Category: City Explorations

Explorations of new cities in the U.S. and abroad – reviews of hotels, restaurants, nightlife and can’t-miss activities.

6 Reasons You Should Definitely Visit Iceland in Winter

The daylight hours may be limited from November through February, but the unique holiday traditions and amazing activity options make it so worth it to visit Iceland in winter! We were fortunate to spend six weeks at a pet sit in Reykjavik from late November to early... Read more

How We Saved Big on Hawaii Activities with a Multi-Day Oahu All-Inclusive Pass

It's been a few weeks since our family left and I'm still just glowing with joy that we had such a fantastic trip with them! They were here on Oahu for two entire weeks. Yes, Americans who take trips longer than one week do exist and they are thriving because of it.... Read more

10 Months in New Zealand: Highlights of Our Unexpected Extended Trip

It's strange how our perception of a place can change with time. Upon arrival, New Zealand felt like a check in the box – a place we wanted to see before moving on to the next destination. Now, looking back at our time there, it feels like another home. It's a... Read more

Wallabies in Waimate & Steampunk in Oamaru, NZ

One of the most interesting areas in all of New Zealand is Oamaru. We had driven right by on our initial trip to the South Island, but upon our return, we heard about the Victorian architecture and overall Steampunk theme there and we knew we had to check it out.... Read more

Pleasantly Surprised by New Plymouth, NZ

Our original plan for visiting the New Plymouth area was to explore Mount Taranaki, but we really enjoyed this area much more than we realized we would and (due to weather) ended up seeing far more of it than we realized! Staying at Oakura Beach Although the New... Read more

5 Fun Day Trips from Queenstown & Why It Makes a Great Base

As we traveled around New Zealand, all the other backpackers warned about how busy Queenstown is. And our research came up with similar results. We actually almost cut our trip there short! But with so much to do in the area, we decided to base almost a week of our... Read more

Iceland New Year’s Eve with Outstanding Perlan Reykjavik Fireworks Viewing!

It is no big secret that the Iceland New Year's Eve celebration is over the top. Locals often spend entire paychecks on fireworks and we were warned multiple times that it gets really crazy. We definitely wanted to check out the celebration! But I was a little... Read more

What a Year of Full-Time Travel as Nomadic House Sitters Looks Like: Places, People & Pets

While some people would be ashamed to say they have no home or big career in their 30s, we take so much pride in saying we are full-time travelers and nomadic house sitters. Because … WE.FOUGHT.FOR.THIS! For many years, I'd look back on New Year's Eve at the 365... Read more

23+ Amazing Things You Can Do with a Reykjavik City Card

Headed to Iceland and wondering if the Reykjavik City Card will be worth your time and money? For 72 hours, we ran (okay, walked and drove) around town checking out all of the Reykjavik museums included, plus some other activities! In that time, we learned the... Read more

Why Perlan is the Must-See Museum in Reykjavik

Not every visitor to Iceland has the time, budget, or luck to see all of the natural wonders that make this amazingly diverse island so special. And, when it comes to more volatile wonders (like volcanoes), not everyone wants an up-close experience. That's why a visit... Read more