It's Friday and I am so excited about this week's featured blogger mainly because she is the first blogger I avidly followed, she's as nice as can be and just awesome in every way.
STEFANIE AT BROOKLYN LIMESTONE
Along with renovating her amazing limestone in Brooklyn (and telling us all about it on her blog), Stefanie is an avid traveler. She and her husband take the most incredible trips including Moscow, Paris, London, Bali, Hong Kong, etc. In addition, Stefanie chronicles her trips with the most gorgeous photographs that she shares on her blog. Since Stefanie is such an experienced traveler, I chose to ask her some questions about that. Thanks Stefanie for this and all of the other hours of enjoyment your blog has given me. Listen as Stefanie tells us all about her travels.
Paris
My husband always says I don't vacation but that I travel. Is that true of you?
Well, we always talk about trying to squeeze more relaxation into our trips but we don't often succeed. Its just too hard to resist the allure of all the amazing things to experience and see in each new destination in exchange for a little extra sleep.
What is your favorite travel destination?
This is a really tough question because we've loved so many of our trips but I think I'd have to say South Africa. Experiencing a safari is like nothing we had ever done before or since - it really is magical. (And this is coming from the least outdoorsy person on earth!). That added with the beautiful city of Cape Town has made that trip our favorite.
South Africa
What are your travel must haves?
I pack pretty light so this list is pretty short: a carry on size suitcase, a camera and a guidebook.
Are there any places you travel to over and over again?
There are a few destinations we've been to a couple times but I think the general answer to this question is no. 99% of the locations we've visited were amazing and we'd absolutely love to return. But with limited time to travel, we usually have someplace new on our list we'd like to explore so it wins out.
How do you decide which places to travel to?
We always have a few destinations that are on our wish list so its usually a matter of circumstance. Where we can find availability, a good deal and the timing works out with our schedules. We talk about travel a lot so its usually a pretty organic discussion that happens over time until something comes to fruition.
What places are on your travel wish list?
I could fill a book with the places I'd like to go but I'll just give you the hot list right now. A safari in East Africa, swimming in the Dead Sea in Israel, seeing the giant turtles in the Galapagos Islands, island hopping in Greece, experiencing the Aurora Borealis somewhere near the Arctic circle.
What are your best traveling tips?
1. Pack light. Your entire trip will be so much more enjoyable if you aren't dragging your entire closet behind you.
2. Its okay to go to the tourists traps. They usually are quite fun (hey, they got to be popular for a reason!). Don't take yourself so seriously.
3. Eat the local cheap food, stay at a nice hotel. The former is usually better than anything you'll get at a much higher price point and the latter is worth the splurge for lovely linens, prime locations and helpful front desk staff to point you in the right direction.
Thanks again Stefanie!
Everyone have a great weekend and let me know what is on your travel wish list?