Shereen Rayle's Blog, page 34

Review: Travelon's Greenlander Compact Sling

Summer is coming, and with it come farmers' markets, festivals, vacations, and more time outside. If you hate carrying around a bag, but still need to carry the essentials, then the Greenlander Compact Sling from Travelon is your new best friend. I wore it to an event downtown this past weekend and it was awesome.

The compact sling is the perfect bag for travel as well. Walking through the airport can be stressful and having to dig through your bag for your phone and your passport or ID is annoyi...

Banksyland On Tour

Last week we had the joy of viewing international art at home. Portland is the first (and possibly only) stop on the tour of Banksy art called, appropriately, Banksyland. This includes art from a private collection, canvas prints of large building murals, videos, and possible recreations. 

While not all the pieces are original pieces, it's okay, because proceeds from your ticket go toward charity. Eric and I have been to the UK and seen a few of Banksy's pieces, including some of his famous rats....

How To Try Travel Sharing

It's no secret that travel share is a booming industry. With less mainstream ways to travel on a budget, it's easier than ever to travel the world without going broke. I'm all for going independent when I can to save some bucks, especially if I have plenty of traveler reviews to back up the safety and legitimacy of it all. 

Instead of staying in a hotel or eating at a traditional restaurant or going to the big box car rental places for some wheels, why not go local and more affordable?

 
Accommodat...

A Disney Vacation In a Box

So, I had such a fun time creating my own Destination Date Nights and then planning a Japan staycation for my friend, that I decided to do it again. We were meant to go to Walt Disney World in 2020, and then again in 2021, but with Covid, and then all the terrible laws and government since then, we postponed and then outright cancelled our vacation. Our friend was going to meet us down there. 

A bit of a behind the scenes pic

The disappointment from us all has been understandable, and we'll eventu...

Summer Vacations Can Be More Affordable

Travel is expensive. Travel in the summer is even more expensive, and airfare is rising quickly right now with demand and gas rates way up. Luckily, there are ways you can save on all parts of your trip, including activities. You can even find deals on entire vacations. 

Here are the sites I recommend checking out. Rakuten - formerly EbatesGet paid to shop! Here's how it works: Sign up is quick and easy, then you're ready to shop! When you have a hankering to buy something, say, at Sephora, go to...

National Travel & Tourism Week

National Travel and Tourism Week starts tomorrow, so I wanted to kick it off by talking about some of my favorite budget travel tips and destinations, and then destinations I have on my short list. Then, hopefully, you all can tell me about the places you've loved and would love to go to in the comments.
My FavesWhile we haven't been super world travelers, we have gone to some pretty great places. I love going to new destinations and learning about different people and cultures and history. Some ...

Dinner In Vietnam At Home

Yes, we've started traveling again, but we enjoyed our Destination Date Nights so much, we've decided to continue doing them. This last week we had dinner in Hanoi, Vietnam. This week is the lead-up to Reunification Day. April 30th marks the day in 1975 when the two parts of Vietnam unified under the same government. 
Not only is Vietnam a great budget travel destination, it's also gorgeous and, exports some wonderful things (coffee, cashews, black pepper...), and is very proud of their culture, ...

Travel "After" Covid

Covid isn't gone, but we're also all slowly getting back to normal, including traveling. That said, many of us having really traveled for 2 years, and now that we are, we're doing it differently than before the pandemic took hold. 

I have to say, that I love the contactless systems in place. Even though travel has gotten more complicated in some respects, it's also gotten much easier in others. I'm excited to see what kind of travel experiences are in store for us in the future. Here are what mos...

How To Plan Your 2022 Summer Trip

Travel is back, but this summer trips are probably going to cost you a lot more than usual, especially with sky-high gas prices and airfare. While you can't change those two things, you can do some others in order to make that trip a little more affordable. 

While I generally warn against traveling in the summer if you can, we often spend a week in Las Vegas to attend the NBA Summer League games. We have been so many times, we know where to eat and what to do to make up for the money we spend on ...

The Best Outdoor Adventures You Can Have in Utah

Utah is a beautiful state. Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Utah is its sizable Mormon community, but there's a lot more to consider if you're thinking about whether to visit. It's a particularly exciting place to go if you love the outdoors and you're looking for opportunities for adventure.

Photo by Angelica Reyn from Pexels

The naturally diverse state is home to the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin, and the Colorado Plateau, all of which make it a wonderful place fo...