Launching this site has been a great chance for self-reflection around our attitudes about travel. What do we get out of travel? If we could travel even more, would we want to? I find the various aspects of the online travel and tourism fascinating. There are seemingly endless folks who’ve created travel personas – people…
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You should visit Naples because it’s everything that makes Italy wonderful, surrounded by everything that makes Italian unlike anywhere else. It’s hot and sticky and loud and vibrant, with plenty of chances for a quiet, calm, cool escape. If you truly love Italy, you’ll love Naples. Naples is old, young, and absolutely charming. First off,…
View MoreThe U.S. Bank FlexPerks cards are our main credit cards, and our main source of travel points. They’re not the best travel cards, and they’re not trending the right direction, but in this case, convenience wins out. We do most of our banking through U.S. Bank, so going with their travel cards just made sense….
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You should visit Florence because, despite wars, floods, and the crush of tourism, Florence remains the most tangible connection to the reawakening of Western civilization during the Renaissance. Florence reminds us of the battles fought, and those we still fight, to express ideas freely and challenge social norms – not just through its art, but…
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You should visit Detroit because it is both exactly what you’ve heard, and nothing like that at all. You can visit Detroit as an optimist, a skeptic, a ruin-hunter, or just as an American. But you should visit. Detroit is more than just an airport code on your Delta connection – it’s a place to…
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You should visit this site because you believe in the value of travel. We believe that travel is an incredible privilege, and an important way in which we build bridges and connect the world. We believe that in a world that threatens to tip towards nationalism and conflict, travel opens doors and melts hearts. For…
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This post is part of a series called Naples 2017 We’re a bit delayed with this last post, due to the … unpleasantness. But, better late than never! Although technically our flight home was on Monday, it was very early in the morning, so Sunday was our last real day in Italy. We knew we…
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This post is part of a series called Naples 2017 Like unbelievable. But with Napoli in the middle. Get it? ‘Cause today we went to Napoli? Get it? Today we went to Napoli! The city gets a bad rap, but it was hard to see anything negative about it – it’s got just the right…
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This post is part of a series called Naples 2017 We seem to have found ourselves in Italy. An absurdly cheap airfare deal got us to Rome. From there, a Google search result for “cutest villages on the Amalfi coast” got us to Atrani, admittedly a very cute village indeed. We’re staying in a rather…
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This post is part of a series called Southeast Asia 2017 Today was our chance to get a quick glimpse of Tokyo before heading home to Minnesota. Tokyo being impossibly overwhelming, we chose to focus on what is, perhaps, its core feature: animal cafes. After a perfectly pleasant night at our hotel, and a delightfully…
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This post is part of a series called Southeast Asia 2017 Today was another travel day. We woke up in Kuala Lumpur and ended the day in Tokyo. We had intended to rise early and explore the city but ended up getting a late start on account of our fancy bed and gorgeous view. We…
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This post is part of a series called Southeast Asia 2017 Today was mostly a travel day, but not entirely. We got moving very early and were out of the hotel by 6. The very kind hotel staff packed us a breakfast to eat in the car. The Hue airport is a very low-key place,…
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This post is part of a series called Southeast Asia 2017 Last night we scoped out some breakfast options down the street from the hotel. We woke up ready for some Bun Bo Hue. The spot was packed with locals and the soup did not disappoint. Fueled up, we headed back to our hotel for…
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This post is part of a series called Southeast Asia 2017 (’cause it’s pronounced “way”. Get it? Super witty) Catching up on our blog a day late, on account of being dead tired yesterday. Yesterday morning, we flew from Hanoi to Hue, the old capital of Vietnam, and the scene of multiple intense battles in…
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This post is part of a series called Southeast Asia 2017 Perhaps the best reason to do a boat trip in Ha Long Bay is to get to wake up in Ha Long Bay. It’s a truly magical place. We slept incredibly well and woke up to a gorgeous view. After breakfast (meh), we spent…
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This post is part of a series called Southeast Asia 2017 Last night ended up having a surprise twist ending, when Colin drank a glass full of tap water without thinking. He was able to spend the rest of the evening (and morning) contemplating his stupidity. Everyone appreciates an opportunity for reflection and self critique….
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This post is part of a series called Southeast Asia 2017 We decided to spend the sunniest day in the area around West Lake, the largest lake in Hanoi. We walked north from our AirBnB and stopped for our first coffee a block or so away. Fortuitously, a banh mi lady set up shop on…
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This post is part of a series called Southeast Asia 2017 Today started, much like yesterday, with noodley soup. Here’s some sacrilege: noodley soup that may be even better than Pho. Bun Bo Hue. And not just any Bun Bo Hue, but the best kind: the kind eaten while watching a man repair the exhaust…
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This post is part of a series called Southeast Asia 2017 Hanoi at 72 degrees and sunny is a far more enjoyable place than Hanoi at 115 degrees and chewy. Today was a near-perfect day to wander the city and get the lay of the land. We started things off, as one must, with some…
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