A Winemakers Tale: Alexandrine Roy, Winemaker for Phelps Creek Vineyards & Domaine Marc Roy
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are two of my favorite summer wines. This summer I discovered two new favorites from Phelps Creek Vineyards in the Oregon wine country. I recently had the privilege to interview its winemaker, Alexandrine Roy who brings a bit of old world to...
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A search for THE best laptop backpack for tech gear. Review: STM Impulse Laptop Backpack
I love bags. A bit to much to be honest. The Husband has at times called me the ‘The Bag Lady’ and frequently encourages me to sell my collection. It’s not that I’m obsessed with bags, but rather I’m...
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Exploring Oregon Wine Country
Planning a trip to Oregon Wine Country? A starting guide for planning your visit filled with tips on where to go and what to see.
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New Orleans Cemetery Tour (photo and history tour)
Visiting a cemetery isn’t something I typically seek out for fun, not even on Halloween. Which explains why I had yet to visit a New Orleans cemetery until our recent trek back to the Big Easy. It wasn’t so...
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The Peabody Hotel Ducks
Walking into a hotel lobby and finding ducks wadding around in the fountain might be cause for concern, but not at The Peabody Hotel in Memphis. Oh no, The Peabody welcomes wild ducks into its lobby and even provides...
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Things to do with Kids in Denver: The Denver Puppet Theater
I had big plans this summer. Plans that included trying two new places every week with the Princesses. Two weekly adventures we had not yet experienced in Denver. Essentially, checking off things to do with kids in Denver on...
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Things to Know About WiFi on Planes & a Review of Gogo
For many travelers, especially frequent business travelers, having WiFi on planes is not their cup of tea. It’s simply the only time they can really disconnect. I understand and can appreciate that, but for me, and many other travelers,...
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Things to do in Memphis: Visiting Graceland
If you’re in Memphis, visiting Graceland is a must! Or is was for me. I’m not a die hard Elvis fan, but come on it’s Elvis. Thirty-six years after his passing he’s still regarded as one of the most...
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Making Your Travels Count For The Kids At St. Jude
Travel can open your eyes to the world in so many ways. Last week I met a little boy suffering from a rare eye cancer who opened mine a little more… During the first week of Sept., which marks...
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An Interview with Fat Tire Bike Tours Berlin
Last month The Husband had a last minute trip to Berlin, too last minute for me to tag along. Besides being bummed that I couldn’t go, I knew he would more than likely make the trip without seeing much...
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Taking the wrong taxi in Rio almost cost us more than extra cab fare: Tips on taking a taxi in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro was in the Top 10 on my “Make it Happen” list so when my good friend asked me to be in her wedding in Brazil I happily accepted. The Husband and I had planned to fly...
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Things to do in Denver: A Day in Washington Park Denver
We weren’t lost according to The Husband (then boyfriend) but we had no idea where we were. And that blue dot on the map on my iPhone that now saves the day had yet to be invented. To top...
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Interview with a Winemaker, Austin Home of Hope Family Wines
A Spotlight on Wineries in Paso Robles With Austin Hope of Hope Family Wines Earlier this year I spent some time exploring several wineries in Paso Robles, where I discovered many new wines and totally fell for the region...
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The Piemonte Wine Trail: Barbaresco Wine Tasting in Neviglie
Happy Wine Wednesday! We’re in for a treat this week with a guest post from Valerie Quintanilla, one of Italy’s newest expats, living her dream in Piemonte, Italy and sharing her wine tales at GirlsGottaDrink. Her recent wine adventures...
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Five Reasons Why High Sierra Music Festival is One of the Top Family Friendly Music Festivals
Earlier this week we shared a few of the top family friendly summer music festivals from around the world. But what about from the good old USA? My friend and summer music festival extraordinaire, Gianna Brasil-Ross has been on a quest...
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Best Family Friendly Music Festivals Around The World
It’s summer and music is in the air, literally. I can’t tell you how many summer music festivals there are every weekend here in Colorado and they have turned out to be some of the most fun events to...
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On the Piemonte Wine Trail: Stella Giuseppe
Happy Wine Wednesday! We’re in for a treat this week with a guest post from Valerie Quintanilla, one of Italy’s newest expats, living her dream in Piemonte, Italy and sharing her wine tales at GirlsGottaDrink. Her recent wine adventures...
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Travel Inspiration Series: What Inspired Me To Travel? Failure. (Guest post by Lena Rae Desmond))
Last month when I was in Canada I had the privilege to meet and get to know Lena Rae Desmond, a short fiction writer AND travel writer at Wherearemyheels.com; she also authored my FAVORITE blog post, date a boy...
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The American Flag: Photo Essay Celebrating Independence Day
Every morning for 10 years I stood in front of a desk saluting a flag, reciting a sentence etched in my memory. It was something the school did to begin the day. Something I did every morning without thinking;...
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Best Vacations With Kids That Parents Will Also Enjoy
Summer can be exhasting with the kids home for three months, or at least it is for me. But as the Princesses have gotten older summer time holds a lot more activities we can ALL enjoy. Which is why...
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Sometimes a Souvenir Can Be Much More Than Just a Souvenir
It wasn’t just any courtroom. It was a Russian courtroom, in Chita, Siberia – The City of Exiles. The famed city in Russia where prominent intellectuals, including the Decembrist and many more were exiled. A “closed city” that foreigners...
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Paso Robles Wine in Pictures
Ten years ago the Paso Robles wine region was home to only 35 wineries, that number has since grown to more than 200. As Matthew Liberty noted in a guest post for Carpe Travel, Paso Robles is not so...
Read moreTravel Inspiration Series: Making it Happen
This weeks dose of travel inspiration comes from my friend, Valerie Quintanilla, who has contributed quite a few posts here on Carpe Travel regarding her wine travels and traveling to Italy. Her tale today though is about taking the...
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Travel Inspiration: The more people who travel, the better the world would be.
My kids teach me a lot. Sometimes I think they teach me more than I will ever be able to teach them…especially when it comes to life. Children don’t filter themselves, their thoughts or what they loudly blurt out...
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Travel Inspiration Series: Find Inspiration – Not Fear!
This week’s does of travel inspiration is brought to us by the fun and witty Megan Claire. She is an Australian Journalist who has been traveling and blogging around the world for the last seven years. Make sure to...
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Travel Inspiration Series: Vanessa Chiasson at TurnipseedTravel
This weeks dose of travel inspiration is from Vanessa Chiasson over at TurnipseedTravel.com. She is a freelance writer in Ottawa and shares great travel advice on how to get the absolute most for your hard earned dollars – where...
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Aspiring to Inspire You to Make Your Travel Dreams Reality (and telling cancer to f-off)
This post has nothing to do with travel, yet it has everything to do with travel. Mondays are usually the dreaded day of the week. The one we reluctantly start. The one where the emails in the morning require...
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Vacation Unplugged: How to unplug and enjoy your vacation
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” If you’re one of the ‘50% of U.S. travelers expected to leave unused vacation days on the table this year’ I’m talking to you. When I was working in...
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Nine Things to do in London with Kids
I have yet to visit London but it’s on the list. So I was excited to have Laura Abrar offer to share her list of things to do in London with kids as a guest a post. Do let us...
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Proudest Travel Accomplishment: A scared little girl taught me that we can conquer the world
I was recently asked what my proudest accomplishment was that I achieved while traveling. I had never really thought about that. My first thought, getting over my fears and just traveling. I mean, that’s pretty big, right? But when...
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Being in the right place at the right time = an unforgettable day of Montalcino wine tasting at Caparzo
One of the more interesting parts of traveling and exploring a new area is getting lost. And that’s a pretty easy for me, especially in Italy. But while this little tale starts off with dead ends at every where,...
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An Ode to The Little White House…Sometimes coming “home” is the best part of traveling
Today I said goodbye to my “first love”. No, not the guy in the photo. He’s stuck with me “until death do us part”. Rather the little white house in the background. The place that taught me what home...
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10 Tips on How to Get Great Service When Traveling
Ever wonder why that guy got the upgrade to First Class and you didn’t? Or why you always seem to get a hotel room next to the elevator? Sometimes there are reasons, but there is always a way you...
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Things to do in New Orleans (where to eat, drink and listen to music)
New Orleans has become somewhat of my second home, at least in my heart. It was on my first visit to New Orleans more than a decade ago (that makes me sound sooo old!) when I realized I HAD...
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Paso Robles Wineries, What’s All the Hype About?
As I started my research for an upcoming wine tasting trip to Paso Robles I discovered Matthew Liberty and his Paso Robles wine and food blog, HootnAnnieBlog. The site is filled with great insider tips for people who travel to...
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Guest Post: Things to do in Salt Lake City
Guest Post by travel addict and regular contributor, Shell R. Interested in guest blogging? Let us know. Salt Lake City for a week? Oh, the options are endless, really. Here are a few the things to do in Salt...
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Literally stuck on the side of a mountain with no where to go but up…
Sometimes the worst decisions make for the best stories…such as driving from Telluride to Ouray over Imogene Pass during my past life, the one before kids. Telluride to Ouray Sitting in the hostel in Telluride, CO The Husband (really...
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10 Life Lessons Learned in a Bounce House
I used to love bounce houses when I was a kid so it comes as no surprise to me that the Princesses are in heaven when they have the opportunity to enter one. As a parent, I’m a bit...
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Visiting a Russian Banya
I had all but forgotten about the oak tree my grandmother told me about when I was a kid…the one her parents would pull a “switch” from when she or one of her siblings were misbehaving. That is until...
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10 Travel Safety Tips For Kids
If you are a parent or someone responsible for looking out for little people then you know the fear I’m about to describe. The one when you are at the store, you turn around to look at something for...
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Travels in Siberia (Chita Russia). In the winter. By myself. (Gulp…)
On Sunday it will be exactly a year ago when I stepped out of the car at DIA, kissed Princess One and The Husband goodbye. As I watched them driveway, it hit me. I’m traveling to Siberia (Chita Russia)…by...
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Christmas in Moscow!
Since we weren’t really allowed to post photos this time last year from our trips to Moscow, I thought it was timely and appropriate to share a few holiday photos now. Christmas in Moscow is cold – and beautiful....
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Road Trip? A Few Driving Safety Tips to Remember
If you are one of the 84.4 million motorists are expected to travel during the Christmas holiday listen up! Share the Road, a highway safety outreach program of the American Trucking Associations released a few driving safety tips to...
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Plan family vacation based on family’s travel styles…and shoes?
Christmas vacation is right around the corner, and Spring Break is just a few months away meaning it’s time to start mapping out and plan family vacation. Every family is different though, so when I was sent the following...
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When in Russia…what to wear?
I talk to a lot of families before they travel to Russia and there is one question I get time and time again that always makes me smile, “what do Russians wear in the winter”? “What should I pack?”...
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Travel to Piedmont Italy: Champagne Sabering – with a wine glass!
On my travels in Piedmont travel my tour guides with Travel Langhe took us to lunch in the Barolo town of Serralunga d’Alba. We were greeted at Centro Storico by the restaurant’s lively proprietor, Alessio. Armed with nothing more than a bottle of champagne and...
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Travel Product Review: The Space Bags (video)
I’ve had to become a much more efficient packer since I’m always the one who seems to be sharing a suite case with BOTH Princesses. When packing for THREE people in ONE small, carry on bag for a four+...
Read moreItalian Wine Merchants Redux: Wine Tasting New York City
Our frequent readers (thank you!) may recall a post I did last year about a trip to New York City that included a stop at Italian Wine Merchants (IWM). I was on a hunt for a New York City wine...
Read moreThe Encounter with TSA Flight Rules: Being Kicked Off a Flight by TSA
On a trip to Russia The Husband and I boarded our United flight, settled into our seats and took a deep breath. We were on our way. Or so we thought… When you’re flying into Moscow from the US...
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What To Do In Boston: City Tour is a MUST
By Barbara Nunn, guest blogger We got a late start the next morning, but enjoyed a tour of the city. I highly recommend this in any city as you get to see things you would otherwise miss and you...
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