10 Free Things to Do in New York City

10 Free Things to Do in New York City

Want to experience New York City but don’t want to blow all your savings in the process?

It may surprise you, but it IS possible. In fact, Ian and I took a budget trip to the Big Apple earlier this month, and we proved there are plenty of interesting, fun, and cool things to do without spending a dime!

We occasionally splurged on some necessary evils (Shake Shack burgers, ice cream, gourmet pizza… to name a few), but overall we spent surprisingly little on tourist activities in New York.

Here are 10 of our favorites from the trip:  Continue reading

Where Men Become Gods: The Pyramids of Teotihuacan, A Photo Journal (Estado de México, México)

Piramides de Teotihuacán, Teotihuacán Pyramids, Estado de Mexico

Last week we sat down to plan our final week in Mexico City. With the unstable political situation here, we weren’t sure how soon we’d return. So we made a list. All the places we wanted to be sure to visit before we left. Obviously Los Pirámides de Teotihuacán were on the list.

I can’t believe we didn’t visit the pyramids of Teotihuacán sooner, because it was definitely one of my favorites of our whole Mexico City trip. If you’re planning a trip to Mexico, you DON’T want to miss this.  Continue reading

Venice, Italy

Venice, Italy on northtosouth.us

Venice, Italy on northtosouth.us

May 7, 2014

TRAVELING TO VENICE, ITALY

After recently living in Venice, California, Ian and I were excited to see the real Venice! During our stay in Eraclea Mare, we took a one-day trip to Venice.

Venice, Italy Sea View
Above: Gondola dock in Venice, Italy
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Lake Como, Italy: A Day Trip from Milan

Lake Como, Italy on northtosouth.us

During our two-week stay in Milan, we took a day trip to Como, following the recommendations of several Italian locals we’ve met on our trip. And what good advice it was! A nice change from the hustling city, Como had a relaxing feeling in the air.

Lake Como, Italy on northtosouth.us
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San Marino: Castle Country in the Clouds

San Marino: Castle Country in the Clouds

With stone towers and walls surrounding its heart and sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2008, the Republic of San Marino holds the claim to being the world’s oldest sovereign state and constitutional government. Continue reading

Bologna, Italy

Bologna, Italy
Above: Basilica di San Petronio, Bologna, Italy

MAP OF BOLOGNA, ITALY

May 9, 2014

TRAVELING TO BOLOGNA, ITALY

We spent an evening strolling around Bologna, taking in the historical buildings and streets and medieval towers.

(This post is in progress. Check back soon for more!)

MORE ABOUT BOLOGNA, ITALY

You can read more about Bologna, Italy on Wikipedia.

Bologna’s tourism site offers a three-hour itinerary for seeing the heart of the city.

Verona, Italy

Arena di Verona, Verona, Italy
Above: Arena di Verona (Verona Arena), Verona, Italy

MAP OF VERONA, ITALY

May 6, 2014

TRAVELING TO VERONA, ITALY

Not only the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Verona is also famous for its architecture and has been designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the way from Milan Malpensa airport to Eraclea Mare, where we would stay for five days, we stopped in Verona for a couple of hours.

(This post is in progress. Check back soon for more!)

MORE ABOUT VERONA, ITALY

You can read more about Verona on Wikipedia.

Travelers Guide to Berlin: What to Do, Where to Stay, and How to Get Around in Berlin

Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) Berlin, Germany on northtosouth.us
Above: Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), Berlin, Germany

Berlin was our second month-long destination after calling it quits on our normal working lives. We arrived in Berlin during springtime to flowers blooming, birds chirping and 70° weather — a welcome change, coming from Norway! A city with history, there’s a lot to explore in Berlin. Read on for the travel advice we compiled during our month-long adventure here.  Continue reading