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TravelSmart Woman
  • Meet Me
  • Media Kit
  • U.S. Destinations
    • California
    • Chicago
    • Florida
    • New Mexico
    • Road Trips
    • Seattle
    • Seasonal
  • Worldwide Destinations
    • Camino de Santiago
    • Canada
    • Costa Rica
    • Cuba
    • England
    • France
    • Greece
    • Italy
    • Other

Holidays

Holidays! One of the best reasons to travel. Also, gift ideas for your traveler friends…or yourself. Some tips and inspiration to help you explore during special times of the year.

Holidays

Winter Solstice: Where Christmas Traditions Got Their Start

December 15, 2019 Holidays, US travel, Worldwide Destinations Comments are off
Winter solstice has been a time of renewal since ancient times.

Long before Christianity lured ancient cultures into December celebrations, there was the winter solstice, a time to mark the end of long, long nights. In order to boost church enrollment, early Christians just incorporated some of the pagan practices,...

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HolidaysWorldwide Destinations

Fun–and Funny–Holiday Traditions Around the World

December 8, 2019 Holidays, Worldwide Destinations Comments are off
Fun--and funny--holiday traditions around the world: Flying reindeer? Why not!

Holiday traditions around the world make me smile. After all, every country and culture does something that, well, we wonder how they could ever have become a real thing. And that’s the beauty of them. You already know the...

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FoodHolidays

Holiday Foods From Around The World

December 23, 2018 Food, Holidays Comments are off
Holiday foods are important traditions all over the world.

Holiday foods are possibly the best part of the season. Okay, family and friends are important, too…but over the years, we come to look forward to our favorite things to eat. Long after the gifts are opened and the...

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HolidaysNew MexicoSeasonal

Luminarias: New Mexico’s Holiday Lights…Easy to Do!

December 16, 2018 Holidays, New Mexico Comments are off

Luminarias are an important part of New Mexico’s holiday season. For over 300 years–long before it became a state–the rich Spanish/Mexican heritage included luminarias a part of the local culture. Also called “farolitos,” or little lanterns, they are worth...

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FoodHolidays

Mulled Wine: The World’s “Warm-You-Up” Drink

December 9, 2018 Food, Holidays Comments are off
Mulled wine is a great way to warm up in any cold weather!

Cold weather means warm drinks. What’s better than coming in from outside and wrapping your hands around a cup of something aromatic, ready to warm you up inside? Hello, mulled wine! Warm, spicy mulled wine makes an annual appearance...

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ChicagoHolidaysU.S. Destinations

Christkindlmarket in Chicago: An Old World Tradition

December 5, 2018 Comments are off
Christkindlmarket features glass ornaments of every kind!

Christkindlemarket in Chicago is only 23 years old…an infant, compared to the market in Nuremberg, Germany. Nuremberg’s was established in 1545 and still serves as the inspiration for Christmas markets around the world. Christkindlmarket translates from German as “baby...

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HolidaysThoughts on Travel

Holidays Elsewhere: The Pros & Cons

December 13, 2017 Holidays, Travel Planning Comments are off
Whether you've ever dreamed of traveling full-time, or not, you'll enjoy the lessons in "Ten Years a Nomad" by Matthew Kepnes.

What happens when you think about spending the holidays elsewhere? Do you wish you could escape to someplace warm…or different? Or do you feel guilty, because you “should” stay home, drink cheap eggnog, and find a new spot for...

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Books, Magazines & MoviesHolidaysHow-ToTravel Tips

Favorite Travel Magazines to Give…or Get for Yourself!

November 19, 2017 Holidays, inspiration, Travel Planning, U.S. Destinations, Worldwide Destinations 1 Comment

“What are your favorite travel magazines?” When you write a travel blog, people are curious to know what you read for enjoyment and inspiration. Sometimes they ask for gift recommendations for the travelers in their lives…or what they should...

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Worth 1,000 Words…

A labyrinth can reset our mind and intention. Can we do the same with how we travel? (Photo by Suzanne Ball)
Flower Vendor at sSeattle Pike Place Market
Seattle’s Pike Place Market is one of the nation’s treasures. (Photo by Suzanne Ball)
The World's Largest Rocking Chair in Casey, Illinois.
Going to Seattle? Of course you'll want to visit the Space Needle. Fresh from a renovation, here's what to know!
"Becoming Human" by Christian Ristow welcomes you to Meow Wolf.The flower-sniffing robot is 30 feet tell. (Photo by Suzanne Ball)
A "young man" of 70+ years leads the band in Santa Clara. (Photo by Suzanne Ball)
Sandia Peak Tram was a challenge to build.
After your selfie at The Bean, visit one of the Chicago food halls!
The passage to the stadium was once covered entirely by a stone arch roof. Today, only one section remains. It's easy to imagine how athletes felt as they ran down the narrow entry into the stadium
The wooden roof is what burned on 15 April 2019, taking the spire with it. When it was built, Notre Dame Cathedral required 52 acres of forest to complete the roof.
Loretto Chapel, Santa Fe, NM: The Mysterious and Miraculous Staircase
Better to see something once than hear about it a thousand times..
Solo travel doesn't really have many downsides
Unclaimed Baggage Center is easy to find in Scottsboro, AL.
Milwaukee Art Museum: Architect Santiago Calatrava designed MOM to resemble a ship. Given its location on the Lake Michigan waterfront, his idea was brilliant. (Photo credit: Suzanne Ball. All rights reserved.)
Peace solo travel by eating at a nice restaurant
Rome-Colosseum
U.S. Destinations-Seattle-Pike Place
Window shopping in Florence: Silk ties
The Acropolis in Athens awaits!
Craving Europe? There are some surprising European destinations in the US!

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