These virtual travel rooms come with a view - and plenty of everyday comforts.
This is how winter should be - snug, snowy, and enjoying indoors!
If winter-haters had the opportunity to soak in the snow-clad streets outside Helpi's house in Hämeenlinna, Finland, they might just find themselves converted to the season. Tall, lacy trees shrug under the weight of ice, each branch individually painted a soft, silvery white. A thick, fluffy layer of snow muffles sounds and erases footprints. Meanwhile, the soft glow of the streetlights provides a timeless quality. Disney itself couldn't come up with a better backdrop if they were imagining their ideal winter wonderland.
Now Helpi, along with thousands of other travel lovers, are welcoming virtual guests into their homes, just to take in the view. It's all thanks to a super-cozy travel site called Window-Swap.com
0 Comments
If you can't go around the world, it's time to bring to world over to you. These virtual travel gifts are perfect for everyone on your Christmas wish list.
One of the best in-person travel gifts is a cooking class, like Ryan experienced in Rome.
Have you ever had one of those crazy travel days where you wake up in one country, have lunch in a second, and go to bed in a third? I've been there, and more than once. What these days offer in exhilaration, they take away in exhaustion! However, ever since the advent of COVID-19, these multi-jurisdictional travel adventures are more accessible - and rejuvenating - than ever, thanks to virtual tourism activities.
There are now hundreds, if not thousands, of virtual activities and the travel world is the better for it. Alas, it would be impossible to list every possible remote adventure here but, with Christmas around the corner, I've rounded up some of my favourite selections to help you find the perfect cozy travel-inspired gift for everyone on your holiday shopping list. Gifting virtual travel experiences isn't just a great way to get your shopping done without stepping foot into a mall. Virtual gifts have a very low carbon footprint, they don't require standing in line at the post office, and they're a creative way to support small businesses. Plus, when you do get to travel again, you'll have a fun story to share if you meet up with these companies in person. Connect with llamas over Zoom
I met these handsome dudes in Montana but you can see faces like this on your next Zoom call!
Fatigued by endless online meetings and Zoom social hours? Maybe you'd feel differently if you were joined by a cheery llama, or perhaps an alpaca or another barnyard companion.
Many petting zoos, farms, and animal sanctuaries now offer you the option of adding one of their furry friends to your next online meeting for a small fee. They receive valuable funds and you get invaluable FUN, the kind that only comes when you're hanging out with a llama. Online. During work. Perfect for: The office Christmas gift exchange. One place to try: Sweet Farm animal sanctuary in California. A new book highlights Canadian craft spirits - and the cozy distilleries that make them, just in time for the pandemic.
Now we're talkin'. Photo by Adam Jaime on Unsplash
What’s your lockdown libation of choice?
In my pre-pandemic life, I often kept things simple -- and alcohol free. My tipple of choice was a mix of cranberry juice and ginger ale. A pretty, refreshing blend, it never failed to remind me of travel. After all, ginger ale is this queasy girl’s best friend! But these days, there’s just something about, well, EVERYTHING that has me reaching for a stronger beverage to imbibe. Drowning sorrows and remembering simpler times? I can get behind that. I’m craving something tangy, herbaceous, and travel-y. The mix of gin, lemon, and elderflower I had at Sydney’s New South Wales Art Gallery the night I heard Rolling Stone writer Toby Creswell speak about the origins of American rock and roll comes to mind. Or perhaps I’m really hankering after a generic frothy blender concoction like the one I sipped in a Bangkok infinity pool, where the overpriced slush diluted my fears of ice and waterborne diseases. Heck, maybe a classic Sex And The City-style cosmopolitan would do the trick, so long as I call it a quaran-tini. Ginger ale just doesn’t cut it anymore. And I’m not the only one who feels this way! Memorable meals and cozy adventures top our list of the best Ottawa staycation activities for couples.
It's Ottawa staycation time! Is there anything cozier than a crowded table of wine, bread, olive oil, and meatballs?
If you were going to celebrate a special wedding anniversary, where would you go?
If you answered that you'd stay at home, you're exactly on our wavelength! We knew that an Ottawa staycation was the perfect way to celebrate our August wedding anniversary - and not just because international travel opportunities are limited at the moment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Planning a cozy couple's staycation meant that we could spend more time exploring, less time driving, and we could easily work all activities around our existing schedule. It would also allow us to tackle our neglected summer adventure bucket list, soak in the last of the August sunshine before autumn rolls in, and brush up on our local knowledge (which always seems to be lacking when we host out-of-town visitors). Despite a nearly endless list of things we could possibly see and do in Ottawa, it didn't take long to decide on a plan that was very "us". We'd be exploring all things cozy, mixing and matching some old favourites with some very new experiences. This is what made our romantic Ottawa staycation itinerary perfect for us. With Ottawa's newest savings passport, there's never been a better time to discover local businesses.
Ryan cases the joint before we hit our first "target" - a local cheese shop!
Ottawa's newest local savings passport is turning things around for travel-crazy locals eager to get a taste of summer vacation fun - as well as for small businesses eager to rebound from COVID-19.
We're definitely among those who are craving travel like never before but we know that, undoubtedly, the best thing for us, our community, and the destinations we hope to visit one day, is to stay close to home. That means it's staycation time! We've been trying to support different local businesses every week and, as long term readers can probably guess, food takes a starring role for us. #MyOttawaPass is helping us discover new spots, reconnect with old favourites, and save a bit along the way. Anyone can access #MyOttawaPass for FREE. You can find the simple sign up form here, as well as a list of all the participating businesses. Hotels, spas, retail stores, tour operators, cafes, restaurants, and specialty food shops are all participating in this virtual program. With the pass ready on our phones, we headed out to explore two special spots. In Western Montana's "Gates of the Mountains" wilderness area, a rare rose keeps company with bats, birds, and legends.
Keeping our eyes peeled for Kelseya Uniflora sightings along the shore!
At first glance, Kelseya Uniflora doesn’t look like much to get excited about, but botanists know better. These petite, low-lying pink and white blossoms don’t look anything like the classic roses you’d find at a flower shop. They’re quite the opposite, as their limited territory makes them one of the world’s rarest members of the Rosaceae (rose) family.
Finding them in nature is no easy task. The Kelseya Uniflora is fond of the volcanic and limestone cliffs of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Using the fine hairs on the underside of their branches, these tenacious little blooms can gain a foothold in small cracks on high cliffs. These rocks, which are so inhospitable to other plants, are Kelseya Uniflora’s ideal habitat. The tiny hairs gripping the rocks can also draw up moisture from small crevices. Once established, their semi-evergreen foliage forms mats of silvery green leaves that look like moss to novice horticulturists, such as myself. But up close, intricate leaf patterns are visible and the delicate tiny bright pink and white blossoms are lovely – that is, if you can find them. There's an easy way to make your hotel room feel more organized and homey. Here's why your ironing board is a travel hero.
Ironing boards are hotel heros! Photo by Filip Mroz on Unsplash
Have you seen the movie “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”? There’s a great scene in which the lovelorn Peter gets some unusual advice. Family members tell him to iron his shirts—even his t-shirts!—in order to feel better. I won’t spoil the ending, but let’s just say it takes more than sharp creases to turn Peter’s vacation around.
Though their advice didn’t help Peter, it has worked for me—albeit under less dramatic circumstances. Whenever I’m feeling a bit rundown on the road, I know that some serious laundering and even the occasional ironing session will help put a spring in my step. Since those occasions are few and far between, I usually ignore hotel room ironing boards. However, a recent podcast had me rethinking ironing boards in general—and how handy they can be for travellers. Here are five great reasons to set up your hotel ironing board on each and every trip, even if you’re not trying to rebound from a broken love affair! What You Need To Know About The Canadian Transportation Agency Flight Delay Compensation Rules16/4/2020 Is your Canadian flight delayed or cancelled? You might be entitled to compensation under the new Canadian Transportation Agency flight delay compensation rules. We breakdown your rights as a passenger.
Photo by Angela Compagnone on Unsplash
Fasten your seat belts, dear readers. You're in for one heck of a post. In 2019, a whole new set of rules and regulations about flight delays came down in Canada. And boy, were they new. For the first time ever, delayed passengers on flights in, out, and around Canada are entitled to some actual serious compensation.
But - and this may utterly surprise you - airline regulations are DULL. And confusing! And not exactly designed to be user friendly and easy to understand for the average passenger. Thus, I've tried to break things down into real terms that a jet lagged frequent flyer can easily understand. Not all travel gear is great. I'm spilling the tea on 5 travel products I wasted my money on. Better luck next time!
What I can't live without: A sweater, a PacSafe day bag, and one carry on sized pack or suitcase, depending on the trip.
I've said it before and I"ll say it again: I LOVE packing! And travel gear and gadgets? I love them too. I can spend hours browsing in travel stores and websites. While I keep my own kit pretty minimal, I'm always picking up new items to try out and seeing how they work with my existing stuff. Of course, not everything is great but even if things aren't perfect I can usually get some use out of them. But not for the five items in this post. This is about all the gear I didn't use, the stuff that never helped me out and never made my life easier. These are five travel products I wasted my money on.
An important point of clarification before we begin. Some of these products were disappointing to me through their function and design, while others found their way on this list in part because of me - they just weren't what I needed or wanted in the end, though their function may have been just fine for another user. So take this all with a grain of salt - if you're a devoted user, I'm glad it's working out for you! |
Recent Posts
Posts by Location
Post Categories
All
Posts by Date
December 2020
|
Disclaimers, Privacy, and Cookie Policy |
Top 100 Travel Influencer
As named by the Obama White House in 2014. 
|
 © COPYRIGHT 2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
|