Jun 22

Best Time to Sail Croatia – 7 Reasons Why You Should Do Sail Croatia in October

Croatia is a beautiful country and a quickly growing tourist destination.  The number of visitors increases yearly – the number that visited between 2010 and 2017 increased by 64 percent!  There are many charming villages to visit, and some of the best villages are on the islands.  While you can take ferries to most of the islands, a great way to get around is by yacht.  I chose to use Sail Croatia, a well-established yacht company that not only does charters but also will put you on a boat and pair you up with a roommate of the same sex.  These are my thoughts on the best time to Sail Croatia – why you should do Sail Croatia in October.

A Typical Day on Sail Croatia

Breakfast was a set one hour each morning.  I would typically get up early (usually when the motors were turned on in the morning) and have some coffee while watching the boat start sail for the day.  Breakfast would be a small buffet with both cold and hot choices.  We would continue sailing, and you could relax on the sun deck and watch the views of islands go by or take a nap.  By late morning, we would stop near and island or a cove for a swim – we would usually stop for an hour.  There would be time to dry off and shower followed by a three-course lunch.  Our guide would give us tips on things to do for the upcoming afternoon and evening, and showing points of interest on the town maps (we were provided a booklet of activities and maps on the first day).  Depending on the island we were visiting for the night, we would dock either by mid to late afternoon, and then we would be set free.  You could stay with the group or set out on your own.  Some evenings, the guide would coordinate a group dinner or group time to meet up to hit one of the bars in town.   Since we were docked in the towns, we were free to board at any time so you could go to bed early or stay out as late as you want, as long as you were back on the ship by the sailing time (typically 7 am).  The next day we’d do the same and visit another amazing village or island and this continued for seven days.

The sunrises were amazing on Sail Croatia. You can enjoy them if you didn’t stay out long partying!

Why You Should Do Sail Croatia in October Reason #1 – Much Smaller Crowds

Tourism in Croatia is booming.  The number of tourists visiting Croatia has doubled in the last 10 years.  It’s popular with Europeans, Chinese, and Americans alike.  The latest boost came from Game of Thrones tourism – there are many GoT filming sites are around Split and Dubrovnik.    October is a lovely time to visit Croatia because the crowds are way smaller than the peak time of July to August.  That being said, don’t plan on having the walls of Dubrovnik to yourself – large cruise ships continue to visit until the end of October – there are days in October that have 1000’s of day-time visitors from cruise ships.

Have the streets to yourself in the evenings in October

Why You Should Do Sail Croatia in October Reason #2 – Mild Weather

The temperatures in high season – July and August can be downright HOT!  The weather in October was my perfect touring weather – warm in the day, warm enough to wear shorts or work on our tans by laying out on the sundeck as we sailed from island to island.  Cool evenings, but perfect to sit outside with a light jacket or sweater enjoying some Croatian wine in a restaurant.  October does have a slightly higher chance for rain when compared to the summer, but it is not typical to rain all day.  On our one-week cruise, it only rained twice – once in the morning while we were motoring from island to island and once for a short time in the late afternoon.  However, that storm crated some really cool views, a rainbow, and unique colors in the sea when the sun came out after a short flash storm.

A Croatian rain storm

Why You Should Do Sail Croatia in October Reason #3 – It’s still possible to swim!

One of the main draws of sailing in Croatia is the ability to swim in the amazing coastal waters directly from your boat.  I won’t lie – the water is a little chilly in October, but it is still bearable and after the initial shock of getting in the cool water, it becomes quite comfortable for swimming. 

Best Time to Sail Croatia
The swimming is fine (if a little chilly) in October

Why You Should Do Sail Croatia in October Reason #4 – Fall Colors

I love the colors of autumn – red’s, yellows, and oranges.  It’s lovely to visit the vineyards and see the change of leaf colors on the islands and mainland of Croatia.  If you add a trip to Plivitce Falls onto your Sail Croatia trip (super easy to get there from Split by a day tour or overnight trip using public transportation), October is an awesome time to visit with fewer crowds and great fall colors if you visit in the right week – the leaves fall really quickly here – I visited at the start of the autumn colors and the trees were nearly bare when my friend visited only a little over a week later. 

Fall colors in Croatia

Why You Should Do Sail Croatia in October Reason #5 – It’s still OPEN

Croatia is very much a seasonal destination.  Many hostels, guesthouses, restaurants, and tourist sites close down for the winter.  While some of the hostels may already be closed in October, most of the restaurants, bars, and attractions stay open until the second week of October, perfect timing to coincide with your Sail Croatia cruise.  Several shops and restaurants said they were on their last night or week during my visit, but you will not have trouble finding a place to visit, eat, or drink when you do Sail Croatia in October.

All the sites are open in October in Dubrovnik

Why You Should Do Sail Croatia in October Reason #6 – Dock in the Towns

There are many more boats sailing the Croatian coast from June-September each year.  So much that sometimes you will have to dock out of town requiring one or more of the following ways to get into town – longer walks, busses or shuttles.  There’s even one island that in busy time, the boats have to dock on a nearby island and you need to take water taxis into town.  Although the boat company may pick up the ride into town, since everyone is coming back at different times, you may have to pay your own water taxi back.  In October, we were able to dock in town every day, meaning no extra cost in time or money to get into town.  Sometimes we were docked only steps away from the town square, shops, bars, and restaurants.  The other cool thing about docking in town is being tethered to the other boats, so you get to walk thru other boats and check them out.   One night there was a party on another Sail Croatia boat and I crashed it!

Why You Should Do Sail Croatia in October Reason #7 – Save $$$

You can save some real money by traveling in October.  For example, in the summer of 2019, on the 7-day Navigator Cruise, the cheapest trip in a lower cabin in late July/early August is 829 British Pounds.  The October departures are 469 British Pounds.  The savings can be even more if you’re traveling on an Explorer or Elegance Cruise.  So the savings are at least 360 British Pounds, or $458 for a week long yacht cruise.  That’s over $65 per day for what?  Warmer water to swim in?  I’d take smaller crowds and mild weather and this HUGE amount savings over a few degrees warmer water any day!

Sail Croatia… so relaxing.

 Sail Croatia Review – What I liked about Sail Croatia:

1.       The boat – I was on the Magellan in 2018, a ship that Sail Croatia was going to “retire”.  We saw some of the other Sail Croatia boats like the Cristal and they all looked amazing!

2.       The crew – even though we were the last departure of the year and the crew was looking forward to going home to spend time with family, they treated us well.  The crew consisted of a captain, 2 deck hands, a chef, waiter, and a guide who planned events, coordinated optional activities, and gave us ideas of what to do in each town.  If the chef likes you there might be an extra chocolate pancake in it for you.  Wink. Wink.

3.       The food – all the meals on board were great.  Breakfast and lunch were hearty enough, it would be possible to just snack or have a salad at dinner time (but most of the time we wanted to try Croatian cuisine so we ended up eating dinner anyways). 

4.       The optional activities – nearly each day had one or more optional activities.  I did a few of these and they were all good.  I especially liked the dinner in the village – handmade pasta, lots of salad, and homemade wine.  While at first it seemed expensive, it really wasn’t much more than you’d pay for dinner in town and it came with free-flowing wine and multiple courses. 

5.       The fellow passengers – I was looking for a small ship Croatian cruise for older people, not the “party” Navigator type and the Sail Croatia Explorer class boat was perfect – a mix of ages and a group that liked to go out on occasion but didn’t feel the need to drink from the moment they woke up to sunrise!

After visiting Croatia, I highly recommend visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina or Montenegro, these much less visited countries are beautiful and cheap.

This post contains affiliate links.  This website earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you. 

All sail Croatia cruises depart from Split or Dubrovnik- (Check rates and availability of Split hotels) or (Check rates and availability in Dubrovnik).

Like this post? Click on an image below to save to pinterest.

Jun 18

Best Time to Visit Seattle as Recommended by a Local

Seattle is a popular tourist destination, with over 40 million visitors last year.  It’s also notorious for being a really rainy place. Having lived in the Seattle area for 15 years, when I travel, I often get asked the question “When is the best time to visit Seattle?”  The answer: it depends.  For dependably nice weather, I would say go between July and August.  But for smaller crowds and mostly decent weather, I would pick one of the shoulder months like May-June or September – October.  If you want snow sports and/or indoor activities, visit from January- March.  Each season has its own pros and cons.   Here are my thoughts on each month, and my favorite festivals in each month – you might want to plan your trip around one of these fun events.  This post contains affiliate links.  This website earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you. 

Best Time to Visit Seattle
Seattle’s most famous building – the Space Needle

Best Time to Visit Seattle – Consider the Weather First

Seattle is famous for its rain but there are a few months each year with little rain, and if visiting at other times of the year you may get lucky and have little rain, or it might rain all week.  One thing about Seattle rain is that it rarely pours – but drizzle, light rain, and grey skies are common.  Fun fact: New York City gets more rain (in inches) than Seattle.

Best Time to Visit Seattle
Seattle Weather Chart; Source: NOAA

Visiting Seattle in Spring –

Spring is notoriously rainy, but in recent years it’s been much drier than usual.  It’s a good time to visit if you want fewer crowds, and there are some great festivals. 

Visiting Seattle in April

April is a nice month to visit.  The Alaska cruises haven’t started and kids are in school, so the number of tourists are relatively low.  My only warning about April is that is can be quite rainy, but it’s possible to have a week of sun too.  Two top reasons to visit in April:

  • The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is located an hour north of Seattle and are working tulip fields.  It’s so beautiful to see acres of daffodils and tulips, in every color imaginable, with the Cascade mountains looming in the distance.
  • The Cherry Blossoms at the University of Washington – go to the quad to see all the blooms.  Later in the month is a Cherry Blossom Festival
  • If you want to try many of the nicer restaurants in Seattle and surrounding for a reasonable price, visit during Seattle Restaurant Week.  This happens twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring.
Visit Seattle in April
Enjoy the beauty of Skagit Valley in the Spring

Visiting Seattle in May

The Alaska cruise season starts in May, and tourism becomes busy starting this month.   Although there are still many children in school, so it’s not as busy as June – August.

If you like alternative music, Labor Day weekend is the time for the Sasquatch Music Festival which takes place at the Gorge Amphitheater, located a couple hours east of Seattle in George, WA.

Visiting Seattle in June

One of my highlights of Seattle is visiting the free Chittenden Locks in Ballard.  You can see the salmon running in the salmon ladder from mid-June to September each year.

If visiting in June, don’t miss:

  • the Fremont Solstice Festival – Celebrate the end of Spring and beginning of summer by watching the famous parade.  Don’t miss the naked bicyclists before the parade!

Visiting Seattle in Summer –

If you want to (almost) guarantee sunny weather, you should schedule your visit between July 5 and the end of August.  There is a running joke amongst Seattlites that it rains until July 4 each year, and sunny from July 5th and on.   If you’re into hiking, July to September are the best months, as many trails are snowed over until early or mid-July.  I probably shouldn’t tell you this little known secret because we already have too many people moving to Seattle, but we don’t have mosquitoes. That’s right, I don’t even use my screen door because there are no mosquitoes. So when the midwest and Alaska are swarmed in the summer, Seattle and surrounds are a great place to avoid those pests.

Visiting Seattle in July

July is one of the two busiest months – the most cruise ships visit Seattle and many others take their vacation to the city.  You are almost guaranteed sunny days in July.  When I first moved here, we would only get a few days above 90 degrees per Summer, but now expect many more days above 90 degrees in the months of June through August. 

July is my favorite month to visit Mount Rainier – the views and wildflowers near the easily accessible Paradise visitor center on the south side of the park, and Sunrise on the east, are gorgeous. But, it’s also the busiest month for Mount Rainier and parking, especially at the best spots, is at a premium. Insider tip: arrive as early as possible to obtain parking. Hikes of varying difficultly with views of the mountain and wildflowers are available from both parking lots.

July has several events that are well worth attending:

  • Independence Day – July 4th – many cities and suburbs have fireworks shows.  The biggest show in town is in Lake Union.  You can watch the fireworks from Gasworks park or find one of the boat companies offering a fireworks “cruise”
  • Seattle Seafair – this is the biggest festival of the year.  Favorite events are the torchlight parade, watching the Seafair pirates, jet boat racing, and the Blue Angels airplane show.
  • Many communities have concerts and movies in the park.  It’s fun to bring a picnic and wine in a discreet container and listen to some live music or watch a classic movie.
Wildflowers and Mount Rainier

Visiting Seattle in August

August is also very busy and likely to be hot and sunny.  August is the most likely month to have nearby wildflowers and smoke in the air.  There have been recent years when the air in Seattle was worse than Beijing! 

Some of my favorite events in August include:

  • Festival of the River in Arlington.  This festival is my best (no longer) kept secret.  Sponsored by the Stillaguamish tribe and Angel of the Winds Casino, this free festival features known musicians, food such as a salmon bake, and a pow wow.  I’ve seen artists such as Leann Rimes, the Wallflowers, Los Lobos, and Rick Springfield at this festival
  • Many of the suburbs are having festivals, for example the Kirkland Summerfest.
  • Concerts and Movies in the park continue to the end of the month

Visiting Seattle in September

In my opinion, the best time to visit Seattle is September.  The number of tourists is shrinking as kids go back to school and the end of the Summer Alaska cruise season.  This is one of the best months for hiking – the temperatures are perfect for hiking and every trail is open.

Seattle September events:

  • Bumbershoot – each Labor Day weekend, the Seattle Center is closed to host this music and comedy festival
  • Ellensburg Rodeo – Ellensburg is a little over 1.5 hours east of Seattle and they have a great rodeo over labor day weekend, and while you’re there, check out the Kittitas County Fair (included in admission).
  • Fremont and other suburbs have their own Oktoberfest.

Visiting Seattle in Fall –

If you visit timing is right, you can catch a University of Washingon Huskies or Seattle Seahawks football game – both are in outdoor stadiums.

Visiting Seattle in October

Although Washington is the Evergreen state, there are some places around Seattle that you can enjoy the fall colors.   One of the best places to see Fall colors in Seattle is the Washington Park Arboretum.  Other botanical gardens include Kubota Garden and Bellevue Botanical Gardens.  If you’re into hiking, there are lots of great fall color hikes in the Cascade Mountains.  I research on wta.org for the latest trail and fall color conditions. In my opinion, October is the second best time to visit Seattle for the best combo of moderate weather and fewer people.

My favorite events in October include:

  • Leavenworth Oktoberfest – they bring in musicians from Germany and of course there are loads of pretzels, brats, sauerkraut, and beer.
  • Various cities celebrate the Indian Diwali festival of lights.
October hikes reward hikers with fall colors

Visiting Seattle in November

November might be my least favorite month to visit Seattle.  In fact, most Novembers I go on vacation to somewhere nice like Antarctica, Colombia, or Cuba.  The days are so short and the weather can be really nasty – heavy winds and horizontal rain is common in November.  If you do visit in November and the weather is nasty, check out my list of best indoor attractions in the “Visiting Seattle in Winter” section below.  For foodies, consider visiting during Seattle Restaurant Week, Oct/Nov is the second time it happens each year (April being the other month).  November is also the date of the Seattle Marathon.

Visiting Seattle in December

The days of December are super short, but there are lots of great indoor events and lots of great Christmas events that include:

  • The Nutcracker Suite at the Seattle Ballet
  • Leavenworth Tree Lighting – drive up to Leavenworth for choirs, alpen horns, a living nativity, and countdown to lighting up the town after singing “Silent Night”.  Warning: this event is extremely busy on the weekends, so expect a full crowd.
  • Bellevue Botanical Gardens – I love visiting the garden in lights.  You can pick up a scavenger hunt list that has you looking for frogs and butterflies in lights amongst the gardens.  If you visit early in the season, entrance is free!
  • Since Seattle is surrounded by water in the form of the Puget Sound, Lake Union, and Lake Washington, it’s only appropriate to celebrate Christmas with lighted ships.  The annual Argosy Christmas Ships festival has touring lit boats with local choirs that make stops at various harbors and beaches in the Seattle area.  You can purchase a ticket to ride on board, or view from on land.
  • Woodland Park Zoo WildLights has the local zoo lit up in December. 
Leavenworth lights

Visiting Seattle in Winter –

Winter certainly has the fewest visitors and hotels are the least expensive.  Expect rain and grey skies in Winter, with occasional days of sunshine.  Snow if fairly rare in Seattle, as the city is just above sea level, but if you want to see the most snow you’ve ever seen in your life, you only need to drive one hour to Snoqualmie Pass – the pass averages nearly 35 feet of snow per year!  If you’re visiting Seattle in Winter, you’re probably visiting for outdoor winter sports, such as skiing or snowshoeing, or visiting some of the many indoor attractions.  The best indoor attractions include the Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle Library (don’t just visit for the books – the Architecture is amazing), Pikes Place Market, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, the Museum of Flight, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center, Smith Tower, Seattle Aquarium, MOHAI, and MoPOP.  I also recommend visiting Tacoma, less than 1 hour south of Seattle, to visit the Museum of Glass or the LeMay Car Collection.   There’s also many performance arts in Seattle that include touring Broadway at Paramount and 5th Avenue Theater, Seattle Symphony, and Seattle Ballet. There’s also year-round outdoor destinations that are great for exploring like Pioneer Square or Fremont.

Seattle Aquarium starfish
See the Pacific Northwest sea life at the Seattle Aquarium

Visiting Seattle in January

January is the best month for skiing.  The best place to ski near Seattle is Stevens Pass along highway 2, but other ski slopes within a couple hours of Seattle include the Summit at Snoqualmie Pass and Crystal Mountain near Mount Rainier.  

If you like boats, there is an excellent Seattle Boat Show where you can see many smaller boats at the expedition and then take a shuttle over to Lake Union to tour multi million dollar yachts.

Visiting Seattle in February

February is similar to January in weather and activities.  The best special invents include:

  • Boat Show continues.
  • There’s a large Asian community in Seattle, and one of the many Asian festivals includes the Vietnamese New Year, celebrated in February.  Many of these events takes place in the International District on the south end of Seattle’s downtown.

Visiting Seattle in March

March is a good month to do some of the low elevation hikes around Seattle, as most should be snow free.  The city is typically rainy.  Special events in March include:

  • Although it’s usually too early to see blooming tulips, you can likely see daffodils and migrating birds such as Snow Geese and Trumpeter Swans in the 1,000’s in Skagit Valley, about an hour north of Seattle. 
  • Other events include the Moisture Festival and St. Patrick’s Day festivities. 

What do you think is the best time to visit Seattle and why?  I’d love to see your comments below.

Check Rates and Availability for Seattle Hotels. If you can afford it, it’s well worth staying in the downtown area, there is so much to do there is it’s connected by public transportation and tours to most places listed in this post.

Like this post?  Click on the image below to save to pinterest.

Best Time to Visit Seattle

Jun 03

Salton Sea Sunset and Sunrise – Salton Sea photos that make you want to visit

Last winter I spent a month and a half camping near the Salton Sea.  One of the highlights was witnessing the wonderful Salton Sea sunset and/or sunrise each day.  These are some of my favorite photographs.

Best Places to see the Salton Sea Sunset:

Salton Sea State Recreation Area – this state of California park has day use and camping right on the shore.  Look carefully at the “sand” on the beach – it’s millions of fish bones.

Sunset at Salton Sea State Recreation Area

My favorite secret spot for sunset is the deserted Niland Marina Park.  There is a broken boat ramp where you can get very close to the shoreline. 

Sunset at Niland Marina
Organic bubbles on the edge of the Salton Sea at Sunset at Niland Marina

Bombay Beach is another great spot for sunset.  If there hasn’t been recent rain, you can wander out on the beach to take your Salton Sea sunset photos.

Christmas sunset at Bombay Beach
Bombay Beach Art Boat at Sunset

If you want to see the sunset in the sand dunes, you can head to the nearby Hugh T. Osborne Lookout Park in the Imperial Sand Dune, off of highway 78 about an hour southeast of the Salton Sea.  It was coming back from the dunes that I saw these sunset views just east of Brawley:

Highway 78 Lone Tree Technicolor Sunset
Brawley, CA Palm Trees at Sunset

Best Places to see the Salton Sea Sunrise:

I did not get over to the west side of the lake, but I imagine there are some great places to see the sunrise.  On the east side of the sea, these were some nice spots…

Head over to Bombay Beach to get photos of the pink sky.

Bombay Beach Drive-in Movie Theater at sunrise
Sunrise at a makeshift statue in the desert outside of Bombay Beach

Staying in the Fountain of Youth Spa, it was easy to wake up and wander into the desert to get some sunrise photos:

Sunrise with the lights of Fountain of Youth Spa
Sunrise near the Chocolate Mountains, Fountain of Youth Spa
Desert Flowers at sunrise at the Fountain of Youth Spa
Pools open at 6am at the Fountain of Youth Spa

Other Things to Do Near the Salton Sea:

 This post contains affiliate links.  This website earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you. 

Where to Stay

Fountain of Youth Spa!  An awesome campground with great facilities – 2 pools, 4 party sized hot tubs, steam room, 3 private mineral baths, and more!

Like this post? Click on the picture below to save to pinterest.

May 27

Visiting the American Gothic House in Eldon, Iowa + Other Nearby Places to Visit

One of the most iconic paintings of the 20th century is American Gothic by Grant Wood.  This famous painting depicts a man holding a pitchfork and a woman looking off in the distance in front of white farmhouse.  It is now possible to visit the American Gothic House, located in Eldon in southern Iowa. 

A Little About Grant Wood’s American Gothic Painting

It wasn’t until I visited this museum that I learned so much about American Gothic.  Did you know…

  • Grant Wood often painted scenes from around Iowa.  He picked out this farm house in Eldon, Iowa due to the interesting shape of the gothic window on the second floor.
  • American Gothic was painted in 1930
  • The models for the painting was Grant’s sister, Nan, and their dentist.
  • Many think the picture is a husband and wife, but it’s really a farmer and his daughter
  • There are plants on the porch, these plants are begonias, that also were depicted in another famous Wood’s painting, Woman With Plants.
  • It’s one of the most parodied paintings of all time.
  • The original copy is located at the Art Institute of Chicago
Grant Wood's American Gothic
A replica of American Gothic

American Gothic House Museum

In this excellent little museum, you can learn almost anything you’d like about Grant Wood and American Gothic.  You can watch a 28-minute PBS documentary about the painter and painting.  A room with exhibits contains more info about the life of Grant and his sister, and contains loads of pop culture parodies of the famous painting – from magazine covers depicting the Reagans to Madonna and Sean Penn. 

Recreate Your Own American Gothic Painting

A highlight of a visit to the American Gothic House is to dress up like the farmer or daughter (complete with a collar and cameo or a button-down shirt and overall jeans, grab your spectacles and pitchfork, and make your own American Gothic picture.  The museum staff will dress you and help you take your pictures if you aren’t traveling in a group – or have poor photographers in your group 😊.  They have many sizes of costumes – from XS to XXXL, and pitchforks of varying height – so you can get photos of toddlers to tall adults.

American Gothic House Museum Gift Shop

The gift shop has a wide variety of goods, from books and bookmarkers to magnets and refrigerator magnets.  Proceeds benefit the museum.

American Gothic House Museum Cost

The museum and dressing up is free, but they will gladly accept donations. 

This post contains affiliate links.  This website earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you. 

American Gothic House – Where to Stay

If you love small town life, there are a couple of really nice places to stay in the quaint town of Bloomfield.  (Check Rates and Availability).  Alternatively, you can stay in nearby Ottumwa that has quite some choices of hotels, including the historic Hotel Ottumwa (Check Rates and Availability).

Other Things to Do Near the American Gothic House

Take this short road trip to cross the Des Moines river and visit Amish Country and the county seat.

American Gothic House Map

Bloomfield, Iowa

The main square in Bloomfield, Iowa is so cute.  The center of the square features the grandiose Davis County courthouse (Iowa has some really beautiful courthouses).  Make sure you walk around the square to see the Statue of Liberty.  If you have time, catch a movie or a community theater play at the Iowa Theater.  There are several restaurants around the square but the best place to eat is the  Southfork Restaurant & Lounge on the south end of town, or you could go a couple blocks north of the main square to Elena’s Ice Cream Shop.

Bloomfield Statue of Liberty

Dutch Country General Store

There’s a large Amish population in southern Iowa and there are several shops selling Amish Wares.  The Dutch Country General Store advertises free soft serve ice cream cones, free popcorn, and free coffee.  There’s a wide selection of groceries and dry goods that include cheese curds, snacks, saltwater taffy, honey, and Amish quilts.  Make sure you check out the whimsical signs out front!

Check out this other place in the midwest where you can dress up to recreate art – this time recreate the woodchipper scene from the movie Fargo.

Do you like this post? Click on the picture below to save to pinterest.

May 19

Best Day Trip from Skopje – A Day Trip to Matka Canyon

Skopje, Macedonia (pronounced Scope – E – ah) is a real gem that isn’t widely discovered by many tourists like other Eastern European capitals.  It’s a charming city with great culture (incredibly cheap ballet, symphony, and opera!) and architecture.  The best day trip from Skopje is a day trip to Matka Canyon.  It’s surprisingly close to the city but the nature and small monasteries are great to visit. 

Best Time to Visit Matka Canyon

Like most places, I recommend visiting on Shoulder Season (the months before and after July – August).   It’s best to visit mid-week or if visiting on the weekend, visit earlier in the morning.  Weekends in the summer are the busiest time, and you will have no peace.  My friends and I did this trip on October 31st and had lovely weather and very small crowds.  Keep on reading for tips what to do and how to get to Matka Canyon.

Things to do at Matka Canyon – Matka Canyon Boat Trip

There are two Matka Canyon boat trips on offer – a 25-minute ride for 200 Macedonia Dinars ($4), or 400 Dinars ($8) for a one hour ride that includes a visit to the cave.   This way will show you quite a bit of the canyon and Matka Lake but my only complaint was the boat driver was texting the entire trip!  So much for texting and driving. 

Things to do at Matka Canyon – Matka Canyon Kayaking

It’s also possible to rent kayaks for 130 dinars per ½ hour, and less for incremental time.  The kayaking on Matka Lake looks quite easy – very little flow in the canyon.

Things to do at Matka Canyon – Matka Canyon Hiking

There is a rocky hiking trail that is cut out of the canyon wall.  There are great views around every corner.  The trail isn’t difficult but the steps are very uneven.  Only do this if you have good shoes (no flip-flops!)

Alternatively, you can pay a boat to take you across the river to take the short, but extremely steep, 45-minute climb to the Nikola Church.  If you want to visit the interior of the church, ask before you go.  My friend did this hike and found the church was closed.  This hike can be very slippery if the trail is wet or you’re visiting in autumn when there are many leaves on the ground. 

Views around every corner while hiking

Things to do at Matka Canyon – Visit Vrelo Cave

If you do a motorized boat trip, you can visit a really beautiful cave.  Our boat stopped and the boat driver started up a (loud) gas generator to illuminate the cave.  We thought it was very worth the visit to this cave that has nice stalactites and stalagmites, as well as a small lake inside.    There doesn’t appear to be any hiking trails that come to this cave and I’m unsure if you can visit with a kayak.  At minimum you would need your own light source or get lucky to visit at a time when one of the boat tours is here to see it with lights.

A big surprise of Vrelo Cave is that it’s home to one of the deepest springs in Europe and is famous for cave divers. Can you see why the cave formation below is known as the “pine cone”

Matka Canyon cave

Things to do at Matka Canyon – Visit the Dam

If you’re interested in dams, you can check out the dam visitor’s center.

Matka Dam

Things to do at Matka Canyon – Visit a Small Church

In addition to the Nikola church that involves a hike, you can also visit Church St. Andrew, located near the main visitor sites (Restaurant, boat rides) of Matka canyon. There is a small fee to visit this church, built in 1389.

Things to do at Matka Canyon – Eat at Matka Canyon Restaurant

If you just want to sit, relax, and enjoy the views, you can have a meal or drinks at the Matka Canyon Restaurant, part of the hotel.  I enjoyed a coffee with a view! 

There’s also a restaurant in the small village next to the Matka bus stop.  This restaurant overlooks the river and the artificial whitewater rafting course below the dam.

Enjoying a coffee at Matka Canyon Restaurant

How to Get to Matka Canyon – Skopje to Matka Canyon

An easy and cheap way to get to Matka Canyon is to take the local Bus #60.  It starts from the main Skopje bus station (the local section, outside of the International Bus Station where you get onward buses to Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, and beyond) and it goes directly to Matka Canyon where you get off at the very last stop.  Make sure you buy your bus ticket before boarding the bus, as most bus drivers don’t sell tickets.  Purchase a refillable bus pass and load at least 300 Macedonian Dener (About $5.50 USD) in credits to Matka.  These passes can be purchased from various kiosks, but in the main bus station, they can be purchased from the old bus on the sidewalk near the restrooms.  Alternatively, you can catch this bus from various stops on Bulevar Partizanski Odredi (the main road in front of the Skopje City Mall).  The ride to Matka takes less than an hour.   From the bus stop at Matka, it’s an easy 20-minute walk to the Dam and the start of the lake.   Warning about the bus pass: 300 Deners is only a round trip to and from the canyon.  We were told it was good for 3 one-way trips but when we tried to use it a third time, we found the full value had been used.  Luckily the bus driver stopped long enough for us to load a little more money, because we almost got a fine when a ticket inspector boarded the bus at the next stop. 

If you are coming by car (your hotel can arrange a driver, or you can negotiate with any of the many taxi drivers around town), there is a small car park outside the canyon.  This lot was packed the day of my visit when there weren’t many tourists so I can’t imagine what it might be like during a summer weekend day.

day trip to Matka Canyon
Skopje to Matka Canyon Driving time 30 minutes – Source: Google Maps

This post contains affiliate links.  This website earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you. 

Matka Canyon – Where to Stay

If you’re not in a rush to get back to Skopje and beyond, consider staying the night at the charming inn at the start of Matka Canyon, appropriately named Matka Canyon Hotel.  “Hotel” is an overstatement but it’s a cute guesthouse right on the lake, with an attached restaurant.  The advantage of staying here is waking up in the morning and enjoying the calm of the lake before all the tourists arrive for the day.  Check Rates and Availability

Alternatively, if you only want to do a day trip to Matka canyon, there is a wide range of accommodation from hostels to apartments to 5-star hotels in Skopje city (Check Rates and Availability). 

Like this post?  Click on one of the pictures below to save to pinterest.

May 12

A Vancouver Island Road Trip (The Perfect Vancouver Island Itinerary)

A couple years ago, I planned and enjoyed this Vancouver Island Road Trip.  I’d like to share this Vancouver Island Itinerary with my viewers so you can recreate this trip packed with wildlife, scenery, culture, kitsch, flowers, and fun! 

This Vancouver Island itinerary requires your own transportation.  While there is some public transportation on the island, having your own vehicle opens ups so much more.

This post contains affiliate links.  This website earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you. 

All photos in this post taken by Lumix Superzoom fz80 camera.

The Best Time to Visit Vancouver Island

The best time to do this particular Vancouver Island itinerary is August to early October, due to the best time to see Grizzly Bears and snorkel with salmon.  However, this trip could easily be done in the spring or earlier in the summer and substitute activities such as kayaking and spending time in Victoria in place of the wildlife encounters. If you visit in winter and spring, expect lots of rain. However, viewing the storms out of Pacific Rim National park is a bucket list item for me.

Vancouver Island Road Trip Day 1 – Arrival and visit Butchart Gardens

If taking the ferry from mainland British Columbia or Anacortes, you’ll likely arrive in Sidney, BC and may need to cross customs.  From there you will drive to the world famous Butchart Gardens.  These magnificent gardens are over 100 years old and a top tourist attraction of British Colombia. You will spend the afternoon enjoying the gardens.  If visiting on a Saturday, you can enjoy live music and maybe the spectacular fireworks show.  After the fireworks, view the Night Illuminations (park aglow with lights) and a half hour recital from the rare Aeolian Pipe Organ situated in the loft of the Organ Pavilion.  All shows are included in the standard Butchart Garden tickets.  Learn more about Butchart Gardens here.

Where to stay: Victoria, BC (Check Rates and Availability)

Vancouver Island Road Trip Day 2 – Totem Poles, Tall Trees, and Goats on the Roof

You can sleep in a little today and after breakfast, you will leave Victoria and make a relaxing 2 ½ hour drive up the southern part of the island with multiple stops to see some of it’s best natural, cultural, and culinary sites.  It’s worth the stop in Duncan to do your own walking tour to see 38 totem poles in the town.  You can then drive to Morningstar Farm, a working dairy, to do cheese and wine tasting -Mooberry winery makes wines and dessert wines with fruits grown on Vancouver island and Little Qualicum Cheeseworks makes several types of cheeses.  Next, you will head to the famous Coombs Old Country Market for ice cream.  If you’re lucky, you will get to see the goats that feed on the grass on the roof of the market!  From here, you will head to the Little Qualicum Falls for a short walk to the waterfalls and then to Cathedral Grove to see the accessible giant Douglas Fir trees.  One of the trees is nearly 30 feet in diameter.  You will continue to Port Alberni which will be your base for three nights

Where to stay: Port Alberni (Check Rates and Availability)

Vancouver Island Road Trip Day 3 – Road Trip to Pacific Rim National Park

Today you will take a whole day road trip to the Pacific Rim National Park.  Make sure you check the tide charts so you can make the most of your day.  Then stop at the visitor’s center on the way into the park to get maps and advice on what hikes you might want to undertake.    Make sure you visit Chesterman beach tide pools at low tide where you will see all sort of sea creatures – anemones, starfish, and maybe even an octopus.   Consider taking one of the boardwalk hikes to the sea, the old growth forest is amazing.  Make sure you leave enough time to drive into Tofino to check out the boutique village and Uclulet so see the lighthouse.   See more about visiting Pacific Rim National Park here.

Where to stay: Port Alberni (same as prior night)

Vancouver Island Road Trip Day 4 – All Day Boat Ride to Bamfield

Today you will board the Lady Rose ferry boat for a relaxing day cruise up to Bamfield.  You board for a 8:00 sailing from Port Alberni. This boat delivers passengers and mail along the way.  You have one hour to walk around the small village of Bamfield with time to see the cathouses, treehouse toilets, and do a quick little hike to the beautiful beach.  Make sure you explore the tide pools at the beach to see the colorful starfish and urchins.  On the return trip, make sure you keep your eyes open for whales, seals, eagles, and bears – we saw all of these on our journey.  You can have lunch in the galley on the ferry and even have a beer or wine while watching the scenery go by.  Back in town, make the quick trip out of town to Stamp Falls to see the salmon running.   Read more about the ferry ride to Bamfield here.

Where to stay: Port Alberni (same as prior night)

Vancouver Island Road Trip Day 5 – Go North and Visit Elk Falls

Today you will set out on a road trip along the east coast.  You will take the scenic part of highway 19, called 19A, for part of the way and will spend much of the drive along the coast, in the forest, and with views of rivers and lakes.  Our total drive time today is about 4 hours, so you have plenty of time to make stops along the way.  One stop will be at the Quinsam River Hatchery.  If you are lucky, you can safely watch black bears plucking the abundant salmon from the river if you visit around September.  You should also stop at Elk Falls Provincial Park, where you can do walk to the waterfall that involves crossing the new suspension bridge.  As you approach Port McNeill, if you have time you can take the short detour to Telegraph Cove, a historic whaling port, or just take a walk around the harbor town of Port McNeill, your home for the night.  You can go to the Haida Way Pub for chicken wings and beer.  See more about Elk Falls Provincial Park. 

Where to stay: Port McNeill (Check Rates and Availability). 

Elk Falls Provincial Park

Vancouver Island Road Trip Day 6 – World’s Largest Burl & Whale Watching

Today you will head to the port for your whale watching trip.  Just across the parking lot from the port is  the worlds largest burl.  A burl is a large knot in a tree, that is often denser wood popular in making furniture.  This one is HUGE!  I can’t imagine how big this tree was.  At 10:00 you head out with Mackay Whale Watching on a 4-5 hour orca watching expedition.  In addition to orca whales, you may spot Minke whales, pacific white-side dolphins, Dall’s porpoises, harbor seals, steller sea lions, Humpback whales, and a variety of sea birds.  The 55 foot vessel called the Naiad Explorer is equipped with heat, restrooms, and a hydrophone so you can listen to the whales.  The cruise includes lunch of soup, buns, and dessert.  Make sure you bring warm clothes, jacket, and sun protection.  After the cruise, you will start heading south again with a 2.5 hour drive to Campbell River.  Read more about Port McNeill whale watching here.

Where to stay: Campbell River. For two nights (Check Rates and Availability).  I recommend the Anchor Inn that has a beach view, hot breakfast, and a large indoor pool and hot tub.

Vancouver Island Road Trip Day 7 – Grizzly Bear Viewing

Today is your 8-hour Grizzly Bear tour.  The various companies swap times to travel to the Bute Islet, so the date of the tour and the company you use will dictate what time your tour begins.  That leaves you with a couple free hours to explore Campbell River.  Perhaps have a walk along the Rotary walk along the waterfront.  When it’s time for your tour, you will board the boat for Discovery Marine Safaris Grizzly Bear Expedition trip – hopefully a highlight of the trip.  It will take about 2 hours to cross the inside passage to Bute Inlet where you will be hosted by the Homalco First Nation and take shuttles to several platforms in the salmon spawning grounds where grizzly bears are often seen this time of year.  A wide array of other wildlife such as deer, elk, and sea life might be spotted, too.  A sandwich and cookie lunch catered from a local bakery will be served on the tour.  Water, tea, and coffee is also included.  The spacious boat has restrooms.  If you have a later departure and if the weather is nice, you may be rewarded with a nice sunset on the water on the way back to Campbell River.  See more about the Discovery Marine Safaris Grizzly Bear Expedition trip.

Where to stay: Campbell River for a second night

Vancouver Island Road Trip Day 8 -Snorkel With Salmon and/or Visit a Museum

You have the choice of two events this morning, or do both! – you can visit the Campbell River Museum or you can raft down a river and go snorkeling with the running salmon.  This is literally one of the craziest things I’ve done in my life – read about Snorkeling with Salmon here.  After lunch you will start on the journey south and take a break in the town of Nanaimo where you can sample the aptly named Nanaimo bar, a chocolaty, coconut-y, buttery treat.

Where to stay: Chemainus  (Check Rates and Availability). 

Vancouver Island Road Trip Day 9 – Time to go Home, or Extend Your Trip

From Chemainus, it’s a 1.5 hour drive to the ferry terminal.  Note that the international sailings require you get to the ferry terminal 90 minutes before your trip.  Enjoy the sailing to the mainland, the trip is beautiful! 

Where to stay: finish your trip or stay a little longer to explore Victoria.

Check out these other things to do in British Columbia

Like this post? Click on the photo below to save to pinterest.

May 03

Day Trips From Mostar (Herzegovina Tour)

Everyone goes to Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to see the famous rebuilt bridge and to walk the streets, shop, and eat.  If staying longer, it’s well worth visiting some of the attractions in these day trips from Mostar.  Note that the area around Mostar is technically part of Herzegovina, something I didn’t learn until my couple weeks spent in Bosnia. 

Day Trips From Mostar – How to Get Around Herzegovina

If you have a car or hire a guide/driver, you could easily visit all these sights around Mostar in two days.   

  • By Driver/Car or Tour: Expect to pay around 30-60 euros per person for a full day trip around the area.  My friend and I saw the first six sights in the list below with a car/guide for 30 Euros each (plus entry fees).   A fantastic tour offered by Nina’s Hostel.
  • By Car: When I visited in October, I met some people that had some incredible deals on rental cars for longer periods of time.  I visited the last two sights on the list below with another traveler that had a car.  It was a leisurely day that allowed us to explore and stop by the road to take pictures and buy fruit, as we wished.
  • By Public Transportation: Some of these places aren’t accessible by transportation, as noted below.

Things to See Around Mostar:

With exception to Kravice Falls and Medugorje , these sights don’t have tons of visitors – in some cases, we had the whole place to ourselves!  Herzegovina is a real hidden gem in the Balkans and Europe.

(1) Mostar Aircraft Hanger

This underground airplane hanger was secret when it was being used in the days of Yugoslavia.  The hanger still connects to the airport, but the camouflage covering no longer exists.  You can still see the evidence of the camouflage – Styrofoam painted to look like the rock around it.  You can walk or drive into the hanger (just watch for glass and nails, as it’s becoming a landfill with discarded garbage, furniture, etc.)  Take a flashlight/torch with you so you can explore the hanger and make sure you scream inside to check out the incredible acoustics (watch this video of our echoes).    

 If you don’t have a tour or car, it’s possible to walk or bike to the Hanger from town (1.5 hours walk each way).  This place can be found on Google Maps as “Mostar Aircraft Hanger”, just off of highway M6 across from the Mostar airport. 

(2) Blagaj – the Dervish House

A bit further from the hidden Mostar hanger is the small village of Blagaj.  This place is not far from Mostar.  Blagaj is the home of a spring in the mountain that is the source of the Buna River.  Just outside of this cave entry is Blagaj Tekke, a Dervish Monastery from Ottoman times.   You can take a short boat ride into the cave, visit the monastery, or have lunch or coffee along the Buna River.

You can get to Blagaj by car or by bus from Mostar – the #10 and #11 buses go there.

(3) Pocitelj Old Town

Pocitelj is a small town established by the Hungarians in the 1400’s and heavily influenced from later Ottoman rule.  The village is built upon the karst hill, with a hammam (bath) at the bottom, the mosque in the center, and a ruined castle fort and tower at the top of the hill.   The views of the Neretva River are great – the river is an amazing color of blue.  During my visit in the fall, I bought fresh pomegranate juice from ladies near the car park. 

It’s possible to get from Pocitelj by any public bus on the way from Mostar to Dubrovnik or Montenegro.  There are a couple cute guesthouses here and in the nearby Capljina. 

(4) Kravice Waterfall

Kravice Falls National Park (also known as Kravica Waterfall) is Bosnia’s answer to Plivitce Lakes National Park in Croatia.  While not nearly as large as Plivitce, it is nearly as beautiful.   Unlike Plivitce, you can swim in the river below the falls. 

You must have your own transportation or tour to Kravice Falls.  It’s not possible to visit by public transportation. 

(5) Medugorje

Medugorje has gone from a small village to a bustling pilgrimage city in a matter of a few decades.  Catholics from all over the world come to Medugorje with hopes to catch a glimpse of the Virgin Mary or to capture a tear of Jesus in a tissue.   Pilgrims climb up Apparition Hill, where six Croat children claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary in 1981.  Since then, Madugroje has grown and become quite the destination.  You can also attend services and confess at the large cathedral, or visit the Risen Christ statue which unexplainably has a liquid emanating from the metal statue.  Catholic pilgrims stand underneath to capture this liquid.  It was dripping from the “backside” when I visited… absolutely fascinating.  Another cool thing to do is visit one of the many shops that sells religious knick-knacks.  If you want a life-size statue of Jesus or Mary, you can buy it here! 

As Medugorje is a city, it’s quite easy to get here by public transportation or shuttle.  Mostar is the main airport for visiting here for the many pilgrims that fly in to only visit this sight. 

(6) Mostar Overlook (Hum Hill)

From various points in Mostar you can see a white cross on the top of a hill.  The “Millennium Cross” on the top of Hum Hill is lit in the night.  From the cross is the most amazing view of Mostar.  You can really see the division in infrastructure between the Croat and Bosniak sides of Mostar.   The story of this hill is really quite sad and you can still see some of the sniper hides from the days of the siege. 

You can either get to the top of Hum Hill by car or hike from Mostar.  The hike takes at least couple hours up and a little bit less to come down.  It’s recommended to walk along the road as there are still active landmines on this hill. 

(7) Radimlja stecak (grave stones)

Radimlja is a necropolis with many stecak, grave stones from the time around the 1500’s.  These gravestones can be found all over the Balkans, but most are in Bosnia.  Radimlja is probably the most famous site, as it contains over 100 in one spot and many have intricate carvings.  There’s a small entry fee that includes the stones and a small museum with restrooms.  There’s a nice picnic spot shaded by grapevines. The best time to visit is late afternoon when the sunlight is on the most interesting carvings.

It’s possible to get here by the bus from Mostar to Stolac.  See another famous stecak in Lukomir, near Sarajevo.

(8) Stolac Town

If you visit Radimlja stecak, it’s well worth the trip just a few kilometers further to visit the charming town of Stolac.  This town has a mix of religions, but you will notice the strong Croat (Catholic) presence in the downtown.   One of the best things to do in Stolac is to hike up to the Stolac Old Town on the hill to explore the ruins and have a nice view of the river and city.  For lunch stop into Restoran Behar.  They have a nice seating area on the small river with a view of the castle on the hill. 

This post contains affiliate links.  This website earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you. 

Day Trips From Mostar – Where to Stay in Mostar

There are loads of places to stay in Mostar, from hostels to fancy hotels.  Check Rates and Availability at booking. 

Do you like these day trips from Mostar? Pin this post by clicking on the photo below…

Apr 21

Things to Do in Ensenada While on Cruise (One Day in Ensenada, Mexico)

So you’re on a cruise on Princess or Celebrity from California to Hawaii and back, or one of Carnival’s short little 3 or 4 day jaunts from Los Angeles to Catalina Island.   But there’s this pesky law called the Jones Act.  The Jones Act requires cruise ships that travel within the USA, including Hawaii, must make a stop at a foreign port.  So, for cruises originating in California, there’s a need to make a stop in northern Mexico.  Since Tijuana isn’t a nice destination, the ships stop in the lovely Ensenada, Mexico.  These are the best things to do in Ensenada while on cruise – the best things to do with one day in Ensenada. 

Ensenada Self Walking Tour

It’s possible to do your own walking tour, the total walking time is about 1 hour which leaves plenty of time to make stops along the way.  This post details the best things to do in Ensenada, which are all along the path marked in this Ensenada walking tour map, and these items are in order if you do a counterclockwise trip along this path. 

Ensenada Walking Tour Map – Source: Google Maps

Take Your Photo at the Ensenada Sign

As you walk towards town, the first notable sight is the Ensenada Sign.  If you leave the ship early, you should be able to get some pictures without loads of people in them. 

Ensenada city sign at the cruise port

Visit the Hotel Riviera del Pacifico

From the sign, you will walk over to the Hotel Riviera del Pacifico.  This hotel was all the rage during the US prohibition.  Americans would come down to Ensenada to imbibe in tequila and other drinks.  This hotel was a hangout for movie stars and mobsters.  If there’s no event going on, you can wander the halls of this place that’s now an event center.  There are some interesting murals and chandaliers.  The hotel is supposedly haunted so watch out for the ghost!  There are several souvenier shops in the courtyard and the Bar Andaluz that is one of the two places in town that claim to be birthplace of the Margarita, the limey, tequila drink. 

Chandelier at Hotel Riviera del Pacifico

Go Shopping

From the hotel, you’re going to head towards Hussong’s Cantina via Primera Street, the main shopping street in Ensenada.  There are loads of shops along this street with everything from Mexican goods to knock-off NFL stuff. 

One of the recommended shops is Bazar Casa Ramirez, a 2-story shop with some unique Mexican crafts.  Check out the snack and drink selection at 7-11.  They have loads of products that aren’t available in the USA.  Pop into a drugstore where you can buy many drugs without prescriptions, at a fraction of the prices of the USA.  Hey, you might even pay for your cruise by the savings!

Hit a Bar

When you’re done shopping, head up to Ruiz Avenue.  It’s time for an alcoholic refreshment.  If you want to visit a historic cantina, head over to Hussong’s Cantina.  Hussong’s also claims to be the birthplace of the Margarita.   If you want loud music and something more modern, head over to Papa’s & Beer, just next door.   There’s also a gift shop in the vicinity if you want to bring home some Hussong’s or Papa’s gear.

Hussongs Cantina

Go Look at the Seafood at the Fish Market

From the bar you will head towards the pier.  At the pier, look for the big white arches which are the entry into the Ensenada fish market.  The market is in a big blue building, with the names “Mercado Negro” and “Mercado de Mariscos” painted on the side.  You will see the catch of the day including fish from small to large and all kinds of weird seafood.  While you probably shouldn’t buy fish to bring back to the US, you likely could purchase something to have cooked at one of the restaurants flanking the fish market.

I don’t know what this seafood is, but it doesn’t look very appetizing Edit: they are called Geoducks, it’s a type of clam.

Eat Fish Tacos

If you want some authentic food, stop at one of the restaurants next to the fish market.  I walked around and selected one that had more locals eating.  Despite the cruise ship in town, I didn’t see any of my fellow cruise mates dining at the fish market.  Prices are moderate, I paid about $4.50 for a beer and two fish tacos with a wide selection of salsas and other condiments. 

Selection of Salsa

Go for a Harbor Cruise With Locals

From the fish market you will go back out to the waterfront.  Walk about a block towards the cruiseship and look for a sign on a wooden building with a sign that says “Juanitos”.  If you walk around here, you will likely have a guy come up to you and offer you a private harbor cruise (i.e. you pay for the whole boat), but if you look around and see a bunch of Mexican people getting on a boat, this is likely a boat taking tourists.  Go down the ramp and ask the boat captain “Puedo?” which is “may I?”   If he says “Si” then grab a seat on the boat and put on a life jacket (required in the port).  They will come around and collect the fare for the 45-60 minute ride, which is 50 pesos, or about $2.50 USD.  I paid my money and sailed away, the only non-Mexican passenger.

Under the bow of the ship

As we pulled away from port, they cranked up the volume on lively Spanish music and I danced in my seat.  The boat pretty much drove under the bow of the cruise ship.  It’s amazing how small I felt under the bow.  The tour boat honked at the ship and I waived at the cruise ship passengers as we sailed by.   From there, we went out further and cruised by some buoys and platforms that had California seals.  I wasn’t very animal-friendly, but the boat bumped into one of the platforms gently, so the seals jumped in the water.  This is the most fun you can have for about $2.50 in Ensenada! 

Hit the Park and More Shops Before You Head Back to The Ship

There is a park and a few more shops to check out are you near the ship.  Into perfumes?  The best perfume shop is near the port… a big white building called French Parfum Perfumería. 

View of the ship from the waterfront

Watch the Seals

Seals seem to love the rocks near where the cruise ship docks.  You can either watch them from the shore or spy on them from the ship.  It’s so fun to watch them play in the waves and watch them warm themselves in the sun.

Sunning Seal

Want to Travel Further?

Lots of people like to visit the wineries or Walmart.  There are tours, shuttles, and taxis available at the port or thru the cruise line.  If you want to get out of town, you can get a tour to La Bufadora, a blow hole that blows up to 100 feet in the air!

Can You Use US Dollars in Ensenada?

Every time I spent money in Ensenada, I was able to spend USD.  You may get change in either Pesos or USD.  You might get a slightly better rate if you pay in pesos, but it’s not worth an ATM fee if you’re only going to be spending a few dollars (I spent less than $10 on my Ensenada walking tour). 

Is Ensenada Safe?

I felt very safe walking around Ensenada using the route mapped above.  The least comfortable thing about walking around is the aggressive salespeople on the shopping street, but it’s fine if you have a sense of humor about it. 

This post contains affiliate links.  This website earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you. 

Not visiting on a cruise and have more than one day in Ensenada?  Check out Rates and Availability for Hotels in Ensenada

Check out other things to do in Mexico.

Like this post? Click on the picture below to save to pinterest.

Apr 19

The 11 Disadvantages of Blogging – The Dirty Truth About Blogging

Have you already run across one or more of the multitudes of articles (aka advertisements) that perpetuate the myth that you can make bunch of money from blogging.  How your life will be awesome, how you can travel whenever and wherever you want and make loads of money while doing it.  The truth is, a very small percentage of bloggers ever make any money from blogging, and even fewer earn a living wage.  They are happy to sell you a course on how to be a better youtuber, instagrammer, or blogger (often for hundreds of dollars), or there’s a nice little commissioning link to buy your domain and pay for 1 or 3 years of hosting.  But what most bloggers won’t tell you are the Disadvantages of Blogging. 

This article is written from the perspective of a travel blogger, but what I surmise from forums of other genres (such as mommy blogging, automobiles, LQBT, personal finance, product reviews, beauty, politics, etc), these themes recur everywhere. 

Disadvantages of Blogging #1 – It’s a Money Pit

Blogging is like being a musician.  It’s something people like to do to share their artistic side.  Many have dreams of making it big and making decent money and maybe even being famous.  But most travel bloggers will never make a cent – they will spend much more on traveling, learning the trade, and blog costs than they ever will make in income.  This is like musicians.  Of all the kids that start an instrument in grade school or junior high… they all (or their parents) spend money on their instruments, band trips, lessons – some have dreams to join a rock band.  Maybe they get a gig here or there, but do they ever earn enough to cover their costs?  Like musicians, very few bloggers break even, and if they do, it takes YEARS.   I make more in two hours of my day job than I’ve made in revenue on my blog in two years!  And when you include my expenses, I’m still hundreds of dollars in the hole (and that’s excluding the money I’ve spent on travel, which puts me thousands of dollars in the hole). 

Disadvantages of Blogging #2 – You are at the Mercy of Algorithms

Each platform, be it Google, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or others, continues to tweak their algorithms.  Sometimes it will increase your views but often it will reduce your traffic, and sometimes devastatingly.  See these real-life examples:

Does anyone know if Pinterest changed their algorithm? I’ve lost about 100,000 monthly viewers in the last few days but haven’t done anything different with my pinning. I was gaining thousands per day until a few days ago. I know clicks and saves are more important, but it was still nice to see it & my engagement numbers grow. Any ideas?

**

Who else has experienced a drop in traffic over the past couple of months? I’m hearing it’s pretty widespread and based on the August Google algorithm update. My traffic has dropped almost 50%.  Who has insight on how to get the traffic back?

**

Has there been an Instagram algorithm change? My Instagram stories went from getting 1500-2000 views per snap to just DROPPING to only 400-600 views ‘like this.’ This week I’ve been posting more engaging content than ever before that my viewers would LOVE and it is getting NO views.

Disadvantages of Blogging #3 – People Will Steal Your Stuff

This happens all the time, more than you might know.   I’ve have seen so called “travel blogs” where the “blogger” was publishing dozens of new blog posts a day.  I don’t care if you write content 24 hours a day, it’s not possible to publish this much new content without stealing it.   Check out this post on stolen blog content. 

Disadvantages of Blogging #4 – The Competition is Fierce

Did you know there are over 150 MILLION blogs!  There are probably 10’s of thousands of travel bloggers and new bloggers start every.single.day.  In the olden days, you could write a 300 word blog post about a place and google would send traffic to your site in the 1000’s.  Now people write posts of 2,000 or 4,000 words hoping to rank high enough in google to get 100’s of visitors a month.  

Disadvantages of Blogging #5 – You will Spend 100’s of Hours on the Stupid Stuff or need to Hire a VA to do it

Blogging isn’t just writing something and having loads of traffic running to your site to see it, and lots of money earned for you.  There are 100’s of hours spent on Social Media, figuring out where you can share your material.  Learning the tricks of the trade (I actually like the learning, although it’s slow going).  Many of the more popular blogs hire Virtual Assistants, or VA’s who do their busy work, like engaging with people on pinterest and Instagram. 

Disadvantages of Blogging #6 – You Are Likely Constantly Asking For Free Stuff

Sure, the best bloggers get offered free stuff all the time – from clothing and products to trips.  But how can you gain the experience of working with businesses unless you work with businesses?  How do you get noticed by these businesses without having content?  Most bloggers don’t have a bottomless bank account to buy stuff and travel.  There has been some widespread backlash against “influencers” who ask for free meals or stays on Twitter and Instagram.  There has even been an article in the NY Times recently called “No, Your Instagram ‘Influence’ is Not as Good as Cash, Club Owner Says”.     

If you do ask for free stuff, get used to rejection, which usually comes in the form of non-response. 

Disadvantages of Blogging #7 – Get Used to Haters

Even though blogs are an expression of your experiences and opinions, it’s not uncommon to attract haters – people who disagree with your opinion.  I the most extreme case, someone might target you online or in person for your opinion.  Here are some real-life stories:

How do you deal with haters?  This niche makes people seemingly want to distrust me no matter how much I approach everything with only good intentions. And because I do really care, it’s hard to switch off, even when I’m on my Christmas holiday. Sometimes I wonder if I have thick enough skin to be a blogger. How do you manage it?

**

If haters are a sign that you’ve made it then I guess I’ve really made it big. Lol.  “I’m sorry but this is the most insipid column I have read in years. Your bubbly inanities and your woeful lack of insight do a disservice to any thinking, sensitive person. Writing like yours seems to transform ignorance into knowledge and cluelessness into insight. Please stop this nonsense. Read some books, learn some history, master a language or two. Just stop publicly blathering and please stop calling your self-referential childishness “advice.” It is not. It is self indulgent drivel.”

**

About a month ago, I got an email from a weird dude saying that he disagreed with one of my articles and sent me a link to a .blog site that he had set up to write about his thoughts on what I said. The article was all the way back from 2016 and was an opinion piece on teaching in a foreign country which I did before I blogged seriously. I worked for a corrupt school and wrote about it. That post is the only negative thing on my site.  His article basically calls mine BS and accuses me of lying which isn’t the case but anyway. It’s not constructive criticism, just nastiness and he makes sentences like “so she wrote about the country for a large travel site, I don’t know how since she’s clearly culturally ignorant…” and the post title is the name of my article and “is full of lies”.  Anyway I got mad about it, and let it go. Then last night he contacts me again to say he has written a second post adding more thoughts to his first post about me. In this one he says I am clearly incapable of teaching and was a classic example of someone who teaches English in this country so they can party (not the case and I don’t even drink). I’m feeling pretty upset about it. Worst of all, I actually met this guy twice at expat events and he seemed a little strange then, but I was super nice to him. I’m hoping very few people will find his hate site, and those that do will just see him as a bully.  Funnily enough, he has started social media for his site and things like a work with me page, it’s my understanding that he’s unemployed now and maybe he wants to be a Blogger but who attempts that by hating on someone else? I just hope the posts about me don’t continue. wonder if I can report them. 

Disadvantages of Blogging #8 – Hackers can Undo All Your Work

You spend 100’s of hours on your work, but then someone decides to wreck it or hold it hostage.  In many cases, fixing the hack will cost $200 or more.  This is a lot of money if you’re not making any money on your website.   See these real-life examples:

So as it turns out my site has been hacked by something called the “japanese keyword hack”. All of the posts/pages I worked so hard to get ranking high on google have now been removed. Some that are still ranking are showing in weird Japanese characters.  The reason that my files keep messing about seems to be because of that. I am restoring my site to one week prior and then switching hosts but I need to remove the hacked files.  Can anyone recommend any malware/tech companies that can help me to clean up my site?

Hi all, my travel Instagram account has been hacked after I clicked a link and gave away my log in details. Now the hacker is blackmailing me. I had about 105k followers and now I’m unable to log into my account. Does anyone know what I can do? I’m desperate. Please help. 

Disadvantages of Blogging #9 – Stay Compliant or Maybe Pay the Piper

Then there’s the European Privacy Laws that are CRAZY harsh – you can pay millions of Euros for non-compliance.  Sure, I see the importance of maintaining secure e-mail lists.  Even if you collect email addresses or even track page views, there are rules that must be followed.  Now some of the US states are passing web privacy laws.   It’s very difficult for an independent or hobby blogger to keep up on all of these rules.

Disadvantages of Blogging #10 – You Are Competing Against Fake Followers and “Engagement”

Have you ever noticed a seemingly boring Instagram feed that has tens of thousands of followers?  Remember the story about all the fake followers, sometimes referred as “bots”?  Or an Instagram picture that has a disproportional number of comments.  There is no way an ordinary picture of a canyon can garner more than 200 comments.   There are likely 1000’s of secret facebook groups dedicated to “I’ll follow you if you follow me” or “I’ll like or pin your photo if you like or pin mine”

Check out these real-life stories:

 Are bots back? This Instagram “star” got comments like “nice beard’ and “ great video” ( when there isn’t one) and clearly it’s almost all done through power pods or purchases.

**

A lot of likes are bots. Even if we don’t pay for them, some hash tags are more prone to bot followings than others so you can end up with a lot of fake likes. I got over 300 likes on a photo of my ceiling when using my best performing hash tags. I did it a few times as a dumb test over the period of a week last May, and each time I got over 300 likes. At that time, I got around 800 to 1k likes per proper photo.

Disadvantages of Blogging #11 – You May Get a Stalker

This is especially a problem for Female bloggers and influencers.  See these real-life stories:

I stopped posting my IG stories in realtime because of stalker issues in the past, so I normally delay it 24-48 hours, and when I announced I was in a new country, who knew I’d already have an eager “fan” waiting and ready to “greet” me. Yikes.

I was stalked on social media and real life. Attorney did the trick. Guy moved to another city. Continued to stalk me on social media. Blocked him until he finally stopped.

I really don’t know what to do here. This dude on Instagram keeps soliciting me for nude selfies and every time I block and report him he just makes a new account. He’s been at it since April but lately his frequency is increasing. He’s found my email and is bothering me there too now. It’s really triggering and it’s getting to me, which I guess is his point. Honestly not sure what to do when ignoring him doesn’t work and neither does blocking him.  EDIT: to those suggesting the police, if he were physically stalking me maybe I could do that, but what are the European police going to do about a guy in Australia?

This post contains affiliate links.  This website earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you. 

Do You Still Want to Start Your Own Blog?

I am not going to tell you blogging is the greatest thing ever.  You should consider all of the disadvantages of blogging above and decide if travel blogging is worth it to you.  If you are even a little bit unsure, do yourself a favor and save yourself hundreds of hours and dollars.  If you still want to blog, I’m not going to sell you anything.  I’m sure there’s another blogger that would love to sell you some hosting and a course on how to be a blogger.  If I’ve convinced you not to blog, take a little bit of the 100’s of dollars you’re saving and buy yourself something nice!

  Go Shopping at Amazon Now:

Can you think of any other Disadvantages of Blogging?  Please leave your comments below.

Apr 19

My Website Was Stolen! Real Life Stories of Copied and Stolen Content on the Web

So you became a blogger because you want to share your ideas and stories with the world.  There are so many websites that are in business to make money, but to make money you need content to drive people to the site.  The unscrupulous and profiteering websites have no problem copying or being heavily inspired by other’s content.  This plagiarism is more widespread than you might think.  See these real life stories of stolen content on the web:

They Will Steal Your Entire Content

Just found out that this website stole my article with all the photos and text. Also noticed that it stole a bunch of other bloggers’ content.  What would you do in this case?

**

A website copied my most popular blog post and is passing it off as their own. Now, I am being questioned by another company as to why there is duplicate content of my blog post.  Here’s the real kicker: The copycat fabricated a publish date on their blog post that is EARLIER than my publish date.

I know there are ways to see the ACTUAL publish date of a blog post, and I need to do this to prove that the copycat duplicated my content—but they’re clever! The 2 ways I know of (doing an “inurl” search on Google and viewing “Page Info” on Firefox) they bypassed! They found a way to hide their publication dates on those 2 methods. I even tried Wayback Machine, but that page of the copycat’s site has not been crawled.

Do you know of any way I can prove that they copied me, and not vice versa? This is important for a business deal. I hate that my integrity is being questioned like this.

**

Just found a load of my posts including images stolen/copied on this website (thanks to google alerts), they have a shed load of content so I assume they are doing the same to others

**

****Theft of blog post alert******* 
I found this site –  copying two or three blog posts word to word with my photos under their author ship. I reported them to google yesterday.
Please check if your pages are not copied by them as they have thousands of destinations which look like copied from big travel blogs…
Please suggest other than reporting to Google more I can do on this?

**

I just checked the backlinks for my travel blog and looked at a website that showed a few do follow links to my site.It turns out that this person copied my complete article (doesn’t contain any affiliate links) and the internal links I put in this post go back to my site. Is there anything I should do about it? There is no contact page or anything like that on the site. I am a bit worried because it is duplicate content but also someone has stolen my content and uses it as theirs.

They Will Use Your Photos Without Your Permission

Hey guys I’m looking for some advice. Someone stole one of my images and put it up on a free stock photo website. I have contacted the website and they have removed it with minimal hassle, though now this image is on so many freakin websites and the owners all thought it was a free for use stock photo. What is the best way to go about getting the photo taken down from these websites? It’s going to take some time contacting each owner individually, but that’s the only resolution I see. Or do I just let it go and move on to more important things …

**

Someone used my photo in a widely distributed newsletter without giving me credit.  I contacted them and they said they used a free stock image.  I think they found the image in Google Images which is NOT free stock photos.  I asked them for credit in a future newsletter but they’ve published a couple and didn’t give me credit.

**

Chick posts a pic on fb that looks identical to mine. Turns out she stole it from a site that isn’t mine. That site, hosts a pic that is identical to mine. 
The problem; it shows more top of the image than my Instagram pic. And the article was published two years before I posted my pic…. is it remotely possible that we were actually both there at the exact same time taking a pic. The clouds and shadows are identical. Theft or same time are the only options here.
What can I do?

**

New way to discover if someone stole your images! If you right click in Chrome -> Search Google for image, you can see if anyone stole your images. I also strongly recommend watermarking them as most thieves are lazy….and my image on their website states ALL RIGHTS RESERVED…so it’s pretty cut and dry although I recommend a less ugly/subtle watermark. I did a PDF print of their website just in case.

I did it just wondering how it worked…and I just found out that a Slovenian radio station republished my blog post with stealing my images (as well as some of yours)… and I’ve sent them a DMCA notification. There is a program called CopyTrack that will help.

They Will Steal Your Pinterest Pins

Hi everyone! I just discovered a guy on Pinterest who’s sharing THOUSANDS of stolen pins leading to his own website. I saw my pins over there and recognised many more stolen from other bloggers I know. It’s so annoying how these people can steal so easily and apparently get a pretty good traffic as well.

**

FYI, this pinterest account/board seems to be stealing a lot of people’s pins, and directing them to their own site.

They Will Copy Your Content but Change a Little Bit

My website was copied almost 1:1 looks like they automatic change some words to synonyms. It reads really weird.

**

There is a website that stole my entire post and images, translated it to a new language and didn’t give us any credit or ask permission.  I have already submitted a claim with copytrack.

They Will be Heavily “Inspired” by Your Content

Hey all! I need a piece of advice on plagiarism today! Here’s a situation.  I have a post on my blog about regional cuisine and the regional dishes one must try in a city in Russia, which is my hometown. As there’s no proper information about the food of my region even in Russian (let alone English) I took some time to do research, met with local chefs, and asked local restauranteurs to write the post so it came out truly unique. There was nothing like this on the Internet until Fifa World Cup 2018 happened and everyone started writing about hosting cities.

A few months ago I accidentally came across an article on a famous travel online magazine about regional dishes in this city which is largely based on my post with an addition of a few extra foods. I reached out to them and got in contact with an editor asking for at least a link and a note that their article is based on mine. To which she agreed which basically means she admitted that I was right (and not paranoid as I first thought). After a few emails, she stopped replying. I reached out several times, tagged them in tweets, but my following, at least on Twitter, is not so big to really make any damage.

Iit’s not a copy/paste situation, but say out of 6 dishes they recommend – 4 are in my post.  I can’t prove it. It’s really the little things… like I included a burger on that list as a joke, because one restaurant calls their burger after the name of the city and makes it with local ingredients. Obviously, it’s not a regional dish, it was just my creative take on it, but the large website that copied my post has it too.

**

I caught a “journalist” from Iowa writing about my state on a popular site.   She getting paid for her listicles and NOT visiting the places she’s writing about. This site is taking work from paid and unpaid people and using it to generate money as a for-profit enterprise.  Sites like this completely diminishes the work that is done by journalists and creative content writers.

Who is Most Likely to Steal or Copy Website Content?

  • Fly by night travel booking companies
  • Other bloggers
  • While it’s hard to prove, big name websites clearly use blogger content and pass it as their own
  • Aggregator Sites, which pass off as big name websites.  I see so many of these posts shared on Facebook and I’m sad that most of their content is heavily copied, whether they give photo credit or not. 

Have you ever had your website content stolen?  Leave your story in the comments below.

This post contains affiliate links.  If you found this information useful, consider using the links to support this website which earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you.