Stories, tips, & joy.

My top thing I wanted to see in Portugal was the colorful Disney-esque Pena Palace in Sintra. Seeing the gorgeous photos and videos of this fairytale place revved my enthusiasm for this UNESCO World Heritage site. Despite being a seasoned traveler, I was a bit worried about how to plan a daytrip there, as I…

You can travel the world via the flavors of delicious foods all in a few small pedestrian-friendly blocks of Toronto’s historic Kensington Market. It isn’t a traditional market like Vancouver’s Granville Island or Detroit’s Eastern Market. (You’ll want to head to Toronto’s St Lawrence Market, if that’s what you’re after.) Instead Kensington Market is a quaint…

Toronto is just cool. The vibe here is welcoming, friendly, hip, modern and appreciative to the varied history of the people that make it such a unique place. As you drive in, you can tell in the architecture of the buildings that welcome you to this bustling metropolis that you’re in store for something special.…

In the foothills of the Serra da Arrábida along the azure Atlantic Ocean in what’s known as the Setúbal district, you’ll find what amounts to a hidden treasure of Portugal: Sesimbra. It is so very worth your while to bother going to this quaint fishing village meets relaxing beach town. Yes, it’s not on the…

I love to armchair travel through books. It can get you ready for a trip or keep you mentally holding on to that vacation state of mind. Ever since planning our first family vacation to Europe last year, I’ve been on the hunt for and reading books set in France. It had been 25 years…

Check out the books below that I personally recommend to help you ignite your passion for travel. All of these books have place at the center of the story… so you can mentally take a vacation, even if you’re currently stuck in armchair-traveler mode. We’ve got them organized by region (and after the title we…