The Sassy Traveler

02/06/2026

Listen, the Caribbean Princess and I had a complicated relationship this week. On one hand — dated ship, thin staffing, drink lines that had me questioning my life choices, disorganization that would make your head spin, and a hairdryer in my cabin that was a legitimate fire hazard. Not exactly the vibe for my son’s college graduation cruise. On the other hand — bartenders who felt like old friends, a Food & Beverage Director who checked on us daily like we were family, a Captain who personally sought us out at dinner, and a guest relations team that turned the entire experience around after I reached out. The Caribbean Princess may be rough around the edges (okay, rough around A LOT of edges), but the people running her? Pure gold. Would I sail her again? Hard pass. Would I sail Princess again? Without question — because when Princess gets it right, they get it SO right. 🚢 More details in The Sassy Traveler VIP Lounge!

18/05/2026

Costa Rica is hands down one of the most stunning countries in the Western Hemisphere. But where you stay matters more than people realize because the regions are wildly different from each other. 🌿

Let me save you some time:

LA FORTUNA — Adventure central. This is where you go for the Arenal Volcano, natural hot springs, waterfalls, hanging bridges, and zip lining through the cloud forest. The town itself is small but every adventure tour in the country starts here. If you only have time for one inland region, make it this one.

MONTEVERDE — Cloud forests, hanging bridges, world class zip lining, and some of the best wildlife viewing in the country. Cooler temperatures and that mystical foggy-jungle feel that makes you understand why people fall in love with Costa Rica. Pair this with La Fortuna and you have a perfect inland trip.

PAPAGAYO PENINSULA — Pacific coast luxury. This is where the five star resorts live (hi, Andaz and Four Seasons). Beautiful beaches, world class golf, and the kind of property that turns a vacation into a milestone moment. If you want barefoot luxury, this is your zone.

MANUEL ANTONIO — The classic Costa Rica beach experience. Manuel Antonio National Park is genuinely unreal — monkeys, sloths, toucans, beaches that look photoshopped, and rainforest meeting the ocean in the most dramatic way. Family friendly and beautiful.

JACO — And here's where I have to be honest with you. Jaco is the closest beach town to San Jose so people assume that makes it convenient. Convenient is one word for it. Jaco is also unfortunately Costa Rica's most well-known destination for adult tourism and the s*x trade. Bachelor parties love it. Families looking for a wholesome beach vacation should look literally anywhere else. There are so many better beach options in this country — don't waste your trip here.

Costa Rica's motto is pura vida and you genuinely feel it the moment you arrive. Volcanoes, rainforests, wildlife, beaches, world-class luxury, and budget-friendly options. There is genuinely something here for every kind of traveler.

Full guide on which region fits your trip is coming to the group.

14/05/2026

I am always going on about flying for free. Hotel nights for free. Whole vacations for free. Some of you are probably wondering if I actually know what I'm talking about or if I just enjoy hearing myself type. 😏

This is exactly how it happens.

One of the best premium travel credit cards on the market just dropped an unprecedented welcome bonus. We are talking a SIX FIGURE points offer that averages out to roughly $3,000 in award travel value when redeemed through transfer partners. Plus lounge access, statement credits, and elite travel perks built right in.

This is the kind of bonus that does not come around often.

Here is how this actually works — grab this card, hit the spending requirement on stuff you would buy anyway, earn the bonus points, and then let me help you transfer those points to the right airline or hotel partner at the right time. Suddenly you are flying to Hawaii for free. Or sleeping in a luxury hotel in Mexico for free. Or doing both on the same trip because that is genuinely how this works.

DM me if you are ready to actually start using points the way they were designed to be used. The card is doing the heavy lifting. I will help you do the rest.

https://bit.ly/4uhrfZ0.

^^^ keep in mind Meta puts up a splash Page where you have to open this in an external browser due to it being a bitly.

AwardWallet may receive a commission from card issuer
travel

13/05/2026

Montana in August - it’s the perfect time to visit.

While everyone else is elbowing strangers for a beach umbrella and dropping $30 on a watered-down frozen drink in the hurricane zone, you could be standing in front of glacial lakes so blue they look fake, casually spotting grizzly bears, and cruising Going-to-the-Sun Road like the main character you are.

The wildflowers are popping. The temps are perfect. And the scenery is just absolutely ridiculous — in the best way.

One thing though — Glacier is NOT a hidden gem anymore. Timed entry permits, advance reservations, the whole deal. So if your travel strategy is “figure it out when I get there”… we need to talk. 😂
August is short. Glacier National Park is waiting. And I’m here to help you actually make it happen.

Join The Sassy Traveler VIP Lounge for great prices!

09/05/2026

Napa Valley is one of those destinations where everyone goes once and immediately starts planning their next trip. If you've been thinking about it but haven't pulled the trigger yet, this is your sign. 🍷

When to go matters a lot. October and early November is the absolute sweet spot — you get the harvest energy, gorgeous gold and crimson vineyards, and weather in the mid-70s. Spring (March through May) is the underrated gem when mustard flowers bloom across the hillsides and the crowds are way thinner. Skip summer if you can — hot, expensive, and crowded. And winter is honestly amazing for the budget conscious because hotel rates can drop up to 50%.

Now let's talk wineries. Reservations are essential pretty much everywhere in 2026 and tasting fees run $50 to $125 per person. Here are my top picks:

FAR NIENTE — The full Napa experience. Historic estate, gorgeous gardens, the cars, the wine, the setting. Pure magic and worth every penny.

CAKEBREAD CELLARS — Hands down the best for first timers. Educational, approachable, genuinely welcoming no matter your wine knowledge.

DOMAINE CARNEROS — The French château experience. Sparkling wines on a gorgeous terrace overlooking the vineyards. The Insta shot of all Insta shots.

STAG'S LEAP WINE CELLARS — The winery that put Napa on the global map when it beat France in the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Iconic Cabernet.

Limit yourself to three or four wineries per day. More than that and your palate gives up and so do you.

Not a wine person? Napa actually has plenty going on beyond the tasting rooms:

• The Oxbow Public Market in downtown Napa — a foodie paradise of artisan vendors, restaurants, and gourmet shops
• Hot air balloon rides over the valley at sunrise — unforgettable
• The Napa Valley Wine Train — lunch and dinner tours through the valley in restored vintage rail cars
• Castello di Amorosa — a literal 13th century style Tuscan castle in Calistoga that you can tour (and yes, also drink wine)
• Hiking and biking the Napa Valley Vine Trail — 12 paved miles through the vineyards
• Calistoga hot springs and mud baths — a Napa tradition
• The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone — stunning historic property with cooking classes and a fantastic restaurant
• Petrified Forest — yes, a real petrified forest in Calistoga

Napa is so much more than just wine — but the wine is genuinely incredible.

Full details on where to stay coming to The Sassy Traveler VIP Lounge.

05/05/2026

Everyone who comes back from Belize won't shut up about it and there is a very good reason for that. 🌴

Belize is what happens when you take the best parts of the Caribbean and make them way more interesting AND significantly cheaper than the bigger name islands. We're talking the second largest barrier reef in the world, world class snorkeling and diving, ancient Mayan ruins, jungle adventures, howler monkeys, and crystal clear water that genuinely looks photoshopped. English is the official language so there is zero language barrier. The currency is pegged to the US dollar so you don't even need a calculator at dinner.

Caye Caulker is the move if you want laid back island life — the official motto is literally "go slow" and the locals mean it. San Pedro on Ambergris Caye is where you go for more restaurants, nightlife, and a livelier scene. The mainland gives you jungle lodges, waterfalls, cave tubing, and ancient ruins that will absolutely stop you in your tracks. The best part? You can do all of this without taking out a second mortgage — hotels and resorts here run a fraction of what you would pay in the Bahamas or the Cayman Islands.

Belize is genuinely one of the most underrated travel destinations in the entire Western Hemisphere. The people are warm, the water is unreal, the food is fantastic, and the price tag won't make you cry at checkout. Drop a 🌴 if Belize is on your list — full insider guide is coming to the group.

03/05/2026

Most people seriously underestimate San Diego and that is genuinely a shame. 🌊

I was raised there and lived there for 25 years. I know San Diego like the back of my hand — the touristy stuff, the local stuff, and everything in between.

My last write up was all about Carlsbad which is in North San Diego County. Today we are heading to downtown San Diego proper because if you have never explored the city itself you are missing out on something really special.

Yes the beaches are gorgeous. Yes the weather is nearly perfect (looking at you May Gray and June Gloom — we already covered this one). But what really makes San Diego special is the neighborhoods. Each one has its own personality and the whole city feels like five different vacations stitched together.

Here are the downtown highlights:

Seaport Village. Right on the waterfront. Boutique shops, harbor views, an old fashioned carousel, and some genuinely great restaurants tucked into Spanish style buildings. Easy to walk, perfect for an afternoon, and the views of the bay and the Coronado Bridge are what every San Diego postcard is showing you.

Little Italy. Hands down one of the best neighborhoods in the entire city. Wall to wall Italian restaurants and gelato shops, the Saturday morning Mercato farmers market is a full event, and the food scene is genuinely world class. If you eat one meal downtown make it here.

The Gaslamp Quarter. 16 blocks of Victorian buildings, rooftop bars, restaurants, live music, and nightlife. By day it's charming and walkable. By night it's where San Diego comes alive. Whether you're looking for cocktails, a live show, or a long dinner outside, this is your zone.

And that's just downtown. We haven't even talked about Coronado, La Jolla, Balboa Park, the Zoo, or how good the Mexican food is on this side of the border.

San Diego is one of those cities where you genuinely cannot do it all in one trip. And that's exactly why you keep going back.

Full insider guide coming to the group. 🔐

30/04/2026

San Diego is what happens when perfect weather, beaches, world class food, and a laid back beach town personality all decide to live in the same zip code. 🌊

Mild and sunny most of the year — with the exception of May Gray and June Gloom when the marine layer rolls in and decides to stay for two months. Locals know. Tourists complain. Now you know better.

The rest of the year? Hands down the best Mexican food on this side of the border. La Jolla coves with sea lions sunbathing like they own the place. Coronado beaches that look like a postcard. Balboa Park. The zoo. Craft beer culture for days. And neighborhoods like Little Italy and the Gaslamp that have completely come into their own.

If you've never been, what are you actually waiting for?

Drop a 🌊 if San Diego is on your list! Full insider guide coming to the group soon. 🔐

30/04/2026

OK, so I’ve talked about the fact I can get you free flights. And I can. Here’s a little reason why for your reading enjoyment. Even if you don’t book through me I could help you with the airfare - as long as you don’t book before talking to me. 

Credit card sign-up bonuses are the key to earning a big sum of points, miles, or cash back. Here's your guide to how these bonuses work.

29/04/2026

Everyone wants an all-inclusive this summer…
but not everyone realizes when and where actually matters.

Because nothing ruins a “relaxing beach trip” faster than checking the weather app every 5 minutes 😅

The good news?
There are still gorgeous, luxury all-inclusives that hit perfect weather windows—you just have to know where to look.

That’s literally what I do.

If you’re even thinking about a summer trip, send me a message and I’ll point you in the right direction 🌴