Welcome to my travel blog!

“The world is a book and those who don’t travel read only one page”   St Augustine

Over the last few years I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to travel.  My kids are grown and we recently sold our cottage resort on Rice Lake. That means I’m …. RETIRED!!  Wow!  That opens so many more opportunities for travel.

My husband and I started with all-inclusive trips to Cuba, Mexico, the Dominican, etc and a cruise. I decided I wanted more, to actually SEE the world, how other people live, experience other cultures and not just take my Western ideas of “necessities” with me. 

My first attempt at real travel was a G (GAP) Adventure’s tour in 2008.  Our first trip was a fabulous adventure in Peru.  This was our introduction to public buses and small group travel. Three action packed weeks touring the deserts, mountains, coastline, jungle and even the ruins along the Inca trail whetted my appetite for more. I loved staying in small guesthouses and even a home stay on Lake Titicaca.  That was the beginning of an addiction to traveling as much as I can, when I can. I was hooked.  Check out this trip: https://www.gadventures.com/trips/absolute-peru/5378/

Sometimes I travel alone and often with a friend.  (The hubby has hobbies he enjoys at home.)   Sometimes I use a tour or group. I’ve used Stray Asia, (Myanmar) Budget Africa and a few more in addition to more than 20 G Adventures trips. I’ve discovered independent travel is also fun as you’ve got more flexibility  I’ve learned that the world is NOT a dangerous place but is a treasure trove of experiences and educational opportunities. Fascinating people of all ages, cultures, ethnic groups and origins can be found everywhere.

I like to travel with intention.  Having worked many years in  the tourism business myself, I think it’s important to contribute to the economies of the places I visit by frequenting locally owned establishments and learning as much as I can about their culture.  Tourism can, and should be a great tool to affect  positive change  in the places we visit.

More and more I’m learning about how tourists are DAMAGING the places they visit. We need to hold operators accountable and can speak with our travel dollars. When choosing a tour company, ask questions. “What are your sustainability policies? How is the community benefiting from the money I’m paying for this trip? Who is making money? Is it the big corporation or are there locals actually benefiting?”

The world has been standing still for almost 2 years now and travel hasn’t been possible.  I’m excited to see what’s in store and how travel has changed.  Hopefully many natural sites and popular tourist destinations have benefitted from this break from visitors.  Many countries have used this opportunity to change the way they host tourists and made tourism more sustainable.

If you want to learn more about sustainable tourism, there is lots of information on you tube around the movie “The Last Tourist”

Interview with Bruce Poon-Tip, G Adventures founder: https://globalnews.ca/video/8736577/film-documentary-the-last-tourist
Another interview with Bruce: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLnzAiMTTbY

Movie trailer “The Last Tourist” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3_YO-t0DXM

One way you can help is to bring a suitcase of medical supplies along with you. Contact your airline and they’ll often allow you to take an extra bag free if it’s for humanitarian reasons. For more information, read my blog post on Not Just Tourists.

If you’d like posts delivered directly to your inbox, click follow on the bottom of this page. I take lots of pictures and try not to be too wordy 🙂

Here’s a post of things I’ve learned about keeping costs down. Hopefully it can help you achieve your travel dreams quicker Tips for traveling on a budget, where to find travel deals and packing light.

Here’s a slide show of a recent trip,  Morocco!

“Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”

Miriam Beard

 “The more I traveled the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends.” – Shirley MacLaine

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.  Sail  away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover.”
– H. Jackson Brown’s mother (NOT Mark Twain)

Up close and personal with some rhinos. Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe

RAIN over Uluru! (Ayer’s Rock) The experience of a lifetime and something VERY few get to see. Australia

Wadi Rum, Jordan

Sossusvlei. Death Valley, Namibia

Reflections. Etosha National Park, Namibia

Lake Matheson, New Zealand

Beautiful Slovenia! 3 days in Bled and 1 day in Ljubljana.

 Hiking the Lechweg trail. Tirol, Austria

The Monastery, Petra in Jordan

Venturing further in my back yard. Chasing waterfalls on the Bruce Trail