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Colmar, France: The Perfect Base for Exploring Alsace

  • by Alice

If you’re exploring France’s Alsace region, Colmar is hard to beat as a home base. Unlike many historic European cities, Colmar escaped widespread wartime destruction, helping preserve the remarkable old town visitors enjoy today. Its beautifully preserved old town is an attraction in its own right, yet it’s also within easy reach of vineyard-covered hillsides, medieval wine villages, and hilltop castles. Rather than changing hotels every night, spend a couple of days in Colmar and experience the best of Alsace from one compact, walkable town. Many visitors arrive expecting a pretty French town. Colmar certainly delivers that, but it also… Read More »Colmar, France: The Perfect Base for Exploring Alsace

Devils Tower National Monument: What to See, Do and Know Before You Go

  • by Alice

Rising dramatically above the Wyoming prairie, Devils Tower is one of America’s most recognizable landmarks and its first national monument. We’ve all seen photos of it. In fact, by the time we visited in June 2020, I felt like I already knew what to expect. I was wrong. While the photos prepared me for its unusual shape, they didn’t prepare me for its scale. Devils Tower is simply bigger and more impressive in person than it appears in pictures. The nearly vertical columns seem to rise straight out of the landscape, creating a sight that feels almost surreal. We visited… Read More »Devils Tower National Monument: What to See, Do and Know Before You Go

Montserrat Day Trip from Barcelona: What to Know Before You Go

  • by Alice

When planning our time in Barcelona, it became clear that a Montserrat day trip belonged on our itinerary. We’d seen photos of the monastery perched high in the mountains and marveled at how it appears chiseled out of the mountain. We were also interested in its history and the intriguing story of the discovery in a cave of the statue of the Virgin Mary by shepherd children in the 9th century. We also love mountain scenery and cable cars with views – so we were hooked on the idea of this day trip from Barcelona. After visiting, I’d say Montserrat… Read More »Montserrat Day Trip from Barcelona: What to Know Before You Go

Wide canyon and mesa landscape at Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado.

Mesa Verde National Park Guide: Cliff Dwellings, Scenic Drives, and Ancestral Pueblo History

  • by Alice

We only spent a few hours at Mesa Verde National Park, but it was enough to convince me that we need to go back. We had flown into Albuquerque, picked up our RV, spent the night in nearby Cortez, and planned to continue on to Canyonlands later that day. With only a few hours available, we focused on the scenic drive, overlooks, and some of the park’s most significant archaeological sites. Even so, Mesa Verde ended up being one of the most thought-provoking stops of our Southwest road trip. Travelers routinely cross oceans to see sites that are hundreds or… Read More »Mesa Verde National Park Guide: Cliff Dwellings, Scenic Drives, and Ancestral Pueblo History

Theodore Roosevelt National Park: A Guide to the North & South Units

  • by Alice

Theodore Roosevelt National Park ended up being one of the most memorable stops on our Dakotas road trip. Unlike some national parks that feel crowded and highly developed, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is still wide open and a little wild. Quiet roads wind through eroded badlands, prairie grasslands, and river valleys where wildlife often outnumbers people. The park thrilled us not because of one famous landmark, but because of the atmosphere: bison grazing near the road, panoramic overlooks with almost no crowds, wild horses roaming the hills, and a landscape that balances rugged terrain with quiet prairie beauty. We visited… Read More »Theodore Roosevelt National Park: A Guide to the North & South Units

Man standing near ferry terminal before day trip from Spain to Tangier, Morocco.

Is a Day Trip to Tangier Worth It? Our Honest Experience Visiting Morocco from Spain

  • by Alice

We’d never set foot on the African continent before our day trip to Tangier. While planning our southern Spain and Portugal itinerary, we decided to add a carefully planned day trip to Morocco. Tangier felt like the most approachable option — close enough for a ferry excursion, but still completely different from anywhere else on our route. So we booked the ferry, arranged a local guide well in advance, and headed for Tangier with a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. We’d heard stories about delayed ferries, aggressive guides, confusing medinas, and overwhelming crowds. Then, to make things even more interesting,… Read More »Is a Day Trip to Tangier Worth It? Our Honest Experience Visiting Morocco from Spain

Lagos, Salema & Sagres: Exploring Portugal’s Western Algarve

  • by Alice

Long before visiting Portugal, I was drawn to photos of the Algarve’s dramatic coastline — golden cliffs plunging into turquoise Atlantic water at the southwestern edge of Europe. By the time we reached the western Algarve during our three-week Spain and Portugal itinerary, we were ready to slow down. After fast-moving days filled with cathedrals, historic cities, road trips, and sightseeing, the western Algarve offered something entirely different: seafood dinners overlooking the ocean, cliffside walks in the Atlantic wind, and long stretches of coastline where the goal was simply to relax. And in many ways, it became exactly what travel… Read More »Lagos, Salema & Sagres: Exploring Portugal’s Western Algarve

Sintra Day Trip: How to Plan Your Day (Without Trying to See Everything)

  • by Alice

Planning a Sintra day trip? If you’re wondering how to visit Sintra in one day, the key is deciding what to prioritize rather than trying to see everything. Sintra is one of those places that looks like a fairytale—and in many ways, it is. Palaces perched on hills, mysterious gardens, sweeping views over the countryside. It ended up being one of our favorite days in Portugal. It’s also surprisingly hard to do well in a single day. We chose to see all three of Sintra’s major attractions: And while we loved experiencing all of them, it gave us a clear… Read More »Sintra Day Trip: How to Plan Your Day (Without Trying to See Everything)

Arcos de la Frontera: A Perfect Stop Between Gibraltar and Seville

  • by Alice

We stopped in Arcos de la Frontera as an overnight break between Gibraltar and Seville—though it also makes an easy stop if you’re traveling between Seville and Jerez or Cádiz. Arcos fit easily into our 3-week Spain and Portugal itinerary, breaking up the drive and becoming one of the most memorable small-town stops of the trip. Perched high above the Guadalete River, Arcos is one of Andalusia’s classic white villages. The town itself has a population of around 30,000, but the historic core feels much smaller—compact, walkable, and very hilly. This isn’t a checklist destination. Instead, you’ll find narrow streets,… Read More »Arcos de la Frontera: A Perfect Stop Between Gibraltar and Seville

Seville, Spain: A 2-Day Itinerary + Complete Guide to What to See and Do

  • by Alice

Sevilla—often written as Seville in English—is one of those cities that feels both vibrant and manageable at the same time. For us, Seville felt joyous and bright, leafy and almost mesmerizing. Orange trees line the streets and sunlight reflects off warm stone. You’ll catch glimpses of flamenco in the streets, where performers bring its energy to life. That same spirit—passionate, expressive, and full of movement—feels woven into Seville itself. Add in Seville’s tapas culture, where meals become a series of fun culinary experiences, and it’s easy to see why this city feels so alive. With a population of around 700,000,… Read More »Seville, Spain: A 2-Day Itinerary + Complete Guide to What to See and Do

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