Top 5 Travel Trips

Hi everyone!  My name is Meghan, and I blog over at The Perfect Compilation Tape.  I was really excited when Selma asked me to guest post, because I think we can all agree that she is one amazing lady.  She is such a thoughtful woman, and I just love reading about her many travels, so I figured that perhaps a post on traveling was appropriate!


One of the many things you can usually find on my blog is my weekly "Top 5 Thursdays".  Therefore, I thought I'd share with you my Top 5 Travel Tips!  I am certainly no expert, but have been fortunate to travel around the U.S. and spent two weeks in Europe last summer, so this is what has worked for me.


5.)  Cash in your change!

via

I am a firm believer in paying for vacations upfront.  I never want to be in debt when I return from a getaway.  One thing that my husband and I do before every trip is save all of our loose change in a jar/bucket/etc.  We cash it in right before we leave, and use that money to have nice meals when we're traveling.  Before we left for Boston last March, we cashed in our change, and it paid for all of our meals for three days!


4.) Pack wisely.

I'm definitely one who is known for pushing the 50 pound limit with my luggage when flying, but when I had to cram everything into one backpack for two weeks last summer in Europe, I certainly refined my packing skills.  One item I found extremely helpful were packing cubes.  I purchased them here, and they were a great way to "decrease" the size of my clothes and keep them organized at the same time.




3.)  Stay active.

(Biking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.  Ignore the crazy hair.  It was a windy day.  The wild hair is also representative of the day.  I was later hit by a tour bus and knocked off my bike.)

I love to run, and my husband loves to sleep in, so when we travel, I try to wake up early and go for a run throughout the city.  It's a great way to explore when things are quiet and when the streets are less crowded.  I know many cities also offer "running tours", which I would love to take advantage of someday.  We're heading to New York City in a few days, and my running shoes are already packed for a jog or two through Central Park!


2.)  Talk to the locals.

(The Artessa Winery in Napa Valley)

Locals are a great resource for finding the hidden gems within a city.  My friend Joel introduced my husband and I to the most incredible jazz club in Austin.  When we were in San Francisco, a restaurant owner went so far as to give us his cell phone number in case we ran into any trouble as we continued on into Napa Valley.  He also recommended the most incredible winery, which was off the beaten path.  I'm glad we took him up on it, because it turned out to be one of the most beautiful places in the world!


1.) Take lots of pictures!

(Arc de Triomphe, Paris)

And then share them on your blog so we can all live vicariously through you!


These may not be the most revolutionary travel tips in the world, but they've made for some amazing and enjoyable trips.  Happy Travels!

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Thank you Meghan for this amazing guest post! :) Traveling certainly is one of my favorite things - love that you went for this topic!! ♥

I don't have much time to travel now, but I'm sure the second I book a flight again or even go on a quick road trip I'm going to share my thoughts on my adventures with you all. Promised!

Thanks again lady!!! :)

And yes my readers...if you haven't checked out Meghan's blog you're missing out big time!!