Shereen Rayle's Blog, page 46

New Orleans Budget Travel Tips

Since we just had our New Orleans destination date, and vaccination efforts are going well enough to probably allow for non-essential travel near the end of the year, I wanted to bring you some of my favorite budget ideas for enjoying New Orleans.

Though there are tons if ways to enjoy The Big Easy, you may end up spending money unnecessarily, especially if you spend your entire time on Bourbon Street drinking. I find that my trips are a lot more pleasant if I remember them and I don't spend ever...

Exploring New Orleans at Home

When I posted my Mardi Gras staycation, I promised you a second stand-alone New Orleans post, since I waited forever on my original backdrops. I also wanted to touch on some non-celebratory things in The Big Easy, because it's a fantastic vacation destination, especially outside of summer where it's crazy hot and muggy. 

I've been to New Orleans a few times, including March of last year right before the pandemic hit. Somehow, that seems like 4 years ago, and I'm looking to return at some point fo...

Take Me To Church

Anyone who knows me knows I'm not a religious person. This doesn't stop me from wanting to tour places of worship. Almost all are over the top and create so much awe. I can see why religious people feel inspired by going to church, so for this Easter weekend, I wanted to share some photos I've taken from our travels and visits to churches of all kinds. 

St. Gile's Cathedral in Edinburgh.

The amazing organ in the small, but lovely Greyfriar's Kirk in Edinburgh. Their rafters are made from imported ...

Vaccinations and Travel

More and more talk is happening right now regarding what are being called vaccination passports. It's highly probable that you will need to have proof of a Covid vaccination when we start traveling out of the country again. These "passports" are nothing new and have been used for decades. You need certain vaccinations to be allowed entry to certain countries and throughout history, in order to travel safely for you and others, you had to keep your vaccination papers on you for things like smallp...

Strolling the Portland Japanese Garden

Hey peeps. I planned to post something different today, but then things happened and I decided to move up my post for the Japanese Garden. Why? Because I've been listening to my AAPI community and what's happening in our country is appalling. I just happened to plan our trip to the garden right after the horrendous tragedy that happened in Atlanta where 8 people were killed, 6 of which were Asian-Americans.

This was a hate crime, pure and simple, no matter how the media wants to frame it. A white...

Must-See Ireland Locations (Part 2)

Last week we had an Ireland destination date night and celebrated St. Patrick's Day while also exploring some cool places in Dublin. Then we made a happy hour spread for the actual 17th and watched an Irish band via a live stream while we ate, so it felt like we were in a really comfy bar. 

Photo credit to my wonderful cousin, Cassidy
If you missed part 1 of this post, go check it out first. You can work on planning a great Irish road trip between these two posts. 
Dublin

The most well-known city in...

Street Art is Free Art

I love nothing more than an excellent mural or a street performer. You never know what you'll find around town, so keep your eyes peeled for cool stuff just waiting to be discovered. A lot of cities are partnering with local artists on beautification projects, so this is more and more common in downtown areas.

While we're not traveling, you can still be a tourist in your own city, which can help you learn more about where you live and also give you a feeling of being on vacation. One of my favori...

Must-See Ireland Locations (Part 1)

One of my favorite things is to rent a car on vacation and drive around all over, much like I love a good road trip. As much as I enjoy walking and taking public transportation, you can cover a lot more ground in less time when you drive yourself. When we return to the UK, my hope is to road trip around Scotland, but Ireland is also a wonderful place to explore. 

Photo credit to my wonderful cousin, Cassidy

Having an Ireland staycation is great, and stress-free, but nothing beats being able to see...

St. Patrick's Day Celebration at Home

We're coming up on yet another celebration that's going to be odd for a lot of people. Possibly, this is the second pandemic St. Patrick's Day for people, as lockdown started right around this time last year. We've been learning to do more on our own, without the backdrop of a packed restaurant or bar around us. In fact, this might be one of the most pleasant holidays we've had (not including Christmas), because there weren't a ton of drunk people around us.

Those of you that know me personally, ...

Still Celebrating Chinese New Year

Lunar or Chinese New Year runs for 15 days in China (and other Asian countries), but Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland has been running it the whole month of February and even extended it an extra week. I has been 20 years or so since I've been and I saw they were doing an event right now and thought it time to return. With Covid, tickets are very limited and timed, meaning we would be able to be spread out within the garden.

Beyond limited capacity, everyone must wear masks, they also had strict...