Tag: usa

travel, traveladvice

How to See the Northern Lights (And Why Now’s the Perfect Time To Book Your Trip!)

Like many people, I’ve been itching to scratch “See the Northern Lights” off my bucket list for ages. Back in March, there was an amazing display that could be seen throughout most of Minnesota and I… missed it. I had no idea until the next day, when my social media was filled with gorgeous pictures of the Northern Lights! I vowed I wouldn’t make the … Continue reading How to See the Northern Lights (And Why Now’s the Perfect Time To Book Your Trip!)

thexenophilelifeLeave a comment
Background image of New Orleans architecture - three buildings in pink, dark yellow, and light green. Text reads: "20 must-try New Orleans foods & drinks"
food, travel, traveladvice

20 Must-Try New Orleans Foods & Drinks

As you know, I love spending long weekends in different US cities–and those trips can be surprisingly affordable too! In January this year, we spent a fantastic long weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana. While we enjoyed the architecture, friendly people, warm (to us!) weather, music, and museums (I can see why the WW2 Museum was ranked as the #3 museum in the US on TripAdvisor!), … Continue reading 20 Must-Try New Orleans Foods & Drinks

thexenophilelifeLeave a comment
Image of the Great Smoky Mountains
travel, traveladvice, travelblog

12 Reasons to Visit Asheville, North Carolina

Over Memorial Day weekend this year, we visited Asheville, North Carolina. We’d heard good things about its natural areas and outdoor activities, proximity to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (not to mention the Blue Ridge Parkway!), the Biltmore Estate, and its breweries and restaurants. It also happened to be over our eighth wedding anniversary, so we had fun celebrating that on this trip as well! … Continue reading 12 Reasons to Visit Asheville, North Carolina

thexenophilelifeLeave a comment
Florida Road Trip
travel, travelblog

Florida Road Trip: 10 Days in Tampa, Miami, the Everglades & the Keys

This month we took an excellent trip to Florida. We flew to Tampa and drove all around southern Florida, hanging out at beaches, looking for wildlife, eating great food, watching sunsets, and taking a nice warm break from the harsh Minnesota winter! I wanted to share our itinerary so you can plan your own trip to Florida, so here’s a brief look at what we … Continue reading Florida Road Trip: 10 Days in Tampa, Miami, the Everglades & the Keys

thexenophilelife2 Comments
Title image of couple and dog camping for Minnesota North Shore Autumn camping trip article
travel, travelblog

Autumn Camping Trip on Minnesota’s North Shore

Since international travel wasn’t safe or possible during most of this year, we decided to explore an area of our home state, Minnesota, a little more in-depth this September with a one-week camping trip along the North Shore along Lake Superior. We’d explored this area before, especially around the Duluth area, but hadn’t done a camping trip before. The third week of September was a … Continue reading Autumn Camping Trip on Minnesota’s North Shore

thexenophilelifeLeave a comment
Bonneville Speed Week 2019
travel, travelblog

Bonneville Speed Week 2019

This year was Ryan’s and my third time attending Bonneville Speed Week. Since I’ve already created a Bonneville Speed Week travel guide and posted additional tips for attending Speed Week, I thought this year I’d just share some photos from our trip! Speed Week was delayed a few days this year due to a thunderstorm, so we rearranged our trip a little and began our … Continue reading Bonneville Speed Week 2019

thexenophilelifeLeave a comment
Vacation in Long Beach California including a stay on the Queen Mary, eating sushi, visiting the Aquarium of the Pacific, and seeing dolphins while whale watching.
travel, travelblog

24 Hours in Long Beach, California

I didn’t set out to spend time exploring Long Beach, California. In fact, we only ended up there at all because I accidentally booked the wrong flight to Los Angeles. It was a day earlier than our LA to Fiji flight, so we ended up needing to spend about 24 hours in the Los Angeles region. LA and the cities around it are a pretty … Continue reading 24 Hours in Long Beach, California

thexenophilelifeLeave a comment
travel, traveladvice

How to Plan a Cheap Long Weekend to Any US City

This year I was lucky enough to visit three different US cities – Washington, D.C. over Easter weekend, Boston over the Fourth of July, and Seattle over a different weekend in July. Two of these trips (Washington, DC and Seattle) were done very cheaply and the other (Boston) was a bit more of a “treat yo self”, so I can definitely share some ways that … Continue reading How to Plan a Cheap Long Weekend to Any US City

thexenophilelife1 Comment
travel, traveladvice

10 Ways to Get Off the Beaten Path in Seattle

There are many reasons you may want to get off the beaten path in Seattle. Maybe you’re on a tight budget and some of the more iconic Seattle spots (ahem, Space Needle) are too pricey. Maybe, like me, you get anxiety from crowds and would like to avoid the crush of people at well-known spots like Pike Place Market. Or maybe this isn’t your first … Continue reading 10 Ways to Get Off the Beaten Path in Seattle

thexenophilelifeLeave a comment
travel, traveladvice

Tips for Attending Bonneville Speed Week

Last year was my second year attending Bonneville Speed Week as a spectator, and I wanted to write up this quick post on my top tips for those who are attending this year. I think you’ll find it especially helpful if you haven’t been before! 1. Get some info when you get your button or pass Everything that goes on at Speed Week can make … Continue reading Tips for Attending Bonneville Speed Week

thexenophilelife8 Comments