Now that Tony and I have finished our RTW trip and are a little more settled in Northern California, we are craving to break out our kitchen gadgets and test out the Pinterest Recipes we have accumulated over the year. One of our favorite past times before our trip was cooking together – And we are ready to get back into the culinary groove now that we are home!

This past week, I had some great feedback from friends on what Pinterest recipes I should take on first. While all the votes/picks looked and sounded delicious, I had to pick ONE.

For our first of many dishes, we will be going with Steph’s (from Twenty-Something Travel) pick. Steph and I first met in Buenos Aires, where we ate our way around the city together for several weeks… So at this point, it’s safe to say that she knows my eating habits and preferences inside and out.

So it was no surprise when this recipe for Healthy Chicken Tamale Pie by Pinch of Yum won my heart… Thanks Steph for the AWESOME suggestion!

Photo Credit via Pinch of Yum

My reasoning for cooking this Tamale Pie dish came about after Tony and I spent the past couple of weeks visiting with Josh and Caroline of Traveling9to5 in Northern Cali, where we spent each and every night cooking up delicious family-style meals over good wine & beer… And our favorite evenings (without question) were our taco nights! Zesty Chicken and steak combined with homemade guacamole, black beans, warm tortillas, sauteed veggies, and and INSANE amount of hot sauce = Delicious!

I am loving our recent Mexican kick and I cannot wait to test out my mad Mexican magic (say that five times fast) with this NOM-worthy Healthy Chicken Tamale Pie. Thanks Steph for the recommendation and stay tuned folks for how this experimentation shakes down!

Your Turn: What is your favorite Mexican dish to cook? Is there anything Tony and I MUST try? Please share any suggestions and recipes below in the Comments section!

The post LandingStanding Cooks! And The Winner Of The Pinterest Recipes Challenge Is… appeared first on LandingStanding.

You would think something as widely reported and overstated online as “Secret Entrance To The Louvre!!!” would quickly stop being a secret. If you just do a few Google searches about the Louvre you will stumble upon travel forums full of people sharing these “secrets.”

So why am I sharing this same advice with you?

Because we read all of the forums, packed our map of the Louvre that highlighted the best entrances, and then immediately stood in line at I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid like the rest of the traveling schmoes.

What the hell?

You can’t fully understand why we did this until you witness the madness outside of the Louvre before it opens.

Your brain is filled with everyone’s rants about how long the lines are at the pyramid if you don’t get their early.

You watch as waves of people crash through the gates while you try to find one of these “secret entrances” with no line.

After a cursory glance to where you thought an entrance with no line was (and cursing your terrible travel planning skills)… you give up and try to get in line at the Glass Pyramid as quickly as possible so that you’re not still waiting to get in 2 hours after the museum opens.

I was so embarrassed by our failure to enter the Louvre through any of the “secret entrances” that I want to help at least one other person do it the right way. So the next time your in Paris, try another entrance to the Louvre and let me know if you succeed where I failed.

How To Visit The Louvre – More Than One Secret Entrance That Avoids The Long Lines

Carrousel du Louvre

This is the one we were aiming for when visiting the Louvre… BIG swing and a miss on our part. It also might be easiest to find, so definitely try it first if you are worried you might panic at seeing the crowds like I did. It’s also called the “shopping mall entrance to the Louvre” in case you encounter it in your research. Check out this great step by step guide from The Dining Alternative on how to access this entrance, including super helpful pictures!

Porte des Lions

Located less than 5 minutes away from the Glass Pyramid and still within the inner confines of the Louvre, Porte des Lions could be a great entrance to try if you want to catch an up close peak of the pyramid without having to wait in the pyramid’s long line. Wendy Perrin from Conde Nast provides a slideshow with pictures and instructions at the end of her post on ways to avoid lines in Paris.

Richelieu Wing

This one is not quite as straight forward as the rest, but with a little preparation it should be no problem. The key is that this entrance is located at a less visited part of the museum and has signs that say it is for groups only.  These signs also say that card-holders are allowed entrance, but most people don’t explore further. All you need to do is pre-purchase a ticket for the Louvre at any FNAC store or buy the Paris museum pass at a less frequented museum.

Any More Advice On Entrances To The Louvre?

Since I failed to use any of these entrances, do you Franco-philes have better advice? Maybe another entrance or way to avoid the insanely long lines that can develop outside the Glass Pyrmaid? I’d love to hear if anyone has tried these entrances, so please let me know in the comments!

The post Secret Entrances In Plain Sight – The Right Way To Visit The Louvre appeared first on LandingStanding.

It’s embarrassing for me to admit this but when people ask what I missed the most from the states when traveling around the world in 2012, my answer is always:

My kitchen!

It was a LONG year without my homemade Pecan Pie!

Yes, I love food so this is no big surprise… but what I love more than the food itself is being able to cook it! Back when Tony and I lived in Miami, our favorite evenings were spent with a glass of red wine in hand absolutely destroying our kitchen attempting to make a new recipe that we were dying to try.

We loved cooking so much that we also made sure we operated with only the BEST utensils: Our VitaMix, Cuisinart, popcorn maker, and EPIC ceramic knives were just a few of our most missed treasures when on the road.

Sure, we tried to cook on the road as much as we could… but it wasn’t the same.

 Tony getting creative in a hostel kitchen in Chile

We were never in any place for long enough to justify stocking up on kitchen staples and ingredients… And don’t even get me started on the quality of the kitchen utensils found in hostel kitchens. Blah!!!

To add to my kitchen nostalgia, 2012 also seemed to be the year of PINTEREST. I don’t even know why I signed up for a Pinterest account while traveling… It was pure torture. Every day I would log into my homepage and practically drool all over my keyboard just scanning all the beautiful and delicious Pinterest recipes posted from Pinners I was following.

I couldn’t really re-create any of these dishes in a shared hostel kitchen… And forget about finding the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies in Asia!

But why am I telling you about these past RTW frustrations right now?

Because my cooking luck has recently changed!

Tony and I just started a petsitting job in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain region of California and we will be here for the ENTIRE summer. We haven’t been this stationary in over a year and a half and I am so excited to finally settle in, stock the beautiful (and functional) kitchen here and just go crazy! Not to mention, we are living in the middle of nowhere in the mountains and I am going to need a side project to keep me from writing REDRUM on the walls when Tony is sleeping at night.

Here’s where I need your help:

For all of 2012, I started recipe boards that I wanted to “save for later use”. Well, now I have hundreds of Pinterest recipes that I am dying to try. And since I am the most indecisive person IN THE WORLD, I will need your help deciding which recipes to give a go.

Since Tony and I are looking to be healthy over the next few months, I have attached a link to our “Healthy Eats” Pinterest board below:

My EPIC “Healthy Eats” Pinterest Board

Please review all these scrumptious recipes and let me know which one is your favorite. I will then take the top picks and begin whipping up some amazing meals and treats for Tony and I… And of course, I will be reporting back on my experiences and results with each dish.

Or let me know if you have a recipe outside of Pinterest you would like me to try out. I know many of our readers are world travelers, so spice things up and send me some international dishes you want us to test. We accept the crazy and the weird recipes… As long as they have the potential to be TASTY!

These next few months are all about experimenting, so throw me some curveballs!

The post LandingStanding Cooks! Help Us With Our Pinterest Recipes Challenge appeared first on LandingStanding.

“How could you possibly fit a year of clothes into a 32 liter bag?”

“I could never have only a few changes of clothes in my bag. Didn’t that get gross? At the very least it got boring, right?

I hear you. I really do. I didn’t think it would be possible either.

But after 2 months of intense research before our trip, I had found perfect brands for each item of clothing I was packing. Instead of going through the laundry list of items (see what I did there?), let’s save that for later and just focus on one item so you can really see how to breakdown all of your clothing into as few pieces as possible. Starting with the best socks you could ever have for travel…

Best Socks For Travel

Quick: If you were going to travel on a week-long vacation, how many socks would you pack? What about for 2 weeks? Now what about for a whole year?

Before my year of travel, I would have said 5 pairs of socks for one week, 8 for 2 weeks, and maybe 10-12 for a year.

Is that about what you said?

But after way too much research on footwear in November of 2011, I realized that if I spent more money than normal on an actually nice pair of socks, I could make do with less pairs… A LOT less.

So what is the best brand of socks for travel and how many did I buy?

For comfort, variety, breathability, and the ever important “stink repellent” factor (you realize how truly important this one is when the guy in front of you on your 20 hour bus trip decides to take HIS shoes off for the trip), the best socks for travel that I can recommend are SmartWool.

I bought 3 types of SmartWool socks for a total of 4 pairs.

What I packed and what I recommend are the PHD Ultra Light Micro’s for running when on the road. They also are great when walking around cities and keeping your feet nice and cool.

I also had 2 pairs of PHD Outdoor Light Micro’s, which were the perfect socks for almost anything – Thick enough when hiking in the cold, kept my feet toasty indoors, but also not too heavy when running around outside.

I also packed one pair of SmartWool’s Mountaineering Extra Heavy Crew socks which were awesome. Super thick with lots of cushion, these socks were great on cold hikes.

The best part about these socks?

You really had to work to make them smell. I’m talking multiple days in a row of dirty hikes before they really needed to be changed. Plus, they dry quickly so it was no problem to wash them in the sink at night and have them ready to wear the next day… a huge win when on the road.

My Ultra Light’s were for running and really hot days. The Outdoor Light’s were for everyday use which is why I had two. Then the Extra Heavy’s were for the long hikes and cold days when the extra cushion and warmth were a huge help. I had every situation covered.

But that was it. 4 pairs of socks for 365 days of travel and there was never a day where I wish I had packed more. Now the cost of these 4 socks, approximately $60 total, is probably more than you’re used to spending… but they last much longer than cheap cotton socks, are much more comfortable, and save a ton of room in your bag.

Your Turn: If you have yet to travel, how many socks do you think you would pack? If you already have done a long-term trip, how many socks did you end up bringing? Does anybody think they have a brand better than my SmartWool’s (I seriously doubt it)?

The post Best Socks For Travel & How Many Socks Do You Need? appeared first on LandingStanding.

Before I begin our story, I want to apologize for our recent lack of posts on LandingStanding. The past month has been incredibly insane and wonderful all at the same time as we drove our Camry (aka Little Blue) across the US visiting friends and family along the way.  Between all of the dinners out and jumping from one friend’s couch to the next, we have been BUSY.

But life became a little more chaotic this past Saturday when this happened:

Yes, that is duct tape holding the back of our car together.

Our car stayed strong and we made it all the way across the country with no issues…. But the hills of San Francisco changed all that.

Here’s our car crash story:

We were moving from our friend, Noah’s, in the Haight over to Nob Hill to stay with our friend Peyton for a few days. Peyton was helping us find a parking spot… and in SF this is no easy task. We finally came across a parking spot but it was on a road with an 89.99 degree incline. Up for the challenge Tony began working his parallel parking magic into the tight spot… Contrary to your current judgments based off of the picture above, he actually is a good driver and is a master at parking.

As he was backing into the spot, the car started giving into gravity and began rolling backwards down the hill. Panicking, Tony meant to slam on the brake… but whoops, he accidentally hit his foot on the gas while the car was in reverse.

CRUNCH.

The most god awful sound was made as we collided with the vehicle parked behind us. Peyton was in the car with us and all three of us just sat there in silence for a moment reflecting on what just happened. After hearing the noise I was scared of even going outside to check the damage.

But we did.

This was the other car.

Phew!

Buuut this was ours…

FRACK!!!

Needless to say, the Lexus SUV won this battle.

Long story short, our car insurance will be covering all the damage to both vehicles and Little Blue will be back on the road in a couple weeks. But you now know why we have been a little MIA on our blog.

But more so than anything, this parking fiasco was a lesson learned that ANYTHING can happen when you travel. You can drive safely all the way across the US only to get to your final destination and crash your vehicle when doing something as minor as parking.  My lesson for you is to plan for the worst. Plan for the unexpected. Get insurance.  And…

Write and schedule your blog posts in advance.

Your Turn: What was one unexpected accident you experienced during your travels? How did you recover from the incident? Please share below in the Comments section!

The post A Car Crash To Culminate Our Cross Country Road Trip appeared first on LandingStanding.

My job officially ended at the end of October 2011, but we weren’t going to start our trip until January 2012. My time between those two dates was spent mostly researching and buying all of the travel gear we would need… and I read everything about what size backpack to get: product reviews, travel forums, blogs…

In all of this research, I kept seeing that small backpacks were the only way to go. It honestly sounded like we would be laughed out of any hostel if we showed up with anything more than a 40 liter bag. So I told Meg to get ready, because we were going to fit our lives for the next year into two 32 liter backpacks.

But I soon learned that the two biggest reasons I told Meg for why she had to leave all her dresses at home were total BS.

The Wrong Reasons For Wanting To Travel With A Small Backpack

1. Because You Don’t Want To Check Your Backpack On Flights

This was definitely our #1 reason for wanting small bags.

If everything you need is in one bag, that bag becomes pretty valuable. You do not want it getting thrown around by baggage handlers and being lost on a foreign airline.

But if you’re traveling on a budget, and almost all long-term travelers are, you are going to have a hard time avoiding checking your bags.

Why?

Because of all the incredibly cheap, yet incredibly restrictive, foreign discount airlines.

Instead of limiting carry-on bag size to certain size dimensions (which almost any 32 liter bag would fit), these discount airlines do it by weight. The most common restriction we saw was a maximum of 5 or 7 kilograms and when you pack your whole life into a tiny bag… it is going to be more (ours were 10 kilos).

Since these smaller backpacks do look they should be allowable as a carry-on, you can always try not checking them and see if anyone at the gate will stop you. But then you run the risk of paying extra to check the bag at the gate… discount airlines never miss a chance to charge!

For those of you thinking about buying an Around The World plane ticket, you might have better luck since you’re flying on the bigger airlines. Hopefully someone can tell us in the Comments section if they had any issues carrying-on when using an Around The World ticket.

Bottom-line? Don’t go for a small backpack just because you don’t want to check your bag. Odds are you will be checking it no matter what.

2. Because Everyone Else Is Going To Have A Small Backpack

HA!

After my few months of backpack research, I thought that everyone travelling would have ultralight bags. That’s what reading all of those minimalist blogs will get you!

We never once came across anyone else on the road who had smaller or even the same size backpacks as us. We did see a lot of 60 and 75 liter bags though… how do people carry so much?!

While I don’t think it sounds fun (at all) to carry around such a big bag, don’t think you have to go light just because that’s what travelers do. Meg would definitely have preferred the convenience of a few more shirts to the inconvenience of a slightly larger bag. Our small bags were such novelties that it became a running joke how often people would ask to see our backpacks at hostels.

The Right Reasons For Wanting To Travel With A Small Backpack

Fits Overhead On Most Buses

While you probably will still have to check your backpack on most flights, you definitely can get it onto most buses as it will fit in the overhead racks. Plus, if you travel like we do, you will spend A LOT more time on buses anyway and the ability to keep it with you greatly reduces the risk of theft.

You Really Don’t Need All Of Those Clothes

You really don’t.

The small bag takes away your ability to over pack so that you only take exactly what you need. And do you know what?

Even that is probably too much.

There were definitely some items I packed that I never (or rarely) used – and I only had a 32 liter bag. Think small and pack even less.

Small Backpacks Are Easy To Carry When Scrambling Around A City Trying To Find Hostel

Do not underestimate how much time you will spend walking around cities with your backpack strapped on. You might think that your backpack is just luggage and that you will only wear it from airport to hostel… but you would be very wrong.

You will get dropped off by buses and taxis in the wrong location and have to walk to your destination. You will switch hostels and need to walk the 10 blocks to get there. There will be roads that cars can’t go down when you have to carry all of your own gear.

Just trust me. However much time you think you will spend carrying your bag… triple it.

A Small Backpack Means Less Packing & Makes You More Mobile

Watch someone with a 75 liter backpack try to find anything in their bag or pack it up after a 3 night stay at a hostel and you will be so happy to have a smaller bag. Since you have so much less and it is all accessible in such a small space, you can normally be packed and ready to go within 5-10 minutes.

This is a monster stress-reducer when you’re already late for that bus and haven’t started packing.

Your turn: What size backpack are you thinking of getting and why? What size backpack did you already travel with and would get a different size if you could do it again? 

The post Traveling With A Small Backpack Is Best – But Are You Doing It For The Wrong Reasons? appeared first on LandingStanding.

After 3,500 miles in the car from Boston on our recent cross country road trip we finally arrived in our favorite city in the U.S. – San Francisco.

San Francisco holds a special place in our heart. It was where Tony lived for five months in 2009 for his former job at Wells Fargo and we both have fond memories of exploring the vibrant city and all the cute little neighborhoods in the area.

San Francisco is also where we got engaged! But even more wonderful than our love for this city is the great network of friends we have in the Bay Area.

And thankfully, our friends out here all share the same appreciation for food that we do… And how can you not when you live in a culinary melting pot such as San Fran?!

Knowing Tony and I a little too well, our dear friends Leanne and Leah planned out an entire day to take us around their neighborhood in the Mission this past weekend to show us the best cafes and restaurants in the Mission San Francisco… All within a 5 block radius from their apartment.

By the end of our epic food crawl, I could barely move and was overjoyed that I decided to wear my uber-stretchy Lululemon pants out on the town.  We ate A LOT of food.

So, if you are ever traveling to San Francisco, do yourself (and your belly) a favor and head on over to the Mission for great sites… and phenomenal bites!

Here are Leanne and Leah’s must-see restaurants in the Mission San Francisco that we explored while on our food crawl:

Ritual Coffee Roasters

Seeing as how the four of us decided to meet bright and early for our foodie tour (what can we say, we go HARD when it comes to food), we decided the best place to start our adventure was someplace that brews up a good pot of coffee. We dropped by Ritual Coffee Roasters, which specializes in slow drip coffee.

Being a novice to slow drip coffee, I was intrigued by how Ritual treated their coffee like fine wines – they were deeply passionate about the aromas and flavor profiles of their coffee and wanted customers to join in on the fun. I did what any chocoholic would do and ordered the slow drip brew that had flavor hints of dark chocolate cherries and fig.  It was a delicious cup o’ joe and was the perfect way to start our day.

Radish

With our slow drip coffee buzz at full force, our appetites were aching for some good brunch food. Leanne and Leah had the perfect place for our hungry tummies: Radish.

Radish is a Southern-style farm to table restaurant that has one killer brunch menu. Being completely indecisive with all the great food options on the menu, we decided to share everything between the four of us and ordered the steak breakfast tacos, the chocolate chip walnut pancakes, and the daily special of the bacon cheddar waffles. Everything was delectable but the bacon cheddar waffles took brunch to a whole ‘nother level!

 #mindblown

Dolores Park

Not food related, I know. But after a larger than anticipated breakfast, we needed to work our appetites back up again for the rest of the day and the ladies suggested a walk in beautiful Dolores Park.

According to Leah and Leanne, the park is usually packed with locals on the weekends, but since we got there early and it was an overcast day, we practically had the entire park to ourselves. Despite the overcast, we soaked in the San Francisco skyline while walking off our food bellies.

Four Barrel Coffee

For me, our stop to Four Barrel was more of a pee break… But I was delightfully surprised when the coffee and ambiance of the café turned out to be bomb. The Four Barrel Coffee shop was high-ceiling hipster-ish warehouse with industrial sized coffee grinding machines working at the back of the shop… AMAZE!

Namu Gaji

After yet another coffee buzz, it was time to fill up again on glorious food and hit the neighborhood for a superb lunch spot. When Leanne and Leah traveled to Berlin with us this past summer, we were all obsessed with this Korean place in the city. As such, we decided to keep our Korean food ritual alive and hit up Namu Gaji…

It. Was. Fantastic.

Trying to save room for dessert, we all split two of Namu’s popular dishes – The Gamja fries and the Okonomiyaki. The Gamja fries are known at Namu for being a “stoner favorite”… and after tasting them, I totally understood this claim to fame. They were the perfect balance of savory and sinful – hand cut organic potatoes, kimchee, gochujang (I’m going to pretend I know what this is), mayo, teriyaki, and green onions all topped with tender short rib… Nomers!

Despite my love for the fries, the Okonomiyaki might have been my favorite of the meal. It was a crispy and gooey savory pancake served on a hot plate with kimchee, scallion, and market vegetables… in other words, the perfect Asian comfort food.

Tartine Bakery

As I previously mentioned, we went light at Namu so we could save room for some afternoon dessert. Leanne and Leah were dying to take us to Tartine Bakery for their famous Coconut Cream Tart… And are you shocked to learn that it didn’t take much convincing on our part? I ALWAYS have room for anything in the pie family.

The Coconut Cream Tart definitely lived up to it’s stellar reputation. The flaky crust and the hard chocolate layer at the bottom of the tart pulled the entire dish together perfectly. And because the four of us are chocolate fanatics, it only seemed right to also get a chocolate pudding to complement our coconut tart.

Tartine Bakery was hoppin, so we decided to escape the crowd and hit up a local parklet to bask in the sun and eat our treats. It was precious!

Mission Bowling Club

Once again, we needed to work off all the food that we just consumed… and Leah and Leanne had the perfect idea of bowling it off at the Mission Bowling Club.

This place was awesome.

This was no run down bowling alley. The MBC was a small hipster bowling club serving up excellent cocktails and gourmet food… Totally San Francisco.

Apparently, the MBC has one crazy good burger (according to our SF buddy, Noah), but we were too full to think of food after Tartine. Instead, we focused just on the great sport of bowling.

And I don’t mean to brag, but my game was pretty legit (129 without breaking a sweat!).

Mission Chinese 

After kicking butt in bowling, we were surprisingly hungry again.  Luckily, our buddy (and host of the week, Noah) was joining our group and the five of us decided that Chinese was the perfect cuisine to feast on for dinner.

Leanne, Leah, and Noah all swore by Mission Chinese… Tony and I were not putting up any argument!

The restaurant itself looked like any run of the mill Chinese joint, but the food was authentic as they come… and delicious. Being completely overwhelmed with the menu and not knowing what to order, we decided to let the waitress order for us.  Six dishes later, we were full to the max!

I can’t even describe to you all that we ate, but all I know is that it involved A LOT of pork.

My personal favorite was the Tiki Pork Belly with soy caramel, mandarin orange, pickled pineapple, shaved coconut, and Macadamia nuts.  WOW!  The dish was sweet, savory and melt-in-your-mouth tender… If I ever go back to Mission Chinese, I will order this and only this (in multiple orders). It was that good.

Bi-Rite 

I know, I know… How can we possibly have more room in our stomachs after everything we consumed?! Here’s how:

There is ALWAYS room for ice cream.

The five of us decided the perfect cap to the foodie day was a good cup of ice cream from Bi-Rite. Bi-Rite specializes in handmade and organic ice cream, soft serve and baked goods and boy was it tasty. They have a wide variety of unique flavors, but my heart belonged to their chocolate peanut butter… That’s a no-brainer flavor combination right there.

Time To Loosen Our Belts

After Bi-Rite, we were all happy, full… and ready for bed. It was such a wonderful day of eating with wonderful friends at the best restaurants in the Mission San Francisco. Life couldn’t be sweeter.

If you travel to (or are lucky enough to live in) San Francisco, I highly recommend saving your appetite for a Mission food tour. It is such a vivacious neighborhood full of some of the best eateries that the city has to offer.

Thanks Leanne, Leah, and Noah for sharing this glorious food day with us!

Your Turn: Where are your favorite foodie places in San Francisco? We have 2 more weeks in the city and we would love to hear your recommendations in the Comments section!

The post On A Culinary Mission – The Best Cafes And Restaurants In The Mission San Francisco appeared first on LandingStanding.

Can you handle the uncertainty of traveling without a real plan?

I didn’t think I could.

But after a year of traveling to different countries with very little idea of what country was next… I have learned how.

I embrace the uncertainty.

I embrace the adventure.

But I still make sure to wrap that uncertainty with a slight frame of a plan. In practice, this means that we didn’t map out our route for our recent cross country drive, but we did piece it together while on the journey. We knew we were headed to Chicago first to stay with friends, so once we got to Chicago we then worked on planning the next leg.

I am fine not knowing where I might be staying in 3 nights… but I still like to have a slight idea of where I am staying tomorrow night.

While not totally carefree, this is how, using a term our friends at Traveling9To5 coined, a “corporate hippie” likes to travel.

And what do I gain from traveling with such limited plans?

I could write down a long list of adventures that never would have happened if we had meticulously planned our journey last year, but perhaps the best illustration of the what can happen when traveling without plans occurred during this recent cross-country trip from Boston to San Francisco.

Just Horsin’ Around

While in Rapid City, South Dakota, we decided we didn’t want to drive more than 9 hours the next day. There was a hotel in Green River, Wyoming which was the perfect distance away for the drive the next day.

What is in Green River, Wyoming?

A whole lot of nothing… but our hotel was on a road called Wild Horse Canyon. So without plans and without expectation, we had to take a quick drive up the dirty canyon road to see if it was aptly named.

And it definitely was.

It very well could just be the city boy in me being way too excited about coming across a wild horse playing by itself… but still. Pretty cool, right?

Travel without plans.

Travel without expectations.

Be ready for anything.

This philosophy served us well while traveling overseas and it worked beautifully during our cross country road trip. Do you think you could try traveling with less of a plan?

The post The Perks Of Traveling Without A Plan (Almost) – A Wild Horse Rumpus appeared first on LandingStanding.

During the past year and a half, Tony and I have traveled consistently both domestically and internationally. We have stayed in hostels, we have stayed in hotels, and we have rented apartments. But on some occasions we have had the luxury of staying with close friends and family.

Visiting friends, Jorge and Yani, in Santiago, Chile

Enjoying the comforts of home all while catching up with loved ones provided some of our best memories on the road.  In my opinion, no five star restaurant beats a simple home cooked meal shared over good conversation and good wine.

Enjoying a home cooked meal with family friends, Lisa and Fritz, in Switzerland

It is hard to fully show our appreciation to those that have graciously opened their doors for us throughout our RTW trip. Nevertheless, we try our best.

In honor of our current cross country road trip from Boston to San Francisco (where we have stayed with friends and family on each stop along the way) I have compiled a little “how to” list for any travelers that are currently (or are planning to be) staying with host families on the road.  Depending on your budget, time, etc. you don’t necessarily have to follow EVERY step in this list, but just use this list as a framework for being an excellent guest to your host… And to show your appreciation as best as you can!

How To Be A Good House Guest

Spending Easter week with my childhood best friend, Martha, in Minneapolis

1. Bring A Housewarming Gift – Whether it’s a glass of wine, box of chocolates, or a big bear hug, make your host feel cherished as soon as they open their door for you.

Big hug for our sister, Maggie, in NYC

2. Clean Up After Yourself – Part of being a good guest is leaving as little of a mark as possible. Clean your dishes, dry the bathroom floor after you have used the shower… Be sure to leave everything you touch spotless!

3. Don’t Clutter The Shared Spaces – A home already becomes more cluttered with more people in it. Do your part to keep the clutter at a minimum by storing your luggage in your own guest bedroom/space. Furthermore, don’t leave your trash and general stuff around in the kitchen and living room areas that others are actively using.

4. Keep Your Guest Room Or Space Clean At All Times – Even if you have your own closed off room, KEEP IT CLEAN! Make your bed, keep your clothes off the floor, etc.  Just because your bedroom door is closed doesn’t mean you can go wild.

5. Offer To Help Clean/Cook/Run Errands/Etc. – Hosting people in your house can be tough, time consuming, and draining! Make your stay with your host as easy as possible by lending a helpful hand whenever possible.

Tony helping build a fire at our friend, Ben’s, ski cabin in Maine

6. Help Pay For Groceries – Hosting people in your house can also be EXPENSIVE. Help alleviate the financial burden of your hosts by helping pay for all shared expenses incurred during your stay.

7. Treat Your Hosts To A Meal/Drink Out – Going along with my previous tip, if you end up going out for a meal or drink with the host, pick up (or at least split) the tab to further show your appreciation.

Taking our lovely hostesses, Leah and Leanne, out for a drink in Berlin

8. Be Quiet When Other People Are Resting/Working/Sleeping – Remember: When you are staying with a host family, you are their guest… This is not your own home! Be flexible and courteous in their living space.  When your hosts need space and quiet time, let them have it!

9. Engage With Your Host – Whether you are super close with your host or you barely know them, don’t treat them like they’re a door mat. Put your own personal agenda and travel itinerary aside and enjoy a good conversation with them over a shared meal or glass of wine. Show them that you are in their home to see them… not just use their couch for a good night’s sleep. Be social!

Having a blast with our hosts, Pat and Brooke, in Hunter Valley, Australia

10. Leave Everything How You Found It – At the end of your stay, make sure you thoroughly clean up your living space and leave everything just the way it was before you arrived. Better yet, put your sheets and towels in the laundry to make your exit even easier for your host.

11. Follow-up With A Handwritten Thank You Note Or A Thank You Email – My mom always used to nag me when I was growing up about writing thank you notes.  However, this little nag stuck with me.  A thank you note is a cheap and easy gesture to show your host that you appreciate their kindness.

12. Keep In Touch – Whether your host is a best bud or a distant relative, don’t just abuse them, use them, and lose them. Continue to show your gratitude by keeping in touch with them AFTER  you leave.

Buds forever! Catching up with our friend, Kipp, in Chicago

Your Turn: What tips do you have for how to be a good house guest? Please share below in the Comments section!

The post 12 Easy Steps On How To Be A Good House Guest appeared first on LandingStanding.

Welcome to Mount Fitz-Roy, stretching high above the tiny town of El Chalten, Argentina and offering some of the best hiking in Patagonia.

This town was first established in 1985 for the sole purpose of aiding in a border dispute with Chile. Since then, it has become the base for backpacking day-hikers and some of the most badass climbers in the world.

Trails to the base of Mount Fitz-Roy and Cerro Torre are fairly easy and can easily be ascended in 4-5 hours (round-trip time of 8-10 hours). While the degree of slope at some points in the hike might test the less physically fit, there is no need for any technical training.

If it is a clear day, be sure to bring a good pair of binoculars as you might be lucky enough to witness a few rock climbers attempt to scale the sheer faces of the nearby mountain peaks. These climbs were at one-time considered the most technically difficult in the world and are still difficult enough to only allow for a few people to reach the summit every year.

Hiking In Patagonia – Why El Chalten?

Some of our most fond memories from the past year come from this town of just 6,000 people.  If you like hiking, you can’t help but love this sleepy town:

• Numerous different day-hikes of length and difficulty all beginning right from the hostel door.
• With the draw of the technically challenging mountain peaks, you, as a day-hiker, will get the opportunity to meet some incredible mountain climbers and get to hear ridiculous stories. This is definitely not as common on the more touristy trails at more well known locations.
• Spectacular views and breathtaking beauty that is tough to find anywhere else.
• The town is full of people just like you… the only tourists who make it to El Chalten are the ones looking to hike. No partiers. No families. Just hikers.

How To Get To El Chalten – The Scenic Way

We started our Patagonia adventures on the Chilean side and flew into Punta Arenas. From here, we took a 4.5 hour bus ride north to Puerto Natales, which is the jumping off point to Torres del Paine.

When venturing to Patagonia, the guidebooks might steer you towards Torres del Paine (I won’t disagree that the trails there are spectacular). But you will most likely have to rent camping equipment and only if you are as insane and ignorant of the basic procedures as we were will you even attempt to do a day hike there.

Learn from our mistakes: It’s a 2 hour bus ride from the nearest town and the last bus back to the nearest hostel leaves a few hours before sunset. This means you will HUSTLE up and down the only day-hikable trail (to Mirador Las Torres) if you don’t want to pay extra to sleep in a mountain side cabin or rent a tent.

While we were able to do this day-hike, the stress of jogging up and down the mountain in order to catch the last bus left us drained. So we bailed on the remaining planned hikes in Torres del Paine and took a 4 hour bus ride to El Calafate.

El Calafate is home to the Perito Moreno Glacier. Definitely worth a stop.

From El Calafate, it is only one more 4 hour bus ride until you reach El Chalten! Not a bad little road trip and you get to see a variety of amazing things that Patagonia has on display.

Do me a favor: Put El Chalten on your must-see list for when you go to Patagonia and let me know what you think. Get your hike on!

The post The One Place You Need To Go Hiking In Patagonia – El Chalten, Argentina appeared first on LandingStanding.