Tips and tricks – Page 2 – Other states, other lives, other souls

Traveling alone while female: I couldn’t have said it better (warning: bait and switch)

January 5, 2019

BAIT I have not traveled solo very much except for times related to work: many times in Bangkok for the weekend before or after work in Cambodia; once for a week going to Dalat, Vietnam from Cambodia for a brief return stint; once going in and out of Sierra Leone for my Masters in Public … More Traveling alone while female: I couldn’t have said it better (warning: bait and switch)

Death Valley: A cheap, inspiring, nostalgic winter getaway

November 30, 2018

Unless you are a hundred miler with a strong heart, do not visit Death Valley in the summer! This amazing national park is best visited in late fall, midwinter or early spring. I have visited twice—once in February and more recently around Thanksgiving. What makes it inexpensive is that you can take advantage of cheap flights … More Death Valley: A cheap, inspiring, nostalgic winter getaway

To (AirBn)B or Not to (AirBn)B- that is the question

July 27, 2018

When you travel, where do you like to lodge? Hotel, motel, Bed and Breakfast, or Airbnb/VRBO? Since they came into existence we have stayed in quite a few Airbnb’s. I also have 3 friends who run Airbnb’s; two in Minneapolis and one in Brooklyn. They can be much more profitable than a straight rental. I … More To (AirBn)B or Not to (AirBn)B- that is the question

Visiting an Urban Homestead

May 19, 2018

Have you noticed that there is a second (or third or fourth) back-to-the-land movement among young people? While most young people are leaving their family’s farm and small town in droves, some urbanites are leaving big cities and establishing organic and more or less self-sufficient outposts in smaller towns and rural areas, living out their … More Visiting an Urban Homestead

Biking New Orleans

March 30, 2018

Before leaving Minneapolis a friend who had been there said she had taken a bike tour in New Orleans and it was fun. We brought our road bikes on this monthlong trip down the Mississippi River, along with our kayaks. We booked an AirB&B in the Lake View neighborhood, which is near Lake Ponchartrain and … More Biking New Orleans

Dressing for below zero: Superbowl visitors take note!

January 1, 2018

In Minnesota winters, we have a mix of three elements: snow, sun, and cold. We don’t get all three together very much. If there is fresh snow, it may be cloudy, grey and not too cold. If there is not much snow, it may be not too cold and bleak skies. If it’s below zero, … More Dressing for below zero: Superbowl visitors take note!

Winter Solstice: Traveling back in time

December 25, 2017

This is the script for a winter solstice celebration we have held for the last dozen years or so for friends and family. We travel back in time to share the fear, wonder and hope that our ancesters felt witnessing the hours of warming sun shrink until its nadir in the northern hemisphere Dec. 21. … More Winter Solstice: Traveling back in time

Getting More Out of Your Visit to Vietnam

October 14, 2017

Have you wanted to visit Vietnam? Have some of your friends already visited Vietnam and commented how beautiful it is? Yes it is! And more. I have visited three times and my husband, five times. If you are an American and under 60, you may not know how complicated our relationship with Vietnam has … More Getting More Out of Your Visit to Vietnam

Dalat, Vietnam: The Niagara Falls of Vietnam, and a breath of fresh air for tourists

September 1, 2017

The first time my husband and I went to Vietnam, he found a travel agent working through an agency near Hanoi run by Vietnamese nationals. Unlike many low resource countries, Vietnam, having fought many wars against colonialists and won, has developed a tourism industry that is run by and employs nationals. Our guide Thanh was … More Dalat, Vietnam: The Niagara Falls of Vietnam, and a breath of fresh air for tourists

I Can Do It By Myself!*

May 19, 2017

Quechua woman selling at the Pisac market in Peru … More I Can Do It By Myself!*

Other states, other lives, other souls

A Traveler's Journal and Tips for the Adventurous

Category: Tips and tricks