Tag Archives: travel

My Birthday Trip to Seattle

The Space Needle in Seattle

This picture is unedited! The sky was really that blue!

My birthday this year was a big one. I turned 30. Eeek! I’ve been a little anxious about getting older, but George, my husband, softened the blow with a trip to Seattle. I didn’t know where we were going until a week before the trip, so I didn’t have much time to plan. And that was A-OK. In my everyday life, I plan like a squirrel on steroids, but I don’t like to plan every detail of trips. It takes the adventure out of it. Continue reading

Our Iceland Trip & How to Save Money in Iceland!

How to Save Money in Iceland

One of the main reasons George and I live in an Airstream is so we can save money to travel. I’ve never been overseas and I wanted desperately to do some international travel before my 30th birthday. After much worrying about the cost, we decided that we could afford it and we booked a trip to Iceland.

Why Iceland? Well, it’s gorgeous! And flights, in comparison to many other countries, are relatively cheap. Iceland has it’s own airlines, Iceland Air and with the help of a connecting flight, we could fly right out of our home airport. The tickets were about $600 per person. That’s only $100 per person less than our flight to California will be this summer! Iceland Air even does this stopover program where you can stop in Iceland for up to a week before heading to another European country. It’s definitely something I’m going to consider if we ever make it to Europe.

Geysir, Iceland

Geysir, Iceland

We booked our hotel through Expedia because we stayed in Reykjavik, the capital city, for the entire week and simply commuted to various locations throughout the island. I like to check all the major booking sites using Kayak before I choose one. Our hotel was a budget hotel and we paid for 6 nights at $557.81. Not too shabby. It also helps that we visited in the winter when prices are cheaper. If we really wanted to cut costs, we could have stayed in hostels. We did stop by a few hostels for coffee or maps and were truly impressed with how clean they were! We stopped at this hostel on the way to Geysir and wanted to stay!

George with the horses, Iceland

Iceland’s magic small horses!

Horses, Iceland

We simply jumped out of the car to see these cute friends. No tour needed!

The one thing I really did cheap out on was a rental car. I found SAD cars online and I should have known it was almost too good to be true. We rented a car from them for about $300. The other rental cars from well-known companies were over $1,000 for the week! The car we rented never broke down, luckily, but to keep it from overheating we had to run the heat on full-blast the entire time. Not fun when you have on four layers of clothes!

Many of the sites we wanted to see in Iceland were accessible by car. By having a car, we were able to go out on our own schedule and we didn’t have to pay for a tour. We drove the Golden Circle by ourselves, visited a glacier and the black sand beaches in Vik— all without a tour guide. That being said, gasoline was very expensive. I knew it was going to be quite a bit, but it cost about $130 to fill up our tank. And we filled it up twice. Ouch!

Vik, Iceland

Vik, Iceland

Pebbles, Iceland

We did splurge on relaxing in the Blue Lagoon and one tour with Arctic Adventures. There were a lot of awesome tours available– like snowmobiling, cave exploring, a Game of Thrones tour(!) and many, many more. We decided on snorkeling in Silfra. It’s an internationally recognized dive site and you swim between two tectonic plates. It was truly amazing and well-worth the $150 per person price tag. And it truly wasn’t cold. They put you in puffy, down suits and wet suits to keep you warm. Our tour guide was really lovely and and took great care of us.

We snorkeled there!

We snorkeled there!

The water was insanely clear!

The water was insanely clear!

The other pricey part about Iceland is the food. Much of the food is imported and every meal we ate at a restaurant cost over $100 for just us two. To save money on food we picked up dinner from the grocery store several times, ate breakfast at our continental hotel breakfast and brought snacks with us in our luggage. We also ate chips (or fries for us Americans!) for dinner one night and ate hot dogs for breakfast one morning when we needed to sleep in! Not the healthiest of meals, but hey, Iceland is famous for hot dogs and we were on vacation. 🙂

Melanie at Gulfoss, Iceland

Gorgeous and cold!

Gulfoss, Iceland

Prior to our trip, I did buy a few things that I considered travel costs, like a few pairs of long underwear. I bought a cheap pair and a more expensive pair. For snorkeling they recommended a synthetic fiber to wear under the suits, so I bit the bullet and bought some fleece CuddleDuds. They, of course, were more flattering and warmer than the cheapo $10 pair I bought. 90% of the time I wasn’t cold. The only time I did get chilly was when we went out to see a glacier and the Golden Circle. I was slipping and sliding everywhere. I even ended up falling once. Do’h! The one thing I did wish I bought were Crampons. Word to the wise: They are worth it if you decide to visit Iceland during the winter.

Overall it was an amazing/beautiful/unforgettable trip that was well worth the money. I’ve got the bug and I can’t wait to travel more in 2016!

love,
melanie

Small Travels: The Mountains of North Carolina

Linville Falls, NCLife’s been crazy lately. I’ve had too much work to do and not enough time to do it all. That’s why a couple of weeks ago, we took a much needed break to celebrate the birthday of a good friend. We traveled up to the mountains of my home state, stayed in a hundred-year-old cabin and took in all the colors of fall. Continue reading

Tuesday Thoughts: There is No Final Destination to Our Journey

There is no final destination to our journey.As someone who is goal-oriented it can be hard to remember that the end goal is not always the goal. As people, our final destinations are the same, but our journeys are different. And the journey is what counts.

Let me know how you’re making it count in the comments.

love,
melanie

Our Trip to Niagra Falls and Toronto and A Few Money Saving Travel Tips

TorontoA couple of weeks ago, George, two friends and I boarded a plane for Buffalo, NY. About a year ago, a college friend had planned to get married that weekend. Fast forward about 6 months and that friend called off the big wedding and just had a small thing. That’s cool, no hurt feelings, but we had non-refundable plane tickets. Instead of moping about our used vacation days, we decided to make the best of it. And by making the best of it, I mean seeing something slightly more exotic than Buffalo. Toronto and Niagra Falls are nearby, so we hopped in a rental car and went looking for some adventure.

Niagra FallsWe didn’t really plan on seeing the Niagra Whirlpool, but we saw so many parks and signs for it, that we just pulled over!

Niagra Falls

We stopped at a park and discovered the 237829371283 stairs it took to get a closer look at the whirlpool. Although my legs were burning on the way back to the top, the view from the bottom was worth it.

After the whirlpool, we decided to mosey on over to the American side of the falls. Most people had told us it was dirty and not worth it, but we figured it wouldn’t hurt to check it out.

Niagra Falls

Niagra FallsThe American side of the falls was surprisingly clean and of course, breathtaking. Seeing that much water rush over the side of a cliff is spectacular.

Toronto

The view from the top of the tower.

TorontoAfter the American Falls, we headed over the border to Toronto. We stayed in Hannah’s loft while we explored the city. She has a great view from her balcony. We ate a lot of food and visited the CN Tower.

Niagra Falls Niagra Falls Niagra FallsFinally, we finished up the trip by visiting the Canadian side of the falls. We went “Behind the Falls”– it’s kind of self explanatory– and we rode on the boat that gets you up close and personal with the falls. We did a lot of touristy stuff on this trip, but we still had so much fun. The people you travel with can really make or break the trip.

Not only are my friends fun, they are also thrifty. Here’s how we saved some dough on this trip.

  • We used Groupon* and Airbnb* for discounted hotels. We also shared a room and our Groupon came with free breakfast!
  • We bought our plane tickets from Costco. Crazy, right? It helped us save a bundle.
  • We flew into Buffalo and drove over the border. It was cheaper than flying into Toronto.
  • We BYOB! (Read more about how I save money on booze.)

Thanks for letting me live vicariously through my travel photos. Ha-ha. Have you ever been to Niagra Falls or Toronto? Talk to me in the comments!

love,
melanie

*Affiliate links, but the Airbnb link gets you $31CAD off your next trip!!!

 

 

 

Traveling to Charleston, South Carolina on a Budget

Charleston parkI’ve been under a lot of stress at work, so when I finished up the huge conference I was planning, I threw caution to the wind and decided to go on a little weekend getaway. I’ve been on a spending fast for a while, i.e. I only spend $100 per month on unnecessary stuff. I knew this would totally blow my budget, but I did it anyway. Travel is so important to me, but I also know that if I travel too much, I’ll never save any money. It’s a Catch 22.

swamp in Charleston swamp in CharlesonWe did a lot of things to cut costs for this trip. Charleston is only four hours from our home so we drove there in my fuel-efficient car. I found a budget hotel and used my credit card points to book it. We packed snacks, we participated in free attractions (we found a gorgeous park and visited the beach!), we had a continental breakfast each morning at the hotel and, although we ate at restaurants several times, we also picked up dinner from a local grocery store.

George and Bambi Bambi at the beachWe even took Bambi with us! That was an adventure, but places were much more accommodating than I imagined. And after she got used to the hotel and not barking every time someone shut a door, she calmed down. By the end of the trip, she was a road dog. We even took her on a horse-drawn carriage ride around the city. Ha-ha. I’m sure we looked insane, but I love that little girl.

rainbow row

charleston house

How huge are these houses?!

house in charleston Charleston house george in Charleston Charleston is so pretty and I’m glad we got to share it together as a family. After the trip, I felt much more relaxed and ready to take on the world.

What are your favorite tips for budget travel? I want to hear all about it in the comments!

love,
melanie

New Adventures! Our Van: The Before Pictures

Van Before with AirstreamI’m pretty sure my (super long) tombstone inscription will say something like this: “Melanie: seasoned traveler, never able to sit down or stay in one spot too long. In the event of zombies, beware, she will rise!” George and I have the itch again. The itch to do something new. We won’t be giving up the Airstream, we love it dearly, but we’re looking on to bigger (or smaller?!) adventures in a van!

I know what you’re saying, but the Airstream is such a nice home on wheels! Yes, it is, but it would be very cumbersome for long journeys, much more expensive and probably more problematic than a van.

George bought the van for $850. I am on a Spending Diet so I didn’t contribute to the initial price of the van, but I will be using mostly my budget to fix it up. I don’t know how long we’ll be able to travel, ideally we’d be able to travel for a year or more, but that’s still up in the air. What we do know is this time we’re giving ourselves plenty of time to fix up her up. And boy are we going to need that time!

Just like the Airstream, the van has blue carpet, rust and some body work issues. Unlike the Airstream, we also have a chipped windshield, a super weird decal and a host of other issues. Let’s take a look, shall we?!

Van dents Before Van before front view Van before side view Van Before with Airstream Van Before Van Before Interior Seat in Van - Before Van inside before with doors openYikes, right? It’s kind of terrifying how much work needs to be done, but I’m excited to fully remodel it to a home on wheels.

So what do you think? Are you excited to take this journey with us? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

 

My Favorite Podcasts

Displaying

c/o Death to Stock Photos

I jumped on the bandwagon and started listening to Serial. You’ve been living under a rock somewhere if you haven’t heard of it. If you have been living under a rock, props to you, can I visit sometime? I could use a break.

Anyway, Serial is a true crime podcast, brought to you by some of the same people from This American Life. (Sidenote: for years, years, I used to think “Brought to you by” was one word because the people of PBS said it so quickly. Thanks public television.) And I obviously don’t make Serial sound appealing, but OMG IT IS. I’m hooked.

That got me thinking that I’ve never shared my favorite podcasts with you all. And there are some good ones out there, folks. Take a break from all that holiday music and open up your ears to some sustenance! Here’s some of my favorite podcasts:

Freakonomics
This podcast is brought to you by (ha-ha!) the same guys who wrote the book. Freakonomics tells stories of the “hidden side of everything” including money. I’ve spent many a “drive way moment” listening to these fellows.

The Radical Personal Finance Podcast
The RPFP explores all aspects of finances and money management with a focus on the financial strategies of society’s outliers, like the homeless and billionaires! Radical, dude!

Listen Money Matters!
These guys say this isn’t your dad’s personal finance show and it isn’t. This show is funny, honest and give actionable advice to follow. And money saving should be entertaining, right?

Natalie Sisson’s The Suitcase Entrepreneur
In short interviews, Natalie describes the ins-and-outs of a travelling entrepreneur. This one is great if you’ve only got a few minutes before a doctor’s appointment or a meeting.

Extra Pack of Peanuts Travel Podcast
Travis Sherry describes himself  as “Rick Steves for the new generation.” Travis interviews some of the biggest names in travel and teaches listeners how to travel for less. Yes!

TheVAP – The Vintage Airstream Project
The VAP is great for new Airstream owners because it describes purchasing, repair and travel in an RV. It’s not always riveting, but it is informative.

Tiny House Chat
Tiny house chat does exactly what is meant to do: it talks about all things tiny house and all things tiny living! Tiny house dwellers (like me!) are so interesting, no?!

Minimalism for the rest of us
Minimalism for the rest of us typically is interviews or stories from people on their journey to minimalism. I’m a fan of minimalism and I like to hear about other people’s journey to the school of thought.

Elise Gets Crafty
Elise Gets Crafty is one of my favorite podcasts because Elise is such a natural! Usually she talks about running a small business or talks to small business owners. It’s fun and chatty, but also informative. I’ve learned so much from this podcast!

Creating Your Own Path
Creating Your Own Path is a podcast that I just got into recently. Jennifer converses with small business owners and asks them what I always want to know: how did you create your own path?!

What are your favorite podcasts? I’d love to hear them in the comments!

love,
melanie

The Small Life: The Peterson Family

livinlightly-on-the-roadI am so pumped about this post! I love to see how families make living small work for them. Today we’ve got Nick Peterson from Livin’ Lightly. Nick, his wife, and two young children live, travel and work from an Airstream! Take it away, Nick…

livinlightly-morning-cuddlesHello! We are the Peterson family! My wife and two kids (daughter 3 years and son 5 months) live, travel and work in our 1966 Airstream Overlander. We’ve been living small full-time for the past two years.

For us tiny living was never about the space. (At least not entirely.) We chose to live small so that we can live large in other areas of our life. Life’s all about trade-offs.

livinlightly-exploring-mapPre-Airstream the daily grind consisted of work, paying bills then we tried to squeeze in some family, friends and fun. After the birth of our daughter we began to rethink our existence and intentionally plan our life.

livinlightly-stoy-timeFor us this meant trading a steady income + benefits, larger living space for portability, time with family and pursing work we love.

In preparation for this transition we buckled down and cut all unnecessary spending, got on a strict budget, paid off our debt and saved. We purged and sold all our stuff, bought a vintage Airstream and a big truck to pull it. We worked to build versatile and largely passive income streams to pay the bills.

livinlightly-parked-in-woodsNow we have the time, and ironically space to share life as a family, the freedom to travel and explore and pursue what matters to us most.

Here’s to living the small space large life dream!

Aren’t they just the cutest?! You can read more about Nick and his family on their blog, Livin’ Lightly or on IG: livinlightlyAnd remember, If you want to submit your own Small Life, email me asmalllifemelanie @ gmail dot com.

love,
melanie

 

 

Road Trip Day 7, 8 & 9 : Wizarding World of Harry Potter & Camping

Hogwarts! And those clouds! No filter on this one!

Hogwarts! And those clouds! No filter on this one!

So this is the last round of road trip pictures, I promise. I don’t want this to turn into my road trip blog, although it probably could. I want to live in these pictures forever. Anyway, I was most excited for was our trip to Universal Studios. I had been to Universal before, but not since they opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Butterbeer!

Butterbeer!

I am a huge HP fan. Like so big. I may or may not have pushed some kids out of the way just to get into the park faster. Hogwarts Express

The Wizarding World of HP is only part of the park, but really it’s the only part I cared about or took pictures of. The park designers are quite simply amazing and the park looks so similar to the movies. There are a ton of details and if it wasn’t 90 degrees and there weren’t an uncomfortable amount of people there, I’m sure I could have wandered around the World of HP all day.

Hogwarts!

The ride that is inside Hogwarts was definitely the highlight of the trip. It was a simulated ride, but you get to fly on a broom! Just waiting in line for the ride was pretty stunning. The line takes you through Hogwarts– there were talking pictures, Dumbledore’s office, the Herbology greenhouse and so much more.

The Sorting Hat!

The Sorting Hat!

I think I squealed when I saw the sorting hat.

Fawkes!

Fawkes!

Driving

But alas, I couldn’t stay in HP land forever. George had somehow convinced me to camp out with him at a chopper motorcycle fest. Not really my thing, but hey, he did take me to Harry Potter.

George blowing up the air mattress because he loves me :)

George blowing up the air mattress because he loves me 🙂

NC Mountains!

And the mountains of North Carolina are super pretty. I almost didn’t mind sleeping outside… almost.

I’m still waiting for my owl to tell me I was accepted at Hogwarts, but I’m happy to be home.

love,
melanie