Things to Do in Ojai, California Ojai has long been a perfect Los Angeles weekend getaway. The town of 7,500 is less than two hours from LA, but worlds apart, set in a valley of sage and oak and surrounded by orange and avocado groves. It’s easy to find activities for couples, given… Read More
Hiking in Sweden: The Icebug Xperience West Coast Trail
Icebug If you haven’t heard of Icebug before, you’re not alone. It’s a very cool Swedish shoe brand that’s big in Scandinavia, but is only now expanding to the rest of the world. Their shoes and boots are known for their excellent traction – both in the summer and winter.… Read More
Exploring the Magical Forests of Central Sweden
Sweden I’ve never spent much time in Sweden. Blame my Norwegian roots. The Swedes and Norwegians traditionally haven’t gotten along, and as I’m 33% Norwegian and only 4% Swedish, the Norwegian side won out. I’ve backpacked around Norway. I studied two summers at the University of Oslo. I’ve spent holidays… Read More
Where to Travel with Your Kids at Every Age
Family Travel Inspiration I created my family travel blog to inspire people to take their kids everywhere. It’s why I post to social media as well. It’s an amazing world. The more places you take your kids, and the more cultures they see in person, the more it will change… Read More
Manitoba, Canada with Kids: Three Days of Animal Adventures!
Manitoba with Kids We’ve traveled with our oldest two kids to Canada several times, but my nine-year-old daughter had never been – a major oversight given how easy it is to visit Canada from California. It was time to change that! And given how much she likes animals and animal… Read More
Family Travel: Where to Go in 2019
Family Travel Ideas for 2019 January is my favorite month! I love looking at the year ahead and sketching out travel. How are school breaks timed? What’s on my wish list? Where do the kids want to go? I’m still figuring out our 2019. Assuming that you’re doing the same,… Read More
How I Flew 220,000 Miles Last Year (without really trying)
A Year in the Life of a Travel Writer The world is small, but incredibly diverse. There’s always something amazing going on somewhere. So living less than two hours from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is a little dangerous for me. I’m always tempted to head off with at least… Read More
Adventure in Tuscany: Hiking from Torrenieri to Montalcino
Adventure in Tuscany Florence is my favorite city in the world, and I’ve visited dozens of times over the years. But the past few years I’ve been branching out to explore Tuscany’s adventurous side. I’ve cycled. I’ve rented a Vespa and driven around the countryside. And last month I hiked… Read More
90km of Fun through Tuscany: Hiking the Via Francigena
The Via Francigena If you haven’t heard of the Via Francigena, you’re not alone. The pilgrimage path dates to the 9th century and connects the Canterbury Cathedral in England and the Vatican in Rome, but pilgrimages have been declining since the Middle Ages, and the path is now overshadowed by… Read More
How to Plan an Around the World Trip
A Trip Around the World with Kids Two years ago I took a trip around the world in two weeks with my 10-year-old daughter, and this year I did the same with my 10-year-old son – although he and I stretched the trip to 18 days. In both of these… Read More