Family Travel Blog - Explore More Family Travel

Hi {!firstname_fix}!

Happy Wanderlust Wednesday!

2020. The gift that keeps on giving. When we had to postpone our Mexico trip scheduled for this week, we decided to explore a place we have never been before – The Outer Banks, NC. It is 6.5 hours from our home, so it is not a quick weekend trip. It has pretty much rained non-stop the last two days. We managed to get out for a little while yesterday to explore. We tried to see the wild horses in this area, but the second we got to the top of this sand dune, it felt like we were on The Weather Channel as a Tropical Storm was approaching!

I am happy to report that we woke up today to bright, sunny skies. It’s still a little cool and windy, but the sun allows us to be outside. It looks like we have sunnier days ahead for our stay here, but I am hoping that metaphorically we are also facing sunnier days ahead. I am hopeful that my children will have some sort of schooling in the fall. I will use that time to implement some ideas to enhance my brand that I have come up with during this down time.

When I think back to all of the trips I have taken all over the world, I really have not been rained out of much during my travels. How lucky is that? A sunny disposition is sometimes all we need to reframe our narrative.

Traveling during a pandemic is definitely a different experience, but it is better than no experience. Here’s to sunnier days ahead, even if they look a little different than what we are used to.

Weekly Wanderlust Inspiration

Iceland opened its borders to tourists this week. We loved our quick trip here in 2018 en route to Denmark. We are not quite ready to get on a plane, but if we were, I think Iceland would be a great option. Most of what you see is in nature so you are outdoors much of the time.

I’ll be sharing some photos from that trip in my Instagram Stories later today.

Thank you for taking the time to read this Wednesday’s Weekly Explorer! Keep Dreaming!

Engage With Each Other. Connect With The World.

06.10.20 Don't Wait. Just Go. COVID Edition.

Hi {!firstname_fix}!

Happy Wanderlust Wednesday!

If you follow Explore More on social media, you know that I celebrated a sad anniversary this week. It has been five years since my mom passed away. Last year, I wrote a blog post about how losing my mom much earlier in life than I expected and how it has lead me to travel as much as I possibly can now. We don’t know what the future holds, nothing makes that clearer than what we are living through right now in the midst of the COVID pandemic.

So many people push off their dream trip for years until sometimes it is too late. None of us ever thought that in our lifetime we would be forbidden from leaving our own borders. Faced with so much uncertainty about what travel will look like in the coming months, many people are wishing they had taken that dream trip already.

I am very thankful that I took the opportunity to do a site visit to Moon Palace Jamaica in late February. That trip and our family Royal Caribbean cruise earlier that month are the last international trips I’ll take for a while, and I am so glad I fit them in to satiate my wanderlust for a while.

Many people are realizing that the world could close borders again in the future, so the travel industry is seeing an influx of requests for 2021. I was on a call earlier today with one of my favorite travel suppliers and learned that many of the the trips they arrange in Africa are already filling up in 2021. I think big, trips of a lifetime are on the horizon for 2021. People do not want to risk being told that they can not go again, so as the world opens up, they are ready to plan their bucket list trip.

‘Don’t Wait. Just Go.’ was one of the taglines I used until the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I do not think it is appropriate to use it right now because I never want to come across as encouraging people to travel right now. I know that I have a different comfort level than others, so while I am not ready to get on a plane yet, others may be. That is why I continue to post about travel that is possible now, but I also have changed my ‘Don’t Wait. Just Go’ to ‘Focus Forward. Keep Dreaming.’

We keep dreaming about traveling by reliving our past trips with fun video projects. We are debuting our ‘Explore More London in 48 Hours’ video today at 4PM, here is the link or just go to our Facebook page at 4PM to join us for afternoon tea.

JOIN US FOR AFTERNOON TEA TODAY

AT 4PM ON FACEBOOK LIVE

Don’t Wait. Just Go.

Here is the article I wrote about taking advantage of your ability to travel when you can. Please ignore the obnoxiously large photos, I have tried to correct them but have not been able to solve the issue yet!

A Beautiful Quote

After sending last week’s message about my support of Black Out Tuesday and the Black Lives Matter movement and how it tied in to my love of culture and my desire to open up the world to people, I saw this quote. I wanted to share it with you because I think it really sums up what last week’s newsletter was all about. I hope it resonates with you too.

The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

Yesterday, I started #domestictraveltuesday on my social media account. I had been featuring domestic properties on #focusforwardfriday, but then I realized that was silly because those who are comfortable with it can travel domestically now. Thus, #focusforwardfriday is now focusing on places we want to go when we can travel there, and #domestictraveltuesday is for places we can visit now.

The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island is poised on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island is a haven of unspoiled coastal beauty and Southern charm. Surrounded by an 18-hole championship golf course, this resort provides impeccable service that makes every guest feel pampered. Whether barefoot on the sand or enjoying the warmth of a beachside fire, you will find this to be the perfect hideaway.

Once you visit, you’ll understand why this beauty was named one of Virtuoso’s 2020 Best of the Best. Speaking of Virtuoso, I can offer you the following amenities through my affiliation with Virtuoso:

*Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
*Full breakfast daily for two guests per bedroom
*$100 USD Spa Services credit, to be utilized during stay (not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
*Early check-in/late check-out , subject to availability
*Complimentary Wi-Fi

Weekly Wanderlust Inspiration

If you read my article Don’t Wait. Just Go., you read about our trip to Italy when the boys were only 22 months old. I was especially grateful I took that trip because of the stories I was able to tell my mom upon my return, before she passed away. Here is a photo from Portofino, a town that I know she would have insisted we visit if she had been able to travel with us. It is her kind of place.

Thank you for taking the time to read this Wednesday’s Weekly Explorer! Keep Dreaming!

Engage With Each Other. Connect With The World.