by Wendy
follow me on twitter @wendylooksleaps
Interested in taking a day trip from London to another part of the country? Consider Dover. We had a brilliant time in this southeastern city on the coast of the English Channel. Continue reading
Category Archives: Leaps (travel-related stories)
Shower Power
by Wendy
We interrupt this (semi) regular blog for an important announcement about showers in hotel bathrooms overseas.
I should know the drill by now. But I get distracted and forget that certain steps have to be taken to adapt. After one careless shower in an Iceland hotel that left me using almost every towel to mop up water on the flooded floor, I was more cautious and did not run into any other problems. Continue reading
Iceland, really?!
by Cindy
Iceland, really?! This was my response when my daughter and son in law asked her Dad and me to join them on a trip to Iceland.
I have been to places with beautiful sounding names – places like the Caribbean, Hawaii, Tahiti. But the Land of Ice? Really? I had to ponder this for awhile. Continue reading
Iceland Hotels
by Joe
Iceland has a number of very diverse options for finding a suitable place to lay your head at the end of the day. For a country about the size of the state of Kentucky in square miles but only about 8% of the population, it has many new, old, expensive, B&B, and hostel type hotels. Although there is a wide price range, be prepared to pay more than you would in the USA. There appears to be new ones being built all over the areas we visited which is probably due to the large increase in tourism in recent years. I don’t recall seeing the traditional US chains but I do recall seeing a Hilton listed once when we were researching places to stay. There are other chains that are Iceland based: Icelandair Hotels, Fosshotels, Center Hotels, Keahotels.
My daughter Wendy, her husband Jack, my wife Cindy and me spent 6 days and nights in Iceland recently. We stayed in several areas: by the airport, in Reykjavik, in the southeastern part of the island as well as by the Thingvellir National Park. Although there are many “budget” options available they are limited in facilities and creature comforts. There also appears to be a great camping community at most of the major attractions we visited. We saw many backpackers, campers, hikers and people making their way via bicycles. Continue reading
Random Iceland Tips from Jack and Wendy
by Jack and Wendy
Iceland is such a popular destination right now. Flip through a travel magazine and you will likely see an article on the country. There are decent deals and free stopover options on Icelandair and WOW. We just missed running into several acquaintances who were visiting in the weeks prior or after our trip. There is a lot of information available if you’re planning to go to Iceland, but we are here to offer a few hopefully helpful tips from our perspective. Continue reading
Kids and Travel Memories
by Sunny
follow me on Twitter @Sunnylooksleaps
So many times, I wonder how many travel memories stick with my 7 year old. She’s been traveling since she was 6 months, and I know that many of those early memories she only remembers through pictures. But every once in a while, she will surprise me by recalling a past travel memory that has stuck with her. Recently, she recalled a favorite travel memory during Social Studies class. The second grade was studying communities and on this day, markets in particular. The assignment was to draw a picture of a market and write about it. And though MJ remembers it being in “Sam” Francisco, Pike Place Market is what she chose to draw and write about. (In her defense, we visited Seattle and San Francisco during the same vacation.)
Love for St. Louis
by Sunny
follow me on Twitter @Sunnylooksleaps
Although I’ve never called this city home, there is something about being in St. Louis that feels close to home. Is it the fact that my beloved Cardinals are there? The fact that it is also a Midwestern city? Maybe because it is in driving distance of my own hometown? Enjoy this photo essay showing the many reasons I love St. Louis.
What’s the Fuss about a Foss?
by Wendy
follow me on twitter @wendylooksleaps
It is our first full day in Iceland, and we are going to see a waterfall (“foss” in Icelandic). Continue reading
Travel Fails
by Sunny
follow me on Twitter @Sunnylooksleaps
Let me start by saying that most of our travels are pretty awesome if not very awesome. But every once in a while you get thrown for a loop and encounter a doozy of a fail that will be a standard in your travel story repertoire for years to come. Here are two of mine.
Post-trip Packing Post: Iceland/England
by Wendy
Packing for this recent trip was a challenge, as we traveled to two very different destinations.
Iceland: mostly outdoor activities. Even though we were going in summer, nearly everything we read cautioned us to be prepared for any type of weather. Basic hiking gear was a necessity.
England: we would be in London most of the time, with a day trip to Dover that included quite a bit of walking. Always good to be prepared for rain in England. Though London is a style capital, anything other than comfortable shoes would be pointless. We weren’t planning any formal activities but wanted to dress appropriately for tour and tea in Parliament.
Right. Here is my list and a few notes on how I organized everything. Continue reading