Onward Travel

06/16/2026

Spring Recap No. 2: Last month we had the pleasure of visiting The Czech Republic and Austria with a most convivial and special group! This group of travelers met on our Amalfi tour in May 2024 and quickly gelled into the Famiglia Amalfitana... they had an absolute blast together and then decided on the last night to do it again! So Kat planned a trip with them to two of the countries closest to her heart: The Czech Republic, where she lived for four years, and Austria, where she was an exchange student for half a year in high school.

In Prague, glorious Prague, we rode the metro and tram around, visiting the famous Prague Castle of course, an artist villa, a farmer's market, the opera, some of Kat's favorite cafes, and much more! We took day trips to Pilsen for the world's best beer and the jewel of a town, Cesky Krumlov... then we made our way to the Austrian Danube Valley's striking Wachau wine region where we met winemakers, enjoyed ice cream sundaes and rode down the river on little wooden boats tasting the wines of the vineyards as we passed them. We ended what was basically a week-long dinner party in the heart of Vienna, where after a final evening together many in the group stayed on to explore on their own. It was a truly lovely week full of exploration, laughing, cheersing, and building on the blocks of the friendships we'd started two years ago. Thanks for the great trip, Travel Fam, and can't wait to do it again!

05/26/2026

Spring Recap #1: There are few places in the world that are more beautiful, or more touristed, than the Amalfi Coast. That's why we're so proud of our tour there: We take our travelers past the crowds and introduce them to our friends who we've been visiting for years, the families and real working people who have lived in this string of stunning seaside villages for generations. Life in Amalfi is beautiful, but it isn't always easy, and we are privileged to learn all about it. In April & May we took three groups of travelers to this very special place, here are a few of the photos. Grazie to all of you who joined us!

05/12/2026

The countdown is on… 🇿🇦
We’re putting the finishing touches on our highly-anticipated South Africa adventure. The trip will take place March 8-17, with an optional Kruger Safari add-on March 17-20, 2027.
From unforgettable landscapes to bucket-list moments ~ this one is next level!
Make sure to add your name to the interest list for a first look at the itinerary. Link below!

05/11/2026

On Mother's Day Molly and Kat were so grateful to be together with our mom, Peggi, and grandmother, Winnie. It's absolutely never lost on us how lucky we are to have these enduring relationships with one another... it's all because of the precious little cooking school, The Cooking Cottage, that our crazy mom & grandmother (already a mom and a grandmother!!) opened in 1990 that we even thought to start our own business, Onward Travel! They taught us that if you have an idea, you should just do it! That's what life is all about.

The gratitude we want to share goes beyond just our fortunate family legacy: in our travels we've met all kinds of mothers and we have learned so much over conversations at dinner tables, on boats, on the minibus, strolling the streets... about love, strength, resilience, grief, what it means to be there for someone. Many of you have been there for us in a motherly way as we've shared our hearts with you. So to all the mothers, the lovers of others and nurturers, the inspiring women we've been so lucky to get to know - Happy (Belated) Mothers Day to you. You're so appreciated.

04/29/2026

🎂 Happy Birthday to our dear tour director Viktorija! Travelers on trips past have come to appreciate her as an accommodating fountain of knowledge. 💝 You can get to her know her on this year’s Cook Like a Tuscan trip co-hosted with ‘s Andrea Miller. There’s still a few spots left- snag em while you can!

04/22/2026

🍎 🏔️ Calling all orchard obsessives! This November, IFTA + Onward will head to the Alps to meet forward-thinking growers, visit cutting-edge research centers, and explore the orchards shaping the future. And that’s just on the way to Interpoma! This study tour is equals parts professional development and unforgettable alpine experiences. If you’re in the orchard world, you’ll want a seat on this bus! Check out the itinerary at iftatravel.com.

04/13/2026

🇿🇦Meanwhile in South Africa…
The “Fun Group” travels to a new destination every year, and we are so grateful to plan their adventures! This year includes railways, safaris and lots of memories! 🌎 🦁 🚂

04/01/2026

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE: NOT THAT GREAT!

Our first tour of the year was a late-March week in San Miguel de Allende, the famously creative and vibrant city in the Mexican Highlands. We still can’t believe how boring it was! The weather refused to cooperate: think mid- to high-70’s with sunny blue skies every day and evenings that were just chilly enough to feel cosy in a light jacket… who wants that!? All the food was so fresh, we could hardly eat it! And people kept serving us all kinds of aguas frescas and margaritas and trust me, we did NOT want those. Not to mention that our group came from all over the United States and they had nothing to talk about at all and none of them ever smiled. Probably the worst part was that all the interesting locals in San Miguel de Allende who we see there every year acted like we were their friends and treated us super nice, so you know, we had to go out of our way to be nice back. Oh well, hopefully the next trip will be better!

03/26/2026

We loved watching Chef Lisa Counts, owner of The Chopping Block on Chicago's WGN9. We've operated our popular Cook Like a Tuscan culinary tour with The Chopping Block since 2018.

Chef/Owner Lisa Counts was on WGN TV's Spotlight Chicago today talking all things Tuscan cooking, and we loved sharing a little taste of what we do every day at The Chopping Block. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to cook authentic Italian food, build your skills in the kitchen, travel to Tuscany with us or just have a really great time cooking with others, this is exactly what our classes are all about. Watch the segment here and then come cook with us soon! https://hubs.la/Q048b9DP0