Category Archive: Recommendations

Milwaukee: Art Museums For an Inspired Visit

Milwaukee is a vibrant city with abundant attractions. I’ve written about the quirky Bobblehead Museum and the impressive niche-specific Harley Davidson Museum (and there are plenty of fans who considered those bikes works of art). Today I’m tackling something more suited for the culture readers, taking a look at Milwaukee art museums. I think you’ll find it represents some of the best in the midwest. In these art museums, you’ll find some of the most famous works of art, including works from Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, and Marc Chagall. If modern art is more your thing, there is no lacking. And if American decorative arts or Haitian art or German expressionism are your jam, you’ll find a museum collection that speaks to your special interests. But where do you find these pieces? What does each museum have to offer? This […]

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Gift Guide for Travelers: 2017 Holiday Edition

It’s a most wonderful time of the year! Although I much prefer experiences to just buying stuff, there’s no getting around the fact that some stuff makes traveling easier. That’s the reason for my holiday gift guide for travelers, and while this is holiday season-focused, you can file this away for gift buying all year round. I’ve divided my gift guide for travelers into six sections below, highlighting some of the products that I use (or have used) and enjoy. We all have too much stuff to bother buying things that don’t work, or don’t do what they’re supposed to do, so consider these personal recommendations. Note: Links are provided to help you get more information and do a price comparison. Some of those links may be affiliate links, which means that I may make a small commission if you […]

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CabinZero Review: Functional & Stylish

In my fairy tale world of travel, I’d be like Samantha on [amazon_textlink asin=’B0128P2B38′ text=’Bewitched’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’travelingwithmj-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’7a067e10-b2e5-11e7-852a-59cc26a3fcb6′], who would wrinkle her nose and transport from one place of another, or like Captain Kirk on [amazon_textlink asin=’B01LT80TN4′ text=’Star Trek’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’travelingwithmj-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’89df588d-b2e5-11e7-b434-cb36bdf04e39′], who had Scotty to beam him up. That’s no muss, no fuss travel! Since I’m a mere mortal living in a time that teleportation is not yet available, I have to pack and tote my stuff all over the world. Over the years I’ve become an efficient packer, maximizing every inch of my space, but I’m always looking for ways to improve the toting and lugging experience. My packing preference, when traveling for longer than a weekend, is to pack and check a 22-inch roller bag. I know that I can carry it on, and there […]

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Books to Read on Your Next Flight

In honor of World Book Day, I’m updating my progress in the 2017 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge – and in doing so, giving you a list of great books to read on your next flight (train trip, cruise, or wherever you enjoy immersing yourself in a book). As a refresher, the challenge is not a list of books to read. Instead, it’s a list of book themes and you pick something within your reading preferences while still stretching your reading repertoire my getting you to look at books that you may not have considered. The list is 40 books for the basic challenge, plus an additional 12 for the advanced challenge, the latter equating to one book per week for the year. If you don’t read all 40 – or 52 books, it doesn’t matter. The purpose of the challenge […]

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Review: The Doctors House, Fort Casey Inn

When visitors head to Whidbey Island, they typically think of Langley (at the south end) or Oak Harbor (the naval air station at the north end), but tucked away in the middle part of the island is Coupeville. Coupeville is the county seat, and with a population under 2,000 is a historic district within the federal Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve. The reserve includes farmlands, Fort Ebey State Park, Fort Casey State Park, beaches and shorelines, parks, trails, and 91 locations on the National Register of Historic Places. For a place to stay in keeping with the town’s historic significance, the Fort Casey Inn provides a modern take on officer housing from pre-World War I. The row of historic cottages date back to around 1909 when they served as Non-Commissioned Officers’ Quarters for the neighboring defense installation. They have been modernized […]

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Read Great Books When You Travel

Like most travelers, I read a lot. Part of the reason I purchased a Kindle years ago, and the Paperwhite Kindle just a couple years back, is because even on the shortest of trips, I pack two or three books to read. And I can’t begin to count how many books I’d pack for a month long trip to Europe. No matter how much I enjoy the feel of a book in my hand, I just couldn’t pack around that kind of weight – even when I left them behind after reading – any longer. I like reading a variety of types of books, from autobiographies to mysteries, from chick lit to literary fiction, from travelogues to business philosophy, and am constantly asking friends and fellow travelers for reading suggestions. While I’ve always gotten great recommendations, I also enjoy my […]

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2016 Holiday Gift Guide for Travel Lovers

We’re approaching the gift giving season, and while I prefer to take my holidays one at a time (Thanksgiving is Thursday), I know that many readers are busy making shopping plans for this coming holiday weekend – including Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For your gift giving consideration, here are some of my favorite holiday gifts that are perfect for travel lovers. Gadgets & Electronics Kindle While I enjoy the feel of a book in my hand as much as the next reading lover, I don’t love the weight that those books add to my carry-on bag. Packing for a three-week European trip requires lots of books to read, far more than I’m willing to pack around. That’s one of the reasons I love my Kindle. I currently have the Kindle Paperwhite and it’s my top recommended gift suggestions. The Paperwhite […]

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Hotel Review: Motif Seattle

Motif Seattle Address:  1415 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, Washington Value Luxury Rating:   (out of 3 hearts) Features:  Motif Seattle is located on Seattle’s Fifth Avenue, between Pike and Union Streets, and has themed the hotel around locally-inspired fashion in its 319 guestrooms. Rooms offer views of downtown Seattle, Elliott Bay, and the Olympic Mountain range. and include alarm clocks with iPod docking stations, Keurig coffe and tea maker, refrigerator, wifi, work space with lots of plug ins, pillow top beds, and robes. Bathrooms feature Essential Elements products. Motif Seattle is a pret friendly hotel, and four-legged guests receive special amenities:  plush dog bed, food and water bowls, complimentary welcome snacks, and for owners, a copy of CityDog magazine. The pet fee is a bargain priced one-time $20. Parking at the hotel is $32 plus tax, with in and out privileges. A Tesla & […]

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