It’s been a while… again, but what’s new? And since many of us are in lockdown, self-quarantine, social distancing, or whatever you want to call it, I thought it would be a good time to share some of my thoughts about trip planning during the Coronavirus, Covid-19. I mean, do you have anything better to do right now? ;)

First off, a rant

It feels like LIFE has been canceled. If you’re in a high-risk area, you probably have been feeling that way too. Events canceled, get togethers canceled, jobs canceled, yoga canceled. Everything is canceled!

And going to the grocery store is just insane and even less enjoyable than usual. Even if I wanted to stock up for two weeks of self-quarantine, it seems like everyone else has taken away that option from me. In reality, it is probably just a few selfish individuals who just want to “save” themselves by hoarding everything, leaving nothing for the rest of us.

Anyway, I can’t seem to get ahold of decently priced hummus, but at least I already had plenty of toilet paper before this happened. And I already had my eye on this bidet-like toilet experience, so I went ahead and got one. Haha! By the way, if you click through this link (even if you don’t buy this item), you will be supporting Tracie Travels at no extra cost to you. ;)

The trip I was supposed to take

I am only trip planning now because our trip to South Africa, which would have started next Monday, has been essentially canceled. South Africa, though already infected with the dreaded virus, has closed its borders those of us coming from the United States, among others. So, I had no choice but to cancel that trip.

Canceling bookings

I had about 90% of our trip already booked. Fortunately, most of our accommodations were through Airbnb and they have been AMAZING regarding cancelations and refunds. Not only do they make it obvious that Coronavirus could cause an issue with cancelations before booking, but they are very clear about offering 100% refunds for accommodations already booked. Before all this started getting really crazy. Kudos to you, Airbnb!

The other bookings have not been canceled yet, but I am hoping for the best considering these extreme circumstances. As much as I don’t want the airlines to go under, I’m really hoping Emirates gives a full refund, because South Africa is one of THE most expensive places you can fly from Seattle! They are certainly trying to work with people for re-bookings, but I’m not sure if we’ll be able to do that within their timeline. It is unclear to me whether they offer full refunds for cancelations to everyone affected.

Planning a new trip

With countries popping up left and right with new Coronavirus restrictions, my first instinct as a young-ish healthy person was to run away to Hawaii since we still had two weeks of intended vacation time available. Despite some admirable last-minute hustling to come up with a decent Hawaii plan, that fantasy quickly slipped out the door with rumors of domestic flights stopping. I mean if I were to be stranded anywhere, I’d love for it to be Hawaii, but I suppose that we do have obligations at home. And I had also started hearing that the virus may be transmitted even if you don’t have symptoms, so I didn’t think it was a very responsible plan to hop on a plane.

So, with said obligations in mind (mostly being the dog), I turned my trip planning to the mainland of North America. Before I could even say “Banff”, Canada decided to close their borders to us too. At least deciding on a destination, which is normally the biggest challenge for me, wasn’t much of an issue anymore!

In the end, I decided on Oregon. I know that the areas we’re staying will offer those wide open spaces that we seek while social distancing. I know we don’t have to go inside much at all, and that we can get groceries or take out, even when restaurants aren’t seating people. And I know that Chex will love the dog-friendly beaches, even if he is a little handicapped now.

PS: I am trying to make the best of this situation, so I’m now offering doggy portraits since that doesn’t have to involve human contact. Haha! But seriously, I am. ;)

I figure it would be pretty difficult for Oregon to close its borders to Washington, so I think we’ll be fine. And though we’re only traveling for a week now, it will be a much needed escape from the isolation we’ve had at home. Probably a lot safer too! And if the Apocalypse is coming, I will be happy to go on a beautiful Oregon beach with Dave and Chex by my side! ;)

The post Coronavirus cancelations and pre-Apocalypse trip planning appeared first on Tracie Travels.

Now I have a gallery where you can order prints online!

The service I use allows me to select my preferred photo labs, so I’ve chosen the ones I use myself to order prints online. This means that you can get the same archival quality prints as you would if ordering through me. Except this is way easier, cuts out the middle man (me!), and still sends me the profits… if you were worried about that.

You can order regular prints, prints on metal, prints on canvas, and a variety of other printed products online. I have selected some of my most popular photos to choose from, so have a look!

Click the image below!

If you’re interested in creating your own online gallery to view, share, and order photography prints from, SmugMug is who I’ve been using for years! Here is a link to get your own site up and running:

https://secure.smugmug.com/signup?Coupon=mt3UoHZCv2y8I

The post You can now order prints online! appeared first on Tracie Travels.

I know, I know. It’s been WAY too long. While I’ve still been traveling, I’ve also been focusing much of my attention on selling of my physical pieces of work. One of my last posts mentioned something about this, but that “pop-up” gallery has since closed. Lately I have been working on another website that makes it easy to buy prints of certain images online. I’ll have that available soon!

In addition to selling online, I have been trying local markets, mainly our beloved Snohomish Farmers Market. Farmers markets aren’t necessarily the best choice for selling art, but it’s been a great experiment helping to prepare me for future art fairs and festivals. The market is currently over for the season, except for the one day holiday market that I’ll mention below.

Where I’m selling photography now + upcoming events

• Arts of Snohomish Gallery – Now until…?

In quaint, downtown Snohomish, I am a member of the Arts of Snohomish Gallery. I show alongside several other local artists and I work at the gallery a few times a month. You may not find me working there, but my work is still available for purchase. ;) The gallery is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 12-5pm.

• Harvested Holiday Market – Nov. 16th, 10am-4pm | Snohomish High School

Put on by the Snohomish Farmers Market, this is very exciting event is the first of its kind! The Harvested Holiday Market is syncing up with two other big holiday events happening on the same day in Snohomish. There will also be shuttles available to take patrons to and from other holiday events happening on the same day in Snohomish. Find out more by following the Snohomish Farmers Market Facebook page.

• Holiday on the Bay – Dec. 7th, 11am-6pm | Port of Everett Waterfront Center

A lot of festivities will be happening at the Port of Everett for Holiday on the Bay. I’ll be participating in the Schack Art Center’s Holiday Market, which can be found inside the Scuttlebutt Restaurant building.

• Artisans Holiday Fair – Dec. 14th & 15th, 9am-4pm | Evergreen State Fairgrounds

This two day event is happening at Monroe’s Evergreen State Fairgrounds. I’ll be alongside Santa and 150+ other vendors during this festive holiday event. It’ll be a big one, and one of the last of its kind before Christmas, so it’s perfect for any last-minute shoppers out there!

If you plan to attend any of these events, I hope that you’ll stop by and say hello! If you are interested in making any custom orders, please come prepared! My latest post can help you with that. ;)

The post Where to find me next appeared first on Tracie Travels.

So you want to fill that big empty space on your wall and you’ve found a photo that you like. Great!

But then what? How do you custom order a photo, properly sized for your own walls?

Maybe you get stuck on where to put it, what size it should be, how much it costs, or exactly how to order. Whatever the reason, the result is usually giving up and moving on. Sound familiar?

Well, I want to make the custom ordering process easier for you.

First…

All you have to do is take a picture with your phone, following steps 1-3 below. The rest is a breeze.

Next…

Just send it in by email (tracie@tracietravels.com) OR bring it directly to me (at my upcoming events and markets). Then, I will be able to show you a preview like the one below, along with prices for a few size options.

Finally…

If you like what you see, you can make the order! Just let me know and we’ll go over payment options before you complete the order. I offer payment plans for large or multiple pieces, and I do take credit card payments via PayPal, or Square in person.

If you’re attending the Harvested Holiday Market on Nov. 16th and are thinking about a custom piece, please be prepared to make the order then and there to receive in time for Christmas. If you make an order online and want to receive it before Christmas, please reach out soon! All Christmas orders must be completed before November 16th.

*Please note that custom orders will vary in price depending on size, materials, and delivery location, so I can’t share those here. If you are attending one of my events, I will have a price list to refer to with limited sizes and materials for local deliveries.*

PS:

“Pick & Choose” Custom Orders

Here’s a forest themed example of what a “Pick & Choose” arrangement of 4 from my Washington collection might look like.

At my upcoming events I will be offering a new way to custom order art for your walls from my “Pick & Choose” collections. It’s even easier than the process above because the options are limited to canvas squares of 16×16 or 20×20, framed or unframed. That’s it!

You can “Pick & Choose” from any of the 3 location themed collections: Iconic Seattle, Washington, and Southwest.These “Pick & Choose” custom orders will be discounted only during the events, and 2 or more canvases must be purchased to qualify.

*You can preview your “Pick & Choose” canvases just like any custom order, but you must bring or send in a room image photo first.*

Here are the latest themed collections for “Pick & Choose” orders. Please note, these are thumbnail examples. For higher resolution examples, please peruse my photo galleries.

Here are the event-only prices for “Pick & Choose” collections:

The post How to order a custom sized photo for your wall appeared first on Tracie Travels.

That’s right! Tracie Travels now has a storefront!

It’s been a while since my last post, but there is a good reason for it…

Not only am I recently back from a month long trip to Greece and Malta, but I’ve just opened up my own shop!

Technically it’s a pop-up shop for Tracie Howe Photography, which is the umbrella under which Tracie Travels resides. It’s only open until the end of the year, so it’s kind of a fun experiment to see how things go. I’m selling my landscape and travel photography, with a lot of images from the Pacific Northwest since that’s where it’s located.

Having a storefront requires a lot of work that is different to blog posts and social media, though truly those should be a part of it too. I’ve been busy since I’m still setting things up, but my shop is open! I have to be there to sell anything though, so I’ve got to go now to (wo)man my pop-up shop!

Before I go, I should probably tell you how to find it, right? If you’re a Seattle area local or visitor to the area, you’ll find my shop at Country Village Shops in Bothell, WA. My shop is in the Artisan Market, which is a central building right in between the two playgrounds.

I can’t be there every day, but someone should be in the building if you stop by. You are always welcome to take a peek when I’m not around. However, if you want to say hi, buy something, make a custom order, or even commission any work, my hours tend to be Wednesday-Friday afternoons, and most of the day on the weekends, all within the Country Village Hours. They vary a little bit each week, but if you inquire about a certain day or time, I’ll be sure to be there!

The Country Village hours and location, as well as events (all of which I try to attend), can be found on their website: www.countryvillagebothell.com .

Remember, I’ll only be there until the end of the year, so be sure to stop by before then! And if you haven’t heard the sad news, Country Village is supposed to be torn down by April, so you’ll definitely want to visit sooner than later.

I’ll be waiting for you, along with the ducks and chickens! ;)

The post Tracie Travels storefront! What?! appeared first on Tracie Travels.