Flying with your Service Dog takes a bit of pre-planning. Most airlines require 48 hours advance notice about your canine partner. Initially tickets can be booked online through a collective search website like CheapOair . Before purchasing tickets, check out the Airlines direct website for Service Animal rules. Under Federal Law airlines are required to...

A week from now is All Hallows Eve “vigil of All saints” or commonly known in North America as Halloween . The holiday’s roots are of pagan Celtic origin; but it seems to be spreading around the world in modern fashion. When I was young, it meant dressing up in a costume and walking around...

Recently I’ve been reading, “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed . When the author was in her mid-twenties she solo hiked the Pacific Crest Trail . Her book unfolds as she treks north, nursing her blistered feet and cumbersome heavy pack along a majority of the 2,663mi (4,286km) trail. It initially begins at the Mexican border, passes...

Cost/day: $150/day What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen lately? It is a toss-up between me eating a scorpion and some of the “characters” I saw on Bourbon Street. Describe a typical day: Start the morning off in the French Quarter at Café du Monde to try their famous beignets and coffee. Walk over to the...

Cost/day: FREE (airfare not included - ha!) What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen lately? As I write this, it is now 3:40am and I'm bunking in the San Francisco Airport after 16 hours of flight changes, delays and one emergency turn-around. Some of the things I've seen tonight include: Watching the pilots pack their bags...

The thought of writing a book seems esoteric. Many people I’ve encountered tell me they’re going to write a book someday. (Which I think is a fabulous idea!) The actual process, however, is often unglamorous and tedious. Writing, editing, rewriting, and did I mention rewriting. But writing is only the first step. If you’re following...

A bit of travel news closer to home (for me, anyway). In Tacoma, Washington, thirty miles south of Seattle in the shadow of Mt. Rainier, is a brand-new museum which has become a pilgrimage site for historic auto enthusiasts. The one-month-old facility, called America’s Car Museum (ACM), showcases what was once the world’s largest private...

Cost: $50/day What is the strangest thing you have seen recently? The South Kaibab trail winds its way from the south rim of the Grand Canyon to the canyon floor, roughly 5000 feet (1525 metres) below. It is extraordinarily beautiful and offers spectacular vistas at various points over its seven miles. Because of the brilliant...

(Border, SD) "Wait - you're moving where?" CP: "South Dakota" "Why would you ever move there?" CP: "Well..." Cost/day: ~$30/day (food / gas / fun) What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen lately? When I turned off the Interstate and into Rapid City, I saw (and promptly ignored) a speed limit sign stating 25 mph. Seconds...

Cost/day: $55/day Admittedly - I'm cheating a bit. I'm off the road for 2-3 months, so this was a day trip from Philly. If you stay longer, careful planning (couch-surfing, travel deals) will keep your lodging costs reasonable. As for fun - well, you just need to look around for it. What’s the strangest thing...

Cost: $50/day What's the strangest thing you have seen lately? Lavacicles. These pointy tooth-like projections can be found on the roofs of many of the incredible lava tubes and caves at Lava Beds National Monument in northern California. They formed when viscous lava that was dripping from the top of the tubes cooled and hardened....

Ever consider learning from the travel writing guru himself? Now's your chance! Here at vagablogging we all share a common appreciation for the inspiration Rolf penned into his first book . But have you gotten the chance to read his second? Bundled within the rich collection, Marco Polo Didn’t Go There , is something more....

In 1946, Aloha Week was created by a group of Jaycees as a cultural celebration of Hawaii’s history, music and dance. Since then, it’s morphed into a variety of festivals including more than 300 events across six Hawaiian islands that are attended by a million people annually. Even if you’re not already scheduled to be...

The lure of the exotic is strong for travelers, but we may often forget that the exotic is here at home as well. I recently returned from a 42-mile hike in Rocky Mountain National Park—one of countless National Parks that I had not yet visited—and now I have a new appreciation for trails. It can...

The Mexican city of Puebla has more than one way to satisfy a sweet tooth. The next time your travels take you through the colonial town, don’t think the treats end with the chocolate in mole poblano. The best place to get an eyeful of delicious options is to head straight to Puebla's Calle de...

The colonial city of Puebla in Mexico lures travelers eager to taste its own culinary creations (among which are mole poblano and chiles en nogada ), watch the traditional Cinco de Mayo parade, or shop for Talavera pottery. And while in many destinations, artistic creations are only available in museums and shops, a short walk...

Seeing a place for the first time—whether Paris or Machu Picchu—has magical moments that stay in our memories long after the trip is over. And for travelers who want those new experiences, it’s tempting to discourage or eliminate return travel. While I’m drawn to places I haven’t yet visited, there are destinations that I return...

I just saw the movie "127 Hours", which is less about travel than standing still -- it's about outdoorsman Aron Ralston's 5-day stint in a Utah canyon, trapped by a rock which fell and pinned his arm against the wall. Yep, he's the guy that had to cut his own hand off with a pocket...

Over-organizing travel plans—where you’re in a different place each day due to a long checklist of things to see—can actually result in seeing less. Sure, you may get to all the monuments or museums you want, but while the checklist blinders are on, you could be missing out on a lot of local culture. Recently,...

I just returned from a trip to Baja California Sur, Mexico, and the highlight of my trip was an hour-long boat trip to see the California gray whales in Magdalena Bay. Aside from a kayak experience when my little boat and I were just a few inches from a humpback whale, this was the closest...