Archive for April, 2010

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A traveling mom with teens: Cindy Richards

April 13, 2010

As the TravelingMomswithTeens editor for TravelingMom.com, Cindy Richards’ goal is to tell parents what works for kids, what doesn’t and what they need to know before they go.

She believes that travel is an important part of family life and here’s why:

Cindy Richards

Cindy Richards

“There is the educational value of introducing kids to other places, other cultures and other foods,” she says.

“There is the bonding experience of spending uninterrupted time together and there are the negotiating skills developed by siblings who have to share a backseat for 12-hour road trips.”

In these difficult economic times, Cindy also sees it as her job to make travel easier, more fun and more affordable so families can travel more.

Among many other informative and inspiring articles, she’s written a helpful review of carry-on bags to help avoid checked bag charges and a list of six ways to cut costs on your next family adventure.

Runaway Jane Meighan

April 12, 2010

She just picked up ran away from everything, and she wants to inspire you to do the same.

Jane Meighan

Jane Meighan

“I want people to see that travel is easy, there is no need to be scared, and making that jump into life on the road will be one of the best decisions they ever make,” says Jane Meighan.

“It’s my way of sharing my passion for travel, and giving hints and tips to other travelers, both seasoned and first timers, to help along the way.”

While she’s a talented writer and photographer, she’s also a brilliant artist as well.

She has recently created a sketchbook page, which showcases her best drawings.

As an artist, she says she sees the world from a different perspective and she’s naturally very observant, which helps add a detailed view of the people and places she visits.

Jane is also trying to make others aware of how their style of travel affects the world, while also being aware that there is no such thing as perfect.

I found her analysis of picking a good hostel, very practical and informative and her ruminations on running away from it all are quite thorough and sound.

Be a Travel Bee with Joya Anthony

April 12, 2010

There’s more to life than grad school and a 9 to 5 job, and Joya Anthony wants to show her readers what it can be like when you eschew an average life.

Joya graduated from college in 2007, moved to London to work abroad for six months and then traveled through the rest of Europe for two months more after that.

Joya Anthony

Joya Anthony

Since then, she has never been the same.

The whole experience changed how she looks at herself and how she views the world.

“I want to make young people aware that there is a whole other world out there that is worth considering,” Joya says.

“I started my blog to share my stories full of people, places, and things I encountered on the road in the hopes of inspiring young people to travel as well.”

As you can see, Joya explores the world with a unique perspective.

She visited Greece for Easter and took a day trip to the Kew Gardens near London.

All of her adventures she shares on Be a Travel Bee are interesting and thought provoking, definitely check her out.

Simon Fairburn and Erin McNeaney’s neverending voyage

April 12, 2010

Inspired by a trip around the world in 2008, they sold everything to travel the world indefinitely.

In that year, Simon and Erin say they experienced more than they had in the previous ten.

Simon and Erin in the Cook Islands

Simon and Erin in the Cook Islands

“It was awe-inspiring and beautiful and frustrating and scary and exciting – it was everything but dull,” Simon says.

After they returned to the UK, they found it difficult to get back into the “normal” routine that they’d left.

The mortgage, the bills, the car, the accumulated junk, the tedious repetitiveness of the nine to five.

Having experienced the vastness of the world and all of the opportunity out there, they could not fit back into business as usual.

So they’re heading off again, but this time, for good.

“We’ve sold everything we own, quit our jobs, rented out our house and we’re heading out to play dice with destiny,” Simon says.

They’re starting their journey in South America and plan on traveling for as long as possible, to figure out how to become fully fledged digital nomads, making a living as they travel on their Never Ending Voyage.

Along with their travel blog, readers get great tips on long-term travel like saving 75% of your income and packing when you are leaving forever.

Joe and Rachel Pritchard go around the world in a year and a day

April 9, 2010

They’re traveling around the world in a year and a day with three kids.

How do they do it?

You can find out on their travel blog, 3-6-6.com.

Joe Pritchard

Joe and Rachel Pritchard with their children Rowan, Rhys and Jenna

“There are many people who take gap years,” Joe says. “Even more who travel.”

Not so many people cover 29 countries, circumnavigating the globe East to West, crossing the world’s two largest land masses overland.

Even fewer people do it with three children aged 4, 6 & 8 accompanying them.

So folow them from Macchu Picchu to Mongolia, the Amazon to Austria and San Franciso to Shanghai.

Since they’ve come back, they’ve admitted it was difficult getting back into a less mobile lifestyle, and they’re getting ready to go again.

Travel Blog Rankings for April 7, 2010

April 7, 2010

The Travel Blog Ranking score — updated weekly — is the average of the Alexa and Compete.com rankings for each travel blog.

If you would like your independent travel blog to be included in our weekly list, please read more about this list.

Top 100 Travel Blogs for April 7, 2010:

Rank Site Score
1 Danny Choo
 22,737
2 Everything Everywhere
The travel blog of Gary Arndt's journey to travel around the world. 		23,464
3 Nomadic Matt's Travel Site
 37,917
4 Chris Elliott
 49,107
5 Peter Greenberg Worldwide
 68,201
6 Mommy Poppins
 81,935
7 Upgrade: Travel Better
 87,879
8 Off Track Planet
 90,653
9 WhyGo Italy
Your One-Stop Italy Travel Guide 		100,170
10 Fluent in 3 Months
 107,410
11
+2 		Indie Travel Podcast
 109,227
12
+2 		Vagablogging
 111,932
13
-1 		Almost Fearless
 112,335
14
+2 		foXnoMad
 117,749
15 The Cranky Flier
 119,164
16
+2 		The Amateur Traveler
 120,183
17
+2 		Soul Travelers 3
A family of three from Santa Cruz, California. Two 50 something parents and their 5 year old daughter on a multi-year trip around the world. 		122,658
18
-1 		Hole in the Donut
 122,725
19
+1 		Go Backpacking
 126,710
20
+1 		Wandering Educators
 128,456
21
+1 		Hawaii Vacation Blog
 134,272
22
+1 		Dave's Travel Corner
Offers travel articles and photo galleries from across the globe. 		135,848
23
+2 		Delicious Baby
 136,253
24 Travel Rants
 137,783
25
+1 		Travel Blissful
 147,209
26
+4 		Mexicovacationtravels.com
 148,768
27
+1 		Europe Up Close
 149,812
28
-1 		Uncornered Market
 150,571
29 Calvin's Hub
 151,409
30
+1 		Rick Seaney
 152,548
31
+1 		My Several Worlds
 154,164
32
-21 		Urban Prankster
 157,904
33 Sharing Travel Experiences
 163,228
34
+1 		The Vacation Gals
 163,476
35
-1 		My Melange
 165,282
36
+2 		Heather on her Travels
 172,341
37
-1 		Go Green Travel Green
 173,041
38
+1 		Mom's Minivan
 174,453
39
-2 		Europe A La Carte
 176,428
40 Traveling Mamas
 179,572
41 Notes from Spain
 184,406
42
+1 		Twenty-Something Travel
 185,925
43
-1 		Travel, Work, Life
 190,106
44
+2 		Wild Junket
 194,490
45 Solo Traveler
 195,596
46
-2 		Go Visit Hawaii
 197,112
47 501 Places
 198,364
48 Kaleidoscopic Wandering
 205,006
49
+1 		Practical Travel Gear
 212,189
50
+1 		Life Cruiser
 217,341
51
+1 		Ciao Bambino
 218,258
52
-3 		Neil Duckett
 221,002
53
+3 		The Aussie Nomad
 222,494
54
+1 		My Itchy Travel Feet
 228,242
55
-1 		Johnny Vagabond
 229,126
56
+2 		Mom Most Traveled
 229,217
57
+5 		Solo Friendly
 229,660
58
+2 		The Travel Tart
 232,237
59
+2 		KY Speaks
 233,781
60
-7 		The Real Banff
 237,929
61
-4 		Homeboyski.com
 239,087
62
+2 		The Brooklyn Nomad
 239,675
63 Things You Should Do
 240,518
64
-5 		Practical Nomad
 240,730
65
+1 		Travelvice
 245,525
66
-1 		Nerdy Nomad
 245,711
67 Canada Adventure Couple
 251,234
68 Brooke vs. the World
 251,342
69 Travel Junkie Julia
 255,294
70
+1 		Byahilo
 258,622
71
-1 		Travellious
 261,957
72 Nomadic Chick
 268,340
73
+3 		Escape Artists
 272,820
74
-1 		The Professional Hobo
 281,719
75
+2 		World Heritage Site
Personal travel guide to the entries on Unesco's World Heritage List. Links, photos and reviews. 		288,516
76
-2 		Chris Around the World
 290,424
77
-2 		John's Adventures
 304,728
78 Musings on travel ecommerce
 314,974
79 Location Independent Living
 321,625
80 Lanzarote Guidebook
 325,693
81
+4 		Two Backpackers
 327,601
82
-1 		Briefcase to Backpack
 332,541
83
-1 		A Traveler's Library
 333,048
84
-1 		Candice Does the World
 335,554
85
-1 		Travel Wonders of the World
 343,806
86 Otts World
 352,100
87 Two Go Round-The-World
 364,847
88
+1 		Out to Africa
Ellen and Paul's travelogues, photos and videos of their adventures in Africa. 		368,563
89
+1 		Italofile
 371,475
90
-2 		Traveloffthecuff
 371,968
91
+1 		Geotraveler's Niche
 378,404
92
-1 		Themeparkmom.com
 381,802
93
+3 		Travels of Adam
 390,782
94
+3 		Hop and Jaunt
 396,838
95
-1 		Pocket Cultures
 399,229
96
-3 		Happy Time Blog
 401,871
97
+1 		Exposed Planet
 407,222
98
+2 		Traveling Savage
 408,199
99 Around the World "L"!!
 409,269
100
-5 		Isabelle's Travel Guide
 413,750
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Congratulations!

If your blog is on this list, you are entitled to this snazzy badge.

We already know you’re awesome, but let everyone else know by embedding a shiny gold medallion on your site or Facebook page.

Travel Blog Sites - Top 100
As chosen by TravelPod, the web’s original travel blog

Simply copy and paste the following code and add it to your website:

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    <div style="padding:0;margin:0"><img src="http://images.travelpod.com/bin/blog/medallion.gif" alt="Travel Blog Sites - Top 100" width="120" height="145" border="0" /></div>
    <div style="text-align:center;font-size:9px;line-height:normal;width:120px;padding:0;margin:0 auto;font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;color:#000">As chosen by TravelPod, the web&rsquo;s original <a href="http://www.travelpod.com">travel blog</a></div>
</div>

You can find ideas on how to use it here.

Angela Dollar’s purposeful travel

April 1, 2010

Deep down, Angela Dollar believes we are all good global citizens.

We want meaningful travel experiences that connect us with true culture and let us get to know people and their stories.

Angela Dollar

Angela Dollar

Her sub-blog of Wanderlust and Lipstick, Travel with a Purpose is a space for Angela to help people make better travel choices.

It’s an on-going discussion of the things we can do as thoughtful members of the travel community to tread a little lighter.

“We want to be conscientious of the impacts our wanderings have on the planet, and we want to make choices that support sustainability,” Angela says.

“We want to be received as respectful, engaged and responsible guests in the world.”

Travel with a Purpose includes news and updates from the sustainable travel field, post tips and tricks for greening up your act on the road, highlights of the innovative approaches others are taking, and reviews of eco-friendly gear, locations and activities.

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