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Visiting Tikal, Guatemala Without a Guide
When I was a kid, my life’s goal was to be the girl-version of Indiana Jones. To a girl growing up in the suburbs of the USA, books and movies were my escape into a world of adventure. I can remember summers spent at my grandparents’ house looking through my grandfather’s collection of National Geographic, dreaming of the day when I too could explore these far off places. While the famous archeological site at Tikal, Guatemala is a far cry from discovering a lost city in the jungle whilst fighting off Nazis, it still evoked in me that same sense of wonderment. Walking out from the jungle path, seeing the tops…
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Finding My Happy Place in Tobacco Caye, Belize
Updated: 3/30/23 If you find yourself needing a tropical escape during those cold winter months, Tobacco Caye is the perfect island. I’ve made it my mission to escape winter as much as possible. After rewarding myself upon finishing grad school with a trip to Panama, I’ve created a new winter tradition for myself. Leaving the dreary, cold winter weather and landing in warm, tropical Belize brought me back to life. After spending a couple days in Caye Caulker scuba diving, I met my family in Tobacco Caye—the highlight of my Belize trip and a place I will return to the next time I need to unplug and unwind. We spent four…
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New Orleans Food Guide: Where To Eat and Drink In The Big Easy… And Avoid the Tourist Crowds
Living in Baton Rouge, I am only a little over an hour’s drive away from New Orleans. I love to go for the day most weekends. The food scene is top notch. Seafood, soul food, Vietnamese, Creole, the list is endless of amazing eats to find in the Big Easy. There are so many great lists of restaurants out there about where to eat in New Orleans. For my birthday this fall, I set out to eat my way through New Orleans for an entire weekend. These are a few of my favorite spots. They also have the added benefit of not being quite so famous and not so full…
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How to spend a weekend in Little Rock, Arkansas
Fall is pretty much nonexistent in south Louisiana. Being from upstate New York, I find myself missing the changing colors of the leaves and the crisp, cool fall air. This fall, I took a drive to Little Rock, Arkansas in search of fall. My sister came along as co-adventurer on this little trip. This was my first visit to Little Rock and to the state of Arkansas as well. The drive from Baton Rouge was easy to make Friday evening after work. The rolling hills through Mississippi and north Louisiana provided a relaxing backdrop as we cruised along. The sun setting behind them cast a magical glow as…
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How to Budget One Week in Panamá: San Blas, el Valle de Anton and Panama City
My graduation present to myself after completing my master’s degree was a week long trip to Panamá. This trip was by no means a total “backpacker” trip but I also stayed within a reasonable budget. We stayed in hostels with a private room, splurged a little on food in Panama City, and visited the remote San Blas Islands. My husband and my sister tagged along to help me celebrate, but I’ve broken down our 3-person trip costs to what it cost per person. Accommodations: While we shared basic private rooms for most of the trip, if you divide up the room cost per person, it amounts to about the same…
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Panama’s San Blas Islands: An Adventure to the Perfect Escape
As an elementary school teacher, by the time winter break rolls around I am ready to relax and truly get away from it all! This past December, I also completed my master’s degree. I was ready to celebrate! What I needed was some serious relaxation. All I wanted to do was lay on a deserted beach, take in the sun, and forget all my worries. Panama’s San Blas Islands were the perfect remedy to all my winter woes. Getting There We booked a 3 day-2 night tour to San Blas with Panama Travel Unlimited. I paid a deposit online when booking and the rest was due the day before departure…
