Restless Explorer

Everyone has heard of Stonehenge and it is one of the most famous sites in the world, but realistically in the photos it doesn’t look that special.  But it is one of those travel bucket lists; something you should see if you are in England.  When planning our itinerary and doing some research, I came across a tour on Get Your Guide that included Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath.  It was costly ($600 CAD) for two adults, and our baby was free, but it had good ratings and was a full 12-hour day where you got to see a lot.  You could customize the tour and pay less if you didn’t want entrance in the above 3 attractions, then you’d just explore the towns, but we decided it was worth it and booked the full package.

Anyone who’s been to London knows it’s expensive.  Being the global city with some of the world’s most iconic sites comes with a price tag, but luckily there are a wide range of hotels available.  When researching, the hotel with the best ratings, in the best location and with a decent price was The Tower Hotel.  I was shocked when I saw the price, after reading a few reviews we booked it!  We secured a price of just under $250.00 CAD a night, in the peak season of August, it seemed too good to be true.

England, despite the wrongs of the past, was one of the largest and most powerful empires in the history of the world.  But England wasn’t always a force, in the middle ages, many attacked, and controlled parts of England, whether it was the Anglo-Saxons, the Franks, or the Vikings.  Because of this, the history of the country is immense and for history buffs there is plenty to learn and see.  London, being the capitol city, has markings of this history on the grandest scale throughout.  London truly is a marvel, it is a global city, with plenty of commerce and diversity, and it has endless iconic structures and neighborhoods.  With that being said, with all there is to see and do, London attracts a ton of tourist and the prices skyrocket… London is packed and expensive.

Camping is a lot of work but if packed and planned right it can be a lot of fun.  There are many essentials and tips to ease your camping experience, but once you’ve gotten that down, there are a few things you’ll need to take your camping experience to the next level.  Here are some things to ease and luxury to level up your camping experience:

Now, I’m not saying I’m an expert on beaches. Some people are mountain people, others love the wilderness — but for me, nothing beats a good beach. I haven’t been to too many of the world’s top-rated beaches… yet, but I’ve been to a few a long with some pretty amazing ones.  I tried narrowing my list down to my top 10, but I couldn't cut it past 12.

We’ve been flying with our daughter since she was 6 months old. Back then, it was all about bottles, naps, and diaper changes. Now that she’s almost two, things are… different.  There’s less diaper changes and she’s less delicate but now she’s more active, sleeps less, and wants to explore everything.

We travelled to Punta Cana during Spring Break—and anyone who's tried booking at Christmas or Spring Break knows prices can skyrocket. We considered both the Dominican Republic and Mexico, and prices in the Dominican were generally more favorable. When we saw a “good” price for the Melia Caribe Beach Resort, we got excited.

Every time I travel to a tropical destination, I always visit some of the best beaches and choose an island hopping or boat tour. While researching Punta Cana and the Dominican Republic, I came across Saona Island. Apparently, it’s one of the best beaches in the country—and the photos I saw definitely supported the claim. But would it live up to the hype?

I have been all over the Caribbean and Latin America, so going to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic wasn’t a new feat for me.  Although, I’ve only been to one all-inclusive resort before, and that was in Cuba.  Now I’m more of an adventure traveler, but the wife likes the relaxation and luxury of all-inclusive beach vacations, and I can appreciate the luxury and indulgences in between action packed adventure trips.  Now despite being used to travelling across the Caribbean and Latin America, I haven’t been to Latin America since Puerto Rico.  Since then, I’d been to Asia and The Bahamas, which is actually a former English colony.  So, I was excited; it was time to get back to the beach, practice my Spanish and eat yuca, plantains and beans!

“To travel is to live”, a quote written in Spanish in the Cartagena airport.  Entering the airport, about to embark with a case of post vacation blues, as I was getting ready to fly home from my first trip to Colombia, the phrase popped out like a water hole in the middle of a desert.  I always loved travelling, but that quote really resonated with me.  Travel opens opportunities for learning new things, experiencing different cultures, seeing cool architecture, trying new things (ex. Surfing, paragliding, or even foods) and to make new friends.

Learning different languages is exciting, challenging and rewarding.  But in addition to that, it can help a lot for travel purposes.  Learning the local language can help you immerse yourself in the local culture, ask for help (effectively) and have lots of fun.  It’s also good for the soul and mind. 

I’ve been to a number of professional sporting events including NFL games, hockey games and last spring was our first NBA game in Chicago.  We went to the Bulls game with our baby and have also taken her to a Winnipeg Jets (hockey) game here at home.  The Bulls game was a lot of fun and probably the best sporting event we’ve been to for kids.  We decided to go on a last-minute trip to Minneapolis this fall;, there wasn’t a Vikings home game that weekend, so we decided to book a Timberwolves game.  Would it be as fun as the Bulls game?  We were going to find out.