Archive for September, 2009

Sean Keener's Bootsnall is essential for independent travel

September 30, 2009

Sean Keener started the website Bootsnall as a place where indie travelers can get advice and help planning their next move.

It began as a travel forum, and since then, it has grown into more than 30 websites specifically catering to specific regions and travel themes.

Sean Keener and the Bootsnall crew in Chicago

Sean Keener and the Bootsnall crew in Chicago

“From our Italy Travel Guide to our Around the World Travel section,” Sean says, “BootsnAll is known for providing expert resources to help the newbie traveler.”

It’s also a great place to go for aggregated travel news stories. You can find them all in one place at BootsnAll Today. BootsnAll members write great articles and some of them get featured on the main page.

For example, currently, readers can find out all about the “mate” drink in Argentina from first-hand experience, as well as the best ways to spend an Autumn in France. If you’ve been bitten by wanderlust, or you’re just curious about the world around you, BootsnAll is a great place to start.

Barbara Weibel's travel blog: more than a donut hole!

September 25, 2009

It’s a common story among people who have made travel their life. They are living the corporate lifestyle and desperately unhappy. They change to make room for more travel, taking a pay cut, but transforming into a happier person.

Barbara Weibel travels and writes holeinthedonut.com

Barbara Weibel travels and writes holeinthedonut.com

Barbara Weibel is one of these people. She started the blog Hole in the Donut and wrote about her six month ’round the world trip. Since returning, she’s continued with the blog, traveling more than ever and loving it.

“Having deserted the world of money and material luxuries for a simpler, happier life, Hole in the Donut also often features stories of like-minded people I meet on the road,” she says.

While she still writes about her personal travels, her blog is now a mishmash of pop culture, hometown explorations, travel book reviews and cool stuff she finds on the internet. She writes from a Baby Boomer’s perspective, but most of her blog is applicable to all age brackets.

I found the article about classical violinist Joshua Bell playing undercover in the Washington subway especially interesting.

Lisa Lubin's RTW Trip Blog

September 22, 2009

Lisa Lubin had a successful career in the broadcasting industry for 15 years. Eventually, she decided she needed a change, and she hit the road to work her way around the world, blogging as she went. She’s been a barista in Melbourne, taught English in Istanbul and babysit pets in France.

Mark Cam3

Lisa Lubin doing what she does best

She wrote about it all on her blog LLworldtour. It’s not so much a personal blog, but a compendium of thoughts and ruminations on all things travel-related. Her latest post expounds upon the benefits of walking while others give specific specific tips like popular travel phrases in Vietnamese. These are all sorted by country and can be quite helpful whether you’re planning a big trip like her, or a weekend getaway to the next state.

Lisa has received many awards for her blog, and she has gotten praise from influential bloggers such as Chris Elliot, Women on the Road, The Travel Chicks Radio Show and Chicagoist.

Travel, the Nomadic Matt way

September 18, 2009

I had the pleasure of meeting the super-intense and focused person that is Nomadic Matt this summer at the Travel Blog Exchange in Chicago.

We talked shop over a few beers in the sunshine and he told me about how his own personal blog has morphed into the advice hub for the long term traveler that it is today.

Nomadic Matt blogs and travels

Nomadic Matt blogs and travels, travels and blogs, that's all he does.

“I started my website as a way to document my trip for my family and friends,” he says. “It has caught on with people, and slowly become more and more popular. As it has done so, I’ve turned it into a site for advice and tips for long term travelers.”

His website is not just full of his travel stories, it’s also got in depth answers to all the burning questions that long-term travelers inevitably have. From teaching English to choosing the right backpack, he’s got a lot of great tips and personal advice.

Matt’s latest dispatch is from the sewers of Paris, France. Check it out at NomadicMatt.com.

Esther Lee's family travel site: Trekaroo

September 15, 2009

I was thoroughly impressed with the in depth information specifically targeted at families on Esther Lee’s site, Trekaroo.

Esther Lee, founder of Trekaroo.com

Esther Lee, founder of Trekaroo.com

It’s very easy to find information on lots of American kid-friendly destinations. However, it’s a little more difficult to find international information. What the site does have about traveling with kids in the U.S. though, is solid.

Plan a trip to New York City or Hawaii in no time or ask some of the experts in an exceptionally user-friendly “Talk” section.

“Parents get the inside scoop on what to do, where to go with your kids based on their ages, interests and your budget,” says founder Esther Lee. “We share the laughs, the challenges and reasons about why we love to travel with our kids.”

Keep up to date on all the latest Trekaroo happenings and contests at The Talking Trekaroo, their frequently updated blog.

Donna L. Hull's "Itchy Travel Feet"

September 2, 2009

Calling all baby boomers! If you’ve ever dreamed of traveling the world, but needed some inspiration to do it, stop at Donna Hull’s travel blog My Itchy Travel Feet first.

She’s been traveling and writing about it since 2007. Her articles are written from her personal travel experiences with the goal of motivating people to get up off the couch and go.

Donna Hull's feet stopped in Chicago for a weekend

Donna Hull's feet stopped in Chicago for a weekend

“My blog advises baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) about where to go, what to do, where to stay, where to eat and how to prepare for an active trip,” Donna says.

You’ll find all that and more on her site. Everything from book reviews to travel logs, not to mention tons of her husband’s beautiful photography artfully strewn throughout.

A couple of my favourites include Staying Healthy on the Road, a common sense approach to keeping illness away while traveling and this picture of “aquatic fireworks”.

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