Shereen Rayle's Blog, page 114

Surviving a Cruise with Kids

You might be weighing your options on how to plan a vacation that your whole family will love. Kids have short attention spans sometimes and want instant gratification, so perhaps a cruise where there's always something going on and you have a finite amount of time in each port to get off the boat, do something fun and then get back on to get ready for the next stop.
photo creditDo Your Research on ShipsAll cruise ships are different and offer things that other ships don't. Also, smaller ships...

Flying with Kids Without Losing Your Sanity

Traveling with your kids can be really rewarding, but it can also be stressful, especially when stuck for hours on a plane with nowhere for them to play and having to convince them to sit still. You need to start planning for your stint on the plane before you even leave your house. You don't need to pack a ton of stuff to keep kids entertained and busy on a plane, so don't resign yourself to splurging on baggage fees already. I mean, you've already shelled out all the money to fly to your de...

Ways to Make Your Road Trip Awesome

In preparation for my road trip next month, I've been packing and coming up with ideas for what to do, what to bring and what to eat along the way to Vegas. It's 16 hours, but I'm obviously going to get out of the car to jump around and stretch at points instead of getting there super tired and hunched into a permanent sitting position. An obvious stop for me is Weed, California, because I love that little town and the quaint little mom and pop diner there. Going on a road trip of your own in...

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Dublin

Saint Patrick’s Day is bearing down on us in a few short weeks and you know what that means? Green beer and stupid hats? Maybe, but that’s really only if you’re an American and can turn any holiday, traditional or obscure, into a reason to get drunk and cause a ruckus. At least you’re fun and know how to party! In Ireland, you will likely find NO green beer, shamrock sunglasses or green felt leprechaun hats, unless it is marketed solely to tourists. In fact, in Ireland Saint Pa...

Get Two Vacations Out of One

It can be hard enough to make one vacation happen, but what if you can get two vacations instead? How do you do this without spending much more money? Use a stopover to hit up a second destination. Iceland Air is famous for allowing you to stop in Iceland for up to a week while on your way somewhere else, but that's just one place and it's not exactly the cheapest one to visit. Check out this great infographic QuestOrganizer put together to help you find awesome stopovers. 
Top 20 st...

Super Useful (Romantic) Travel Posts

So, Valentine's Day is just a few days away. Maybe you have already planned a trip or gift, but if you haven't here are some fun ideas...which you can probably use next year. Sorry. Set yourself a reminder after you read this and then go hit up the grocery store for flowers, and fancy tablecloth and provisions to cook the greatest meal ever (lobster is always good, but think about what would make your significant other happy). 


photo creditSnuggle with your Valentine while flying in or o...

48 Hours of Fun on a Budget in Kalispell, Montana

In this blog series I show you how easy it is to budget travel anywhere and I also give you a quick overview of a new city each time in a brief 48-hour itinerary.

photo creditLast fall I met with the Montana Visitors Bureau reps and learned about all the cool things there is to do across the state. If all goes well, I'll be headed to Montana in the Spring, so I can bring you first-hand pics of the incredible landscape and show you exactly how dog-friendly they are there. Today, I want to talk...

Taking a Romantic Staycation

With everything else going on in life, it's possible you don't have the time or money to take a Valentine's Day getaway, even if it's a budget-friendly one. There's also the fact that everything seems to be twice as much as normal over the Valentine's weekend. I'm not sure why that is, since it only discourages people from spending money they don't have in the first place to prove the love they should be proving in little ways throughout the year. If you want to make the effort to show your V...

Celebrating Mardi Gras with Community Coffee

We're less than a week away from Mardi Gras, people! Fat Tuesday, and the biggest New Orleans festival, kicks off next week. Mardi Gras has it's roots in old traditions from Medieval Europe (most notably Rome and Venice), taking the best modern ideas to turn it into the celebration it is today. If you plan to visit during this festive time, or to throw your own raucous party, there are a few things you should know. Community Coffee has your top 10 must-knows.

10. How to spell “krewe” and “flam...

Road Tripping on a Budget With The Camry Hybrid

If you're like me, you love a road trip. Unfortunately, having to fuel up can make a long trip less budget-friendly and flying a better deal in the long run. Even with gas prices down, those costs can really add up, which is why a hybrid can be your new best friend when it comes to saving money when hitting the road. Whether you're at home or driving down the coast, Toyota's hybrid selection should be on your list to check out when you're in the market for a new car.


A few weeks ago I had the...