No Back Home - Family Travel Blog

23/08/2024

This post was brought to my attention today so I decided to re-read it. Wow! What a journey Cian and I have been on these past 13 years.

So thankful and grateful every single day that we took the chance to hike the John Muir Trail.

So proud of this article and our accomplishments.

Hiking the John Muir Trail (JMT) with my 11 year old was challenging and enlightening on many levels. You never know what you will learn from your kids!

22/08/2024

If you have been here a while, you know that visiting Christmas Markets in Europe is our favorite winter trip. Now is the time to start considering your trip.. we are thinking of a late December visit this year to some regions we have still not visited! In thinking about that, I wrote up this quick post on mistakes first time visitors make....

Visiting German Christmas Markets is one of the best holiday traditions - but read on for our top 5 mistakes to avoid when visiting this year!

19/08/2024

Just returned from a week backpacking trip in Kings Canyon National Park. We had done portions of this backpacking trip as day hikes and on the JMT, but it was nice to put it all together.

Turned out we were returning on the EXACT same days we did it 2 years ago! And even crazier.. we ran into 2 guys who we also saw on that same stretch 2 years ago. What a wild world.

Anyway, check it out, bookmark this and if you have time this season, there are still lots of walk up permits available since many people didn't know it was open!

Backpacking the Rae Lakes Loop in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI) is one of the best multi-day backpacking trips you can do in California. This is an awesome and challenging backpacking route – perfect for backpackers looking for a 4 or 5 day summer backpacking trip in California. The...

09/07/2024

For all my blogger friends out here.. the guys who maintain my website (and who designed it) are having a flash sale on updating your Core Web Vitals... Don't miss this opportunity!!

06/06/2024

It’s been 2 years but still one of the most unique stays we have had!

18/03/2024

Our first landing on the Antarctic continent! 🇦🇶

All week we have been sailing around to different islands off the coast of the continent but today we finally stepped foot on it!

What a remarkable feeling to be one of only a fraction of the worlds population to have stepped foot on this remote continent.

We have had more insane adventures - zodiac cruising around Pleneau Bay with at least 12 humpback whales surrounding us, providing surround sound echos of their blows. Insane.

As we stepped foot on the continent today we witnessed avalanches and the calving of glaciers that created small tsunamis along the shore.

We even were photo bombed by a gentoo penguin as we set up our tripod to take some photos 🤣

And of course, we couldn’t miss out on the opportunity to jump into the frigidly cold ice water to say we had done it! I plunged and Cian was ‘dipped’ by the staff since he wasn’t quite allowed to plunge yet!

More to come… (trying to post this video, but WiFi isn’t so strong..)

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04/03/2024

We have returned from a week in El Salvador and I'm in love! I have always loved Central America, with Guatemala being one of my favorite destinations. In all my years of travel however it was never "safe" enough to visit El Salvador.

If you don't know much about politics, they have a president (who is of Palestinian origin!) who has really cracked down on gang violence in the country. Many point to his crackdowns and say that there are a lot of human rights abuses going on.. which perhaps there are. I don't know enough to say.

But what I do know is that the country is much much safer than it has been in years. Salvadorans are returning, building homes, Airbnbs, bringing their business here, etc. And with that comes more tourists!

We had a great time in the short week we were there. This post is a bit different than my normal - I didn't write it for Google.. I wrote it to share with you all what we did, where we ate, and what we would do differently next time. And i sure hope there is a next time because there is still so much I have on my to do list and a ton more pupusas to eat.

Looking for the perfect one week itinerary in El Salvador with kids? Here we share with where to stay, what to do and what we would do differently!

29/02/2024

Current view.. hiking a volcano while looking at a volcano.

06/02/2024

Bucket list ✅

Seeing the Northern Lights has been on my bucket list for decades. I’ve tried a few times in Iceland with no luck and have seen it from the airplane window, but never from the ground.

Until (pronounced mourn-E-O). This is where I needed to be!

Located well above the Arctic Circle and offering clear skies more often than not this is the prime destination for spotting Northern Lights.

When our app said we were in the orange zone, we popped out in -33 degree centigrade and saw some of the most beautiful and bright lights ever. One night they were so bright I was even able to share the view with Cian through FaceTime!

Tip- don’t touch a tripod without gloves on! I got a little spot of frostbite when my finger got caught between the tripod legs and my palm felt like it was on fire! Lesson learned for this Texas/SoCal girl!!

Even with this little souvenir, I’m obsessed. I cannot wait for the opportunity to get back to see more!

Is seeing the Northern Lights on your bucket list? Or have you already been lucky enough to see them?

05/02/2024

Are you looking to book a hotel sometime soon?

Please consider reaching out to me and letting me book for you!

I have been a ‘certified’ travel agent for a while now, but haven’t put much effort into promoting myself. But I am now 🙂

In order to move up to the advanced training level, I need to make 5 hotel bookings, so if you have anything coming up, I’d love to book it for you!

⁉️Why book through an agent?

Did you know that when you book through Expedia or other similar sites, you are technically booking through ‘online travel agents’ and they receive a commission for your booking.

However, hotels look at these bookings as ‘economy’ bookings and do not often consider those guests for upgrades or other hotel perks.

Booking through a travel advisor helps an individual (like me!) make an income AND allows you to get the rewards of upgrades, late checkouts etc!

So.. what do you have coming up? Spring break? Weekend getaway? Hit me up!

Thank you for considering me for your next hotel or trip booking. 😘

31/01/2024

Have you dreamed of visiting Lapland, but not sure what else there is to do besides see Santa? I'm here to share that there is a whole vast land outside of Santa's Village, with a multitude of extremely cool bucket list experiences waiting for you.

The challenge is to lure yourself away from the busy tourist town of Rovaniemi and check out some of the other areas of Lapland. We recommend Kemi, just one train stop before Rovaniemi and Muonio in the far north as two very different vibes, but both with unique experiences that will leave you breathless.

WIthout further ado.. our top things to do in Lapland Finland.
Visit Kemi Discover Muonio, Lapland

Dreaming of a trip to Finland in winter? We have you covered with the top things to do in Lapland Finland that you will absolutely LOVE!

29/01/2024

Several people have asked for details on my recent trip to Finland. One of my absolute favorite places was in Muonio about 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. It is here that I discovered a true love of winter while learning how to survive -36 degrees and a touch of frostbite!

If you are looking for a one stop destination that has all the things Lapland is famous for, this is where you need to go.

Northern Lights ✔️
Husky Sledding ✔️
Reindeer Adventures ✔️
Sauna with ice bath ✔️
Snowmobiling ✔️
Snowshoeing ✔️

An all-inclusive resort means you pay, arrive and enjoy every moment without any hassles! It truly is a magical winter escapes worth saving for. Harriniva Adventure Resort

Looking for an amazing Finnish Lapland winter escape? Consider Harriniva Resorts in Muonio Finland, where you can have the trip of your dreams.