For the past 10 years, I’ve planned trips that I’ve taken with friends, family, and--most often--my trusty travel partner aka husband. I’m one of those people who enjoys reading up on all the best places to visit (I like knowing we’re seeing things that are worth our time), and then mapping out how how we can see all of the best places—while still having a relaxing vacation. We currently live in New York City and previously lived in Boston. We know these cities well and have hosted dozens of friends and family. Over the years, I’ve been asked to share my trip plans with friends, who have shared them with their friends, and friends of friends. Now I’m sharing them with you.
My trip philosophy is: Explore on foot by day. Relax with a glass of wine in the afternoon.
Here’s what an ideal vacation day looks like for me: Wake up in a place that feels like home, where I can putter over a cup of coffee (accordingly, we almost exclusively rent apartments on Airbnb or VRBO). Then, head out to explore a new area on foot. My husband and I spend most days inside with a computer, so it’s important to us to be away from that when we’re on vacation. This usually means taking a morning run and then walking around (in cities) or taking a day-long hike. I’d rather skip a site that is a bus-ride away if it means we can spend more time traversing. In mid-late afternoon, commence the downtime: wine, cooking, sitting on a deck, etc. So, if you are a person who likes to explore new places on foot and then relax over a glass of wine, I think you will like these trips too.
Destination races are a great way to see a new place and earn vacation indulgences.
Since we like vacations that are a balance of being active and relaxation, my husband and I have set a life goal to run a half marathon in every state. Insert bulgy eye emoji. Before you write this off as something crazy, just know this: as a result, we’ve traveled to dozens of cities to run a race and planned weekends around those races. Whether or not you run marathons or are considering a 5k, we highly recommend destination races. They are a great way to see a new place, and you definitely earn your vacation meal indulgences after. Thinking about running your first half-marathon or visiting a new city? Check out the races we've done and see if any inspiration hits.
Here are the five things you will find most helpful about my posts.
I’ve actually done all of these trips and races. These are not computer generated itineraries based on an algorithm. These are things I’ve planned, done, and then amended based on what we thought.
I’ve scheduled and mapped out how to do the top things. It’s great to read all about what are the top things to do, but if you’re like me, you want to know how to fit it all in efficiently and in a way that won’t burn you out. To that end, I provide hourly schedules so you can easily pull up the mobile view on your phone and see exactly what’s nearby and where to head next.
I keep it short. While I like reading fun facts and history as much as the next person, I also like being able to see the big picture. I try to keep the schedule as succinct as possible but add in links if you’re inspired to learn more.
I tell you how much we paid. Like most people, I am not made of money. (Actually the real reason I am cost-conscious is that my husband is a neurotic budgeter, so I have to tell him how much he can expect to see hit the travel budget.) Joking aside, you probably want to know ahead of time what you can expect so you can enjoy the trip and not fret about it the entire time..
Finally, I’m always going to new places. We love to travel and make it a priority to go new places whenever we can. I am always planning trips and adding new posts.
Happy voyages!
Katie
voyage | voi-ij |
NOUN a course of travel or passage, especially a long journey by water to a distant place; a passage through air or space, as a flight in an airplane; a journey or expedition from one place to another by land.
ORIGIN Middle English (as a noun denoting a journey): from Old French voiage, from Latin viaticum ‘provisions for a journey’ (in late Latin ‘journey’).