2025: where we stayed in Bhutan
As we wrote in the intro post, the Bhutan portion of our trip was organized and booked by Raven Tours Bhutan. The accommodations were generally good — we had checked reviews beforehand and our...
Himalayas 2025: Kathmandu, where we stayed
While the majority of our time was spent in Bhutan, we bracketed our trip with two nights in Kathmandu before Bhutan, and one night after. For the first two nights we wanted to stay in Thamel, a...
Europe Spring 2024: Croatia intro & where we stayed
Following our time in Valencia, we wanted to take the opportunity to check out a new part of Europe. After making a list of direct flight options from Madrid, then cross-referencing which ones were...
San Diego 2024: where we stayed
Where We Stayed Much like in 2023 and other years past, we divided our week-long stay between Hotel Circle and Pacific Beach. Holiday Inn Express - Mission Valley Located within a few minutes walk...
Seychelles: where we stayed
Villa Bella (Mahe) Our check in was easy - the owner was waiting for us and showed me around while Eric unpacked the car. There was an additional tourism fee that needed to be paid in local currency...
September 2023 Wine and Rugby: Introduction
Our positive experience at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan lead us to highlight the 2023 tournament in France. This time around the ticketing process was more chaotic and difficult (thanks...
Italy 2023: Where we stayed
Milan: STRAFhotel&bar Pros: Prime Location - great location right next to the Duomo, so right in the heart of the historical center. Good sleep - the shutters really kept out the light and...
Euro Christmas Markets 2022: introduction
In 2020 we had planned on a Thanksgiving trip centered on European Christmas markets, as it had been 6 years since we were last in Europe late in the year. Of course, all of our 2020 plans were...
Poland 2022: introduction
We've wanted to go to Poland for a while, and being mindful of the weather, were primarily interested in late spring or early fall. This year we finally found a good deal on Finnair via...
Pacific Northwest, June 2022: introduction
Oregon and Washington are amongst our most visited US states, and with good reason — they have an wide range of natural beauty, plus great food scenes including amazing wineries and breweries....
Spain 2022: introduction
Two years. In February 2022 it was two years since we'd left the US, and we were ready to go somewhere for a spring trip. We weren't keen on having to test to get into a country, but as luck would...
Our Itinerary
2026 Trips
Parrish, FL (Jan)
Medellin, Colombia (Feb)
Wilmington, NC (Apr)
Madrid, Spain (May)
Asturias, Spain (May)
Galicia, Spain (June)
London/Cotswolds, UK (July)
Long Island, NY (July)
Ireland (Aug)
Vietnam (Nov)
Laos (Nov)
Cambodia (Dec)
Singapore (Dec)
2025 Trips
Tampa Bay, FL (Jan)
Buenos Aires, Argentina (Feb)
Villa la Angostura, Argentina (Feb)
Bariloche, Argentina (Feb)
Iguazu Falls (Feb)
Miami, FL (Feb)
Richmond, VA (Mar)
Boston, MA (Apr)
Kathmandu, Nepal (May)
Bhutan (May)
Doha, Qatar (May)
Bristol + London, UK (Jul)
Long Island, NY (Jul)
Slovenia (Sep)
Treviso, Italy (Sep)
Bologna, Italy (Sep)
day trips from Bologna (Oct)
Turin, Italy (Oct)
Greensboro, NC (Nov)