Estimated travel budgets for Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and more. Plus links to destination guides.
I sat on my couch a few days ago, drinking my coffee, and reading some of my old posts about traveling. It made me miss the days when I just picked up whenever I wanted and took off. Which I did. A lot. I can't necessarily pack a small bag and take a 10 hour road trip anymore, but who's to say I can't pack up my daughter, some spare diapers, toys, sippies, and snacks and take some day trips? I was feeling antsy pantsy for an adventure, just on a smaller scale and within an hour or so from home. So... Estes Park was the place to be! The drive up the mountains, with all it's twists and turns along the Big Thompson River, is one of the most beautiful drives I've ever taken in my life. I say that very confidently. There is absolutely nothing like driving up a mountain. And of course I made a playlist: Heartless Bastards - The Mountain Semisonic - Across The Great Divide The Butthole Surfers - Pepper Jane's Addiction - Mountain Song Ozzy Osbourne - Rocky Mountain Way Led Zeppelin - Misty Mountain Hop Yonder Mountain String Band - 40 Miles From Denver John Denver - Rocky Mountain High Johnny Cash - Your Wild Colorado Townes Van Zandt - Colorado Girl Chevy Chase - Colorado There is a break in the mountain tops right as you pull into the 7,500 foot high valley of Estes Park and the view coming around the corner is enough to knock you off your feet. Our first stop was the Aerial Tramway. This was my view stepping off the bottom platform into our little red hanging bucket which was about to send me up Prospect Mountain by these 2 tiny wires. I was a bit nervous and just wanted to be at the top already. And once you got up there!... The View!!! The View!! THE VIEW!!! You could even see glimpses of the Olympus Dam If you bribed them with peanuts, the chipmunks would walk up to you and take their lunch right from your hand! This made Kalynn wild with excitement, "Chip and Dale, Mommy!! I see 'em!!" Coming back down the mountain was just as shady as going up, honestly. An experience to remember for sure. This is Kalynn's "Red Rum" finger... And speaking of red rum... Of course we had to make a stop at the historic Stanley Hotel. The Stanley was built in 1909 by Freelan Oscar Stanley (of Stanley Steamers) and catered to all the rich and famous Hollywood personalities from way back when. But it's mainly best known for the inspiration behind the fictional Overlook Hotel in Steven King's novel The Shining. The Stanley Hotel is supposedly one of Colorado's most haunted places and has been on multiple television shows promoting it's unexplainable Ballroom phenomenas. I've never taken any of the "ghost tours" nor have I stayed there overnight, but it's on my Colorado Bucket List and I plan on it someday soon! This is the view of the waterfall and restaurant out the back window. Of course I had to sneak upstairs and get a picture of room 217! I packed a picnic lunch for us right before we left the house, so we sat on the front lawns, ate our sandwiches and enjoyed a panoramic view of the Rocky Mountains. Our yogurt was mysteriously missing from the cooler, so I'm assuming one of the ghosties must be a fan of Yoplait. When I was a kid visiting The Stanley, I remember walking off the grounds and down the dirt road a ways to see the fictional pet cemetery which was made after Steven King's novel Pet Cemetery became a movie. I was please to see that it was still there after all these years! It was a bit more run down than I remember, and it's not something most people probably know about, so it was kind of cool to sneak around the side, down the "staff only" driveway and go check it out. After our time at The Stanley, we headed downtown to the local shops and ran into a playground which sat directly on the ledge of the Big Thompson River! Clearly, you can't go to Estes without stopping at the homemade fudge shop. Our last stop before heading home was a little picnic table at the end of Elkhorn Ave perfect for eating cookies. The red rock mountains with the sunset's orange color beaming off of them was the perfect view for our ride home. Kalynn and I had such a fun day, I think we have many more mini trips to plan in our future!
While famous as a luxury destination, you can travel the Galapagos Islands on a budget and without a cruise (or a budget Galapagos cruise). Learn how to do it.
Most people don't realize that Rainbow Mountain in Peru was virtually undiscovered until 2015 and it only started accepting day tours in 2016. It is hard
16 Places You Have to See in Ecuador From my section “Places you Have to See” I would like to present to you Places You Have to See in Ecuador.…
2021 Updated list of the best gifts and souvenirs from Peru to bring home to your loved ones. Stuff your suitcase with these unique Peruvian items.
Potosi is one of the highest cities in the world. Formerly one the the richest due to the mining of silver under Spanish rule, tourists now visit the town to take tours into the mines of Cerro Rico. But there is more to Potosi.
Since our oldest, Bergen, was a wee baby, we have been taking family trips to Hayden Lake, Idaho every summer. For Slaed, it’s been since his freshman year of college! We are lucky to have a good friends with a lake house who allow us to stay and live the lake life for a long weekend. We often fall into the same routines. We relax on the porch, play on the dock, take boat rides around the lake, and eat delicious home-cooked meals together. This past month we still did all of the above, but in order to spread our wings a bit, and get to know the area more, we added to our usual activities. To give some context to our adventure, here’s our short and sweet accommodations itinerary: Days 1, 2 & 3: Lake House with friends on Hayden Lake Days 4 & 5: Triple Play Resort Hotel […]
How is it to live in an off the beaten path small town in northern Patagonia? Dealing with the weather and using a wood burning stove to heat a house, these is how I spent two weeks in Coyhaique, in the Chilean Patagonia.
Multnomah Falls near Portland, Oregon For some tips on what to do in Portland: bit.ly/bestofpdx Please follow my travel adventures on: Instagram - @rtwgirl_, my Blog, Twitter or Facebook.
Each state across the country has a small town that's worth a visit. Can you guess exactly which ones?
Home to some of the best outdoors experiences in the world, Chile offers up amazing travel experiences. Here's our 11 favourite things to do in Chile.
Brilliantly colored buildings, breathtaking lookouts, old funiculars and some of South America’s finest street art all pouring down steep hills towards a busy sea port and a secluded natural harbour. When we heard this description of Valparaiso, we knew we had to go. It even has a cool nickname: “Valpo“. At this point we’d been ... Read more
Visiting Ecuador? Don't miss all the must eat street food in Quito! With llapingacho, locro, and more, empanadas are just the start!
Traveling to Chile and can't decide if you want to spend some time in Santiago? Check out these 6 things to do in Santiago, Chile during a short stay.
My 11 essential Holland America tips and tricks for cruisers looking to get the most out of cruising with this line. Based on a decade of cruise experience
Tired of summer's unrelenting heat, we booked a Holland America cruise to Alaska. Here's our Holland America Alaska Cruise review.
2024 Update: Only in Lima for a short amount of time and looking for something to do? Discover the 10 Best Things To Do in Lima in one day!
The TSA is looking out for some seemingly innocent behaviors in determining who gets searched in the airport-security line.
A guide on the fascinating things to see along the dinosaur trail in Alberta, including the best lookout spots and the famous hoodoos.
Plan the perfect Costa Rican vacation! Beaches, Wildlife, Rainforests, Cloud Forests, Local Food, Cultural Tips and more.
Back in 2014, I spent 3 months backpacking around South America. One of the countries I visited was Bolivia and I knew well in advance of the trip that I'd
You know what TO do in Peru, but what about things you should NOT do? Is Cuzco safe for visitors? See my practical tips and advice.
Things to See in the Sacred Valley The high altitude in Cusco and the Sacred Valley will require more time to properly explore the things to do in the
Bolivia is one of those under-rated South American gems to visit. This is especially true with all the best places in Bolivia to visit that are stunning. - 10 Best Places In Bolivia To Visit - Travel, Travel Inspiration - Bolivia, South America - Travel, Food and Home Inspiration Blog with door-to-door Travel Planner! - Travel Advice, Travel Inspiration, Home Inspiration, Food Inspiration, Recipes, Photography
These 10 fall destinations are great if you are planning an upcoming trip. All of these places are located in the northeast, are affordable, and most importantly, beautiful.
If nothing is done, the world could lose some of its most treasured landmarks and monuments.
Hiking the Inca Trail in Peru is both challenging and rewarding. Here’s a day-by-day look at our experience on the 4 day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu.
Getting around Patagonia can be daunting, especially with border crossings between Chile and Argentina. If you're exploring Torres del Paine near Punta Arenas, Chile and want to combine it with a trip to Ushuaia, Argentina at the end of the world, take the bus. Sometimes it's not where you go but ho
{:en}19 best things to do in Rio de Janeiro. Check my guide and read the amazing things I was able to do in Rio de Janeiro during the 10 days I visited the city{:}{:es}Hay muchas cosas que hacer en Rio de Janeiro, la ciudad más bella y visitada de Brasil. La Ciudad Maravillosa fascina a millones de turistas.{:}
Paracas Peru and the Islas Ballestas are a must see on your Peruvian itinerary. I share 10 important things that no one tells you about travel to Paracas.
They say it sometimes takes leaving your home country to fully appreciate it. This saying couldn't be truer for our tour guide and one of the founders of foodTrip Chile, José Miguel Domínguez. As my friend, Natasha, and I began our Santiago food tour, we learned quickly just how well traveled José was. Having lived everywhere...
Brazil is a massive country that requires a fair amount of dedication to travel completely. Personally, I spent 3 months in the country and felt like I could have spent a year exploring each nook and cranny. I would like to say that I hit nearly every major spot in the country during my exploration, but that isn’t to say that I couldn’t have visited more places. I have included below a number of travel itineraries that I recommend for […]
Cusco, the gateway to Machu Picchu hikes in Peru but also home to Spanish schools, a market, the planetarium, chilled out cafes, nice eateries but with over 100 hostels in Cusco how do you choose? Here are our best Cusco hostels guide from the party magnet to shut-eye central, dorms…
Discover the sugar shacks of Canada at one of these 5 best sugar shack experiences. From Montreal to Quebec City, these sugar shacks will delight and enthrall you while in Quebec. . Take a tip and you'll find yourself in Candian maple syrup heaven.
