Author: Ashleigh Page 15 of 93

Returning to Puerto Rico

On February 13, 2023

Old San Juan from the fort

Last spring we visited Puerto Rico as the embarkation port for our Southern Caribbean cruise and fell in love with the beautiful island. Ever since we got home we have been watching flight prices just waiting to return. When we started brainstorming ideas for a Christmas trip with my mother-in-law, we were looking at a few warm-weather destinations and we were shocked to find flights to San Juan for less than Florida or New Orleans. I’m not going to lie, the flights were awful. They had overnight layovers in both directions at some of the largest and busiest airports that were made even busier thanks to Southwest’s meltdown before Christmas. But, we made the best of it because we got to return to sunny Puerto Rico!

The first leg of our journey had an overnight layover in Orlando and we left security and slept in the Hyatt Regency at the airport knowing we would have to go through TSA again. There were so many people trying to get to their flights in the morning that the sign advertised a 65-minute wait to get through TSA. I am very glad I checked the airport’s website when I got up because we got ready quickly and got in line. At one point, the line stopped moving completely and we thought we were going to miss our flight, but we got to the gate right as they started boarding. We were told it was a full flight but there were only half of the seats filled. I’m guessing we left some people behind in that TSA line. If you have an early flight (I think this one left at 5:55 am), don’t assume the airport will be empty. Most airport websites will tell you how long the TSA wait currently is and if you’re checking a bag, remember to add on time for that line too. Since this was a layover, we didn’t have to worry about that line.

Sunset from our balcony in Fajardo

This was our first time flying Frontier and overall, it was a pretty good experience. We have flown Spirit many times so we are used to budget airlines, but they are not exactly the same. Frontier has more legroom. It is not as cramped as Spirit is notorious for. Everyone we encountered was friendly and each plane has an animal mascot. We liked flying on Max the Lynx. Frontier does not have wifi on their planes. If you need to work while in the air, look for a different airline. Every single flight we had left 10-15 minutes late and they were not good about communicating the delays. When we got to our departure airport, we got a text saying our flight was delayed but when we got to the gate the board said the plane was on time and that didn’t change until after our departure time passed so there were a lot of confused people standing around. For one of the flights, we got a text saying the flight was delayed after we had already taken off. We got to the airport in San Juan early and there was no one at the Frontier desk for probably an hour. The line got very long but we got to the plane with plenty of time. It wasn’t a perfect experience, but the next cheapest flight to San Juan for the same dates was several hundred dollars per person more expensive. Personally, I will take a little bit of hassle to get where I want to go and save money.

Here is an outline of what is to come on this trip report:

Day 1: Old San Juan (San Juan National Historic Site, Christmas lights at Paseo de la Princesa)

Day 2: Drive to Adjuntas (travel fail story), Ponce, to Fajardo

Day 3: La Ruta de Lechon (the Pork Highway) & Biobay Kayaking

Day 4: El Yunque National Forest

Day 5: Ron del Barillito Distillery Tour

Thanks for stopping by! To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my updated Gear Page.

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How to Save Money While Traveling

By Ashleigh

On February 13, 2023

In Travel, Travel Tips

Some of the links below are affiliate links and as such, I earn a small commission from purchases that allow me to continue telling you my stories without costing you anything extra.

Over the next few weeks, you will probably notice some rebranding around the blog. I have a new domain name that I am working on getting connected to the blog and launching in a few weeks. I will be changing the theme of the blog toward travel. Over the past few years, my stories have changed from “how I got the shot” to where I went and what I saw. Along with that, I am going to be posting more travel tips mixed in with trip reports. Some of them will be generic travel tips like this and others will be destination guides. Thanks for joining me on this journey!

One of the questions I get asked the most is how do we afford to travel so much. While we splurge occasionally (Alaksa cruise, anyone?) we really are budget-minded travelers and we look to get the most bang for our buck! Here are some tricks we use to maximize our travel dollars!

Going-to-the-Sun Road

Set a budget: Not the most exciting travel tip, but it really is important. Each January we look at our expected annual income and expenses and figure out how much we have for travel for the year. This allows us to set a budget for each trip, big or small, and figure out where we can go that year. For each trip, we pin down travel expenses (airfare, parking, rental car, lodging, food, tours, souvenirs, etc.) in advance so there are no unexpected bills at the end.
Be flexible with your dates or destination: The best deals can be found if you are open to when you travel AND to where, but obviously that doesn’t work for everyone. As a teacher, I am limited to the busiest times of the year to travel, but I still manage to find deals by being open to the destination. Or, say we have a place we need to be for a cruise or something like that, you can sometimes find better prices if you look at neighboring airports. For example, for our cruise out of New Orleans, we found that it was actually much cheaper to rent a car in New Orleans and fly out of Baton Rouge. Or on a recent trip, we drove four hours and flew out of Chicago instead of Detroit which saved us several hundred dollars per person on the flights.

Marigot Bay, St. Lucia

Be patient and know when to buy: So, you decided where you’re going. Now is the time to start looking for airfare, but it might not be the best time to book. Experts say prices are best 1-3 months in advance for domestic travel and 3-6 months in advance for international travel. If you buy too early you could be spending too much. Both Hopper and Google Flights will tell you if the prices you are seeing are good deals or not and if you should buy now or wait.
Be open to various accommodations: You can save a lot of money by renting a home/apartment with a kitchen instead of staying in a hotel and eating three meals a day out. Rental homes can also be more cost-effective for families who would need multiple rooms. If you choose to stay in a hotel, look for one that offers free breakfast, or better yet free drinks.

Manistee Lighthouse

Factor in Fees: That $99 flight may not be as good of a deal as you thought when you have to pay for every little extra. Are there fees for checking a bag? Carrying on a bag? What is the weight limit for a checked bag (it is often lower on low-cost carriers)? Are you going to want to pick your seat? Are snacks/drinks included? All of these fees add up and sometimes the more expensive flight ends up being more economical. When it comes to rental homes, don’t be fooled by the low per-night cost. Remember to check the fees and taxes.
Skip the rental car: There are many destinations that are easy to get around on foot and by public transportation. Not only is there a fee for a rental car, but parking can also cost extra. In the event you want to take a day trip, you can find plenty of day trips with transportation on Viator or rent a car for the day with Turo.

The view from the top of South Bubble Mountain in Maine

Research cheap or free things to do in your destination: Pinterest is great for this kind of research and so are old-fashioned paper guidebooks. You can save even more money by checking out guidebooks from your local library. I recommend looking for guidebooks published in 2021 or newer because a lot has changed due to the pandemic.
Look into Memberships: Oftentimes, you can get free admission to museums around the world if you become a member of your local museum (make sure you purchase a membership that includes reciprocal admission. It’s not usually included in the cheapest membership option). The North American Reciprocal Museums Program lists their participating museums. If you enjoy botanical gardens, many gardens also offer a reciprocal membership. The American Horiticultural Society has a list of participating gardens. If Nature Centers are your thing, there is also a group of reciprocal Nature Centers. If you’re visiting two or more National Parks on a trip, purchase the America the Beautiful National Park pass at your first park (passes are good for one year from when they are purchased so I don’t recommend buying them in advance). If you are a veteran/Gold Star Family, National Park volunteer, have a permanent disability or have a 4th grader, you are eligible for a free park pass.

Kolb Studio – Grand Canyon National Park

Plan meals strategically: Eat a big breakfast so you don’t need to get a full lunch. Split meals. Bring snacks from home. Search TripAdvisor for restaurants with a single $. You can find really good places that a lot of tourists don’t visit that are also easy on the wallet. If you’re visiting parks, many have grills that allow you to cook even if you’re not staying at a place with a kitchen. These tend to be busy at lunchtime but empty around dinner.
Be open to different brands/chains: If you only stay at Holiday Inn, you can be missing out on better prices at other brands. I recommend TripAdvisor for hotel research and bookings. They allow you to read reviews from real travelers and compare prices on similar hotels.

Wild Horse of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Wild Horse in Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Pack light: We’ve become masters of packing a personal item for a long weekend. Look for a bag that fits just within the baggage specifications without going over (I have a new backpack I love that works as a personal item on Spirit and Frontier) and you may not need to pay extra for a short trip. I have mastered the art of packing for multiweek trips in only a carry-on bag. If you need a little more room, check out wearable luggage clothing like ScotteVest.
Camp: Do you have camping gear or know someone who would lend your their camping gear? You can find campsites as low as $15/night or even free. Camping can be the cheapest way to travel, especially if you enjoy the outdoors.

Cruise ship in Juneau harbor

Take a cruise: Cruising can be a very extravagant vacation but it can also be a way to see the world on a budget. When you think about the fact that cruise fare includes lodging, dining, entertainment, and transportation, it can really be a very good value. In general, $100/per person per night or less is a good value for a cruise. If you’re able to cruise last minute, after final payment (about 90 days in advance) cruise prices tend to drop to fill unsold cabins. I usually need more notice than that for traveling, so I like to look farther out. I browse a cruise search site for dates that we are available and bookmark ones that look interesting or like a good deal. Then, I revisit those saved cruises until they seem like a price I would want to pay. I recently found a 7-night Pacific Coastal cruise for $400 per person (which works out to $57 per person per night) for an oceanview cabin over spring break on Celebrity, a higher-end cruise line. If the price goes down after you book, you are usually able to get it repriced until the final payment. After final payment, the policy varies by cruise line, but you may be able to get onboard credit for the difference or upgrade to a higher category cabin.

Thanks for stopping by! Do you have any money-saving travel tips? Let me know in the comments! To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my updated Gear Page.

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Wordless Wednesday: Leelanau Beach

By Ashleigh

On February 8, 2023

In Wordless Wednesday

Leelanau State Park Beach Word

Camping Leelanau State Park

By Ashleigh

On February 6, 2023

In Michigan, Project: State Parks, Wine Travel

Flying over Leelanau State Park

Leelanau State Park is located at the tip of Leelanau Peninsula (Michigan’s pinky finger) and is home to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, 8.5 miles of hiking trails, and a rustic campground. We decided to give it a try this fall and it was a great base for exploring Sleeping Bear Dunes and all there is to see on the peninsula.

The campground has 51 sites with no electrical hookup or modern bath facilities. Outhouses are scattered throughout the campground. About half of the sites are located on Lake Michigan and the other half are tucked up in the woods. The view from the waterfront sites is beautiful but windy. When camping in the cooler months (like during our visit in October) having some trees between you and the water can help keep you warmer. None of the sites are too far from the water and this would be a great campground to enjoy in warm weather!

While this campground is on Leelanau Peninsula, it is far away from a lot of the things to do. It is a 10-minute drive from Northport, 30 minutes from Suttons Bay or Leland, and an hour from Glen Arbor and Sleeping Bear Dunes. We pretty much left in the morning to explore our favorite places on the peninsula and came back to camp at night. If you are looking for a campground to explore Sleeping Bear Dunes, D.H. Day is probably a better option. But, if you want a beautiful, quiet, rustic campground on Lake Michigan, Leelanau State Park is a great place to stay!

Leelanau Peninsula from the Air

We used our time on the peninsula well. Of course, we flew the drone (see photos above) and then headed down to Sleeping Bear Dunes. Since we have the America the Beautiful National Park Pass, we had to make use of it, so we drove Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive for the first time in a few years. Of course, we did some wine tasting and found a few new favorite vineyards on Leelanau. I haven’t been anywhere in Northern Michigan that I didn’t like and Leelanau State Park did not disappoint! To book your stay at Leelanau State Park, visit MiDNRReservations.com!

Wordless Wednesday: Skagway Pano

By Ashleigh

On February 1, 2023

In Cruise, Travel, Wordless Wednesday

Drive-it-Yourself Carriage on Mackinac Island

By Ashleigh

On January 30, 2023

In Michigan

After walking the 5-mile span of the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day, we got to sit down and relax on the ferry to Mackinac Island. This has become a family tradition for us, walking the bridge and visiting the island on Labor Day, with a stop at the Mackinaw Bakery in between. Not only is it a way for us to get from the opposite end of the bridge that we started on without having to turn around in the middle, but it also allows us to avoid the traffic that builds up while the bridge is closed for the annual walk. Even though it’s a holiday, the island is not too busy since most visitors start heading home on Labor Day.

Once we got off the ferry, we headed for Jack’s Livery Stables which advertises Drive it Yourself Carriages. My brother and sister-in-law are both into horses so we let them drive. Before we could get behind the horses, we picked out a route based on the amount of time we had (and how much we wanted to spend), and then they got a short lesson in driving. Before doing it, I assumed this was one of those things where the horses have a specific route they walk and you are just kind of along for the ride, but that really wasn’t the case. Our horse used to be the left horse on a team and he kept pulling to the left and when we corrected him, he went too far to the right! There were a few moments I thought we might go off the road.

This was a fun experience and one you can’t have very many places, but I would not recommend it to a first-time visitor. The traditional, large-group carriage tour gives you a lot more information about the history of the island and a better lay of the land. If you like horses, have been to the island before, and you’re looking for a way to see it differently, this is a fun way to do it and it is less work than riding a bike (you’ll notice that in our two years of walking the bridge, we haven’t decided to rent bikes after). If you are interested in trying it yourself, check out Jack’s Livery Stable!

Wordless Wednesday: Block in the Locks

By Ashleigh

On January 26, 2023

In Michigan

Soo Locks Boat Tour

By Ashleigh

On January 23, 2023

In Michigan

Back in 2016, we did a Soo Locks Boat Tour as part of our Epic Michigan Road Trip. While staying in St. Ignace at Straits State Park over Labor Day, we decided to take my brother and sister-in-law to the Soo since neither of them had been. It is a 45-minute drive from St. Ignace to Sault Ste. Marie and is an easy day trip.

We started at the Locks viewing area where we called the hotline and found out that a freighter, G3 Marquis (above), would be coming through soon. After watching the ship lower to meet the water level of Lake Huron, we decided that our family needed to experience the Locks firsthand, so we booked a Soo Locks Boat tour.

We drove through downtown Sault Ste. Marie and headed to Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours near the historic St. Mary Falls Power Plant and the Museum Ship Valley Camp. Back in 2016, we did the tour with Original Soo Locks Boat Tours, which is located a little farther out of town, and we were under the impression this was one company with two docks, but after some internet sleuthing we learned that they have always been separate companies but they used to share docks and operated as a single company outwardly. But, in 2022 The Original Soo Locks Boat Tours was bought by the company that also runs the S.S. Badger Carferry and now the two tour companies run completely separate businesses.

Taking the Soo Locks down to Lake Huron level

The Soo Locks are an engineering marvel! The locks allow ships to bypass the dangerous St. Mary’s rapids by adjusting the water level for the 21-foot difference between Lake Huron and Lake Superior. The locks are maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and are free for use by commercial or personal watercraft. There are two functioning locks on the U.S. side with a third lock under construction and slated for completion in 2030. It is estimated that 10,000 ships go through the locks each year, but many newer ships no longer fit in the smaller MacArthur Lock, so Great Lakes marine traffic should speed up when the new lock opens. There is one lock on the Canadian side that is not large enough for commercial freighters and is only used for pleasure craft. Our tour did not go through it last summer because of Canada’s strict COVID regulations. Hopefully, the tours will be able to use it again next summer because it was fun to go back through a different lock.

If you are spending any time in the Eastern UP, definitely make the drive to Sault Ste. Marie. Call the Soo Locks Hotline ((906) 632-3366) to make sure you time your visit with an incoming freighter. If you have the time, a boat tour is definitely worth it to get to experience the changing water levels for yourself. There are currently two options, Famous Soo Locks Tours and Original Soo Locks Tours, they do the same route. I would pick based on the time that works best for you.

Wordless Wednesday: Fjord Cruising

By Ashleigh

On January 18, 2023

In Wordless Wednesday

Takeaways from my first Travel Show

By Ashleigh

On January 16, 2023

In Travel, Travel Tips

Some of the links below are affiliate links and as such, I earn a small commission from purchases that allow me to continue telling you my stories without costing you anything extra.

This past weekend we took a last-minute trip to Chicago for their annual Travel and Adventure show. When I saw that Samantha Brown was speaking, I knew I had to go. Without much notice, we bought train tickets and reserved a hotel for the following weekend.

Samantha Brown at the Travel and Adventure Show

The Travel and Adventure Show features a few big-name speakers including the aforementioned Samantha Brown along with Brian Kelly (The Points Guy), Pauline Frommer, and Peter Greenberg of CBS News. At the Savvy Travel Theater, experts shared their tips and tricks to get the most out of travel and the Destination Theater highlighted trips that could be booked through the featured exhibitors. Hundreds of exhibitors shared information about destinations and allowed you to book your next trip right then and there.

While I enjoyed browsing the exhibits, some of the intense sales pitches were offputting. I much preferred the booths from locations that just shared their love of their town and encouraged you to visit over the travel agencies and timeshare salespeople who needed you to commit to booking a trip right then and there.

I like to think of myself as a savvy traveler who knows how to find deals, but I really did walk away from the show with some new tricks. Probably my favorite presenter (besides Samantha Brown, of course) was Russell Hannon the author of Stop Dreaming Start Traveling. He shared 99 tips to save money while traveling, some of which I was familiar with and I have shared with you, but many of them were new to me. For example, I had no idea you could get money back by buying Groupons through Rakuten. You can read many of his tips for yourself at BreaktheTravelBarrier.com.

One thing all of the experts at the show seemed to agree on was to use search engines to find the best price for a flight but to purchase airfare direct from the airline. With all the flight disruptions lately, you don’t want to have to go through an intermediary (like Expedia or a cruise line) if you need to get rebooked. Samantha Brown took it a step further and suggested that for each flight you take, you should have two backups so if the one you are booked on is canceled, you can call the airline and say “My name is Jane Doe and I was booked on flight 123 which was canceled can you rebook me on flight 147?” instead of having to wait in line to talk to customer service with everyone else.

They also all suggested downloading the airline’s app. While this lets you skip the desk if you don’t have to check luggage, it also gives you up-to-date information if your gate changes or if your flight is delayed (this was not our experience on Frontier, but more on that later).

For international travel, I learned that there is now a Mobile Passport app that allows you to use a much shorter line at customs if you fill out your information on your phone when you land. While this is available at most airports, I was disappointed to learn that the Detroit airport has not yet implemented it.

If you are like me and love getting new ideas from other people who love to travel, definitely check out the Travel and Adventure Show. There are several more around the country over the next few months. The speakers vary at each show. Samantha Brown will be at the New York Show. Rick Steves is coming to Los Angeles. Dates, locations, and pricing can be found at TravelShows.com.