Ecatepec and Its Colorful Houses – Keep Calm and Wander

Ecatepec and Its Colorful Houses - Keep Calm and Wander

A Mexicable ride through Ecatepec and its colorful houses on the hills was an experience to remember. It was also an interesting trip from the very start to the very end of our half-day excursion. 

Photos of Ecatepec’s colorful houses are all over the internet. Even before we arrived the Mexico City, Ecatepec was already in our itinerary. We just didn’t know how to get there yet. However, on our way to the Teotihuacan Pyramids, we passed along these colorful houses on the hills.

Ecatepec de Morelos: One of Mexico’s Dangerous Cities?

We asked our tour driver (to the Pyramids) on how we could go to Ecatepec. All we wanted was to ride the MexiCable, passing through those multi-colored houses. However, the look on his face perplexed us. He never had that question before, and as a tour bus driver, he never met anyone who was interested in visiting Ecatepec. Also, he warned us that it’s dangerous to visit the place for tourists. He strongly advised us not to go with our plan.

But, of course, we didn’t listen to him. We also asked our hotel receptionist on how to get there, but he was very adamant about letting us go there. Instead, he recommended a trusty driver to accompany us. We totally understood their worries – news of Ecatepec’s violence is not hidden online. “It is a slum where the poorest of the poor lives,” says the receptionist. The slum is also dubbed as one of “Mexico City’s most dangerous cities.” We read and knew all of these, of course. And it piqued our curiosity.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Mexico City Gay Travel Resources

Victoria for Gay Families – 2TravelDads

Victoria for Gay Families - 2TravelDads

Victoria BC is our go-to destination for fun and easy weekend trips around the holidays and in spring when the weather is getting nice. Yes, we go to Victoria often, but it’s because we love it so much! We’ve figured out our top favorite activities and tips for visiting Victoria with kids and get ready, because we’ve got 18+ things for you to do to have an unforgettable trip.

Victoria for Gay Families – Locale

Victoria BC is on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, just north of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula and just west of Vancouver, BC. It’s a fairly large city and is situated on a harbor, the Inner Harbour, and then stretches out to its suburbs of Saanich, Sidney, and Sooke. Getting there is fairly easy and doable on nearly any budget.

We have written about Victoria before and have a lot of details around transportation to the city here, in our article highlighting a great 3 Day Victoria itinerary. Here’s a recap though and top tips for getting to Victoria with kids. By ferry, you can depart for Vancouver Island from either Vancouver (Tsawwassen terminal) or Port Angeles. Both sailings are approximately 1.5 hours so which you choose depends on your starting point, travel schedule and budget. Check out the map to see which makes sense for you. You can also take the passenger-only Victoria Clipper from Seattle, which is a great option for those adding Victoria with kids to their family trip to Washington.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Victoria Gay Travel Resources

Mexico City’s Teotihuacan Pyramids – Keep Calm and Wander

Teotihuacan Pyramids - Keep Calm and Wander

The massive Teotihuacan Pyramids lie 40 kilometers outside Mexico City. Two of its biggest pyramids here are the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. The former, however, is bigger than the latter. It doesn’t matter which one you explore first – but in our case, we chose the Sun Pyramid first.

How to Get to Teotihuacan Pyramids

There are three ways to get to Teotihuacan Pyramids. The easiest one is via a one-day tour that your hotel/hostel organized. This is what we did because we liked the tour itinerary that included Palacio de Ituberde, Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral, and a local handicraft (you don’t have to buy). Our last stop was the Pyramids, of course, and we were allowed to stay there close to 4 hours on our own! There was no planning and sweat on our part. TripAdvisor has some recommended tours.

The other way to get there is to take a taxi if you can afford it. This is the quickest way to get there but nothing educational happens on the road. Unless, of course, you will hire a private car with the tour guide as your driver, too. 

It is also possible to get to Teotihuacan by public transport. All you have to do is take a metro (line 5) and get off at Terminal Central del Norte. From there, buy your ticket and find the bus that says, “Piramides.” The bus will drop you off at Gate 1. Buy your ticket before you enter or else you’ll regret going back. It’s a long way from here to the Pyramids. So, pack water, a hat, and sunscreen! If you choose this mode of going there, make sure to start early.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Mexico City Gay Travel Resources

Berlin’s Charlottenburg Palace – Keep Calm and Wander

Berlin's Charlottenburg Palace - Keep Calm and Wander

There is no doubt that Charlottenburg Palace is the most splendid in Berlin. I’m not sure how many palaces the city has, but if there’s one palace that you must go in, this should be it.

The Baroque and Rococo facade of the palace tells of its former glory. Its history dates back to the Hohenzollern Family, a royal dynasty. Built towards the end of the 17th century, Charlottenburg Palace and its surrounding area were named after the first Queen, Sophie Charlotte, the first consort of Prussia.

Charlotte was a voracious lover of the arts. The “Court of the Muses” inside the palace hosted philosophers, poets, musicians, and other artists.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Germany Gay Travel Resources

Slovakia’s President Lives Here – Keep Calm and Wander

Slovakia's President Lives Here - Keep Calm and Wander

The President of Slovakia lives here – at the Grassalkovich Palace in Bratislava. I was surprised that the surroundings were not heavily-guarded with Presidential guardians. It was early June when I was there – and boy, it was quiet!

As you can see in the photos below, I was the only tourist roaming around. It’s so different from Presidential residences I’ve been to – like the White House in the USA, 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, Canada, or at 10 Downing Street in London.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Stay in a Scottish Castle – Go Girlfriend

Dalmunzie Castle

For me, the essence of Scotland is in it’s beautiful landscapes and it’s castle-icious history. From the Orkney Islands in the north through the Highlands to Hadrian’s wall in the south, historic castles sit lochside and hillside in some truly spectacular locations.

Historic clans like the MacDonalds, the Stewarts, the MacKenzie’s or the Robertson’s, just to name a few, cover the countryside with their clan lands. The clan chieftains castle is Clan Regions of Scotland (click any to enlarge)always the grandest estate on these family lands perched majestically on a beautiful loch or amongst amazing mountainous views. 

Most stone castles have their roots in the 1300-1600’s as fortified clan strongholds. As technologies and workmanship improve, renovations, refurbishments or expansions happening til the mid-1700’s. At this point in history clans and castles sympathetic to the Jacobites were seized and destroyed by the opposing British so it couldn’t be used as a stronghold against them into the future. Many still sit in ruins today – some have been purchased and painstakingly restored. Some have even been slept in by Bonnie Prince Charlie or Mary Queen of Scots!

For those that were not destroyed, the 1800’s brought a change in castle perspective and architecture. As the Industrial era was changing the global landscape, these centuries-old stone castles (draughty, small winding staircases, not warm and inviting – more strongholds) were now considered ‘brutish” and more elaborate Georgian, English-style “modern” castle homes were built.

Full Story at Go Girlfriend

Scotland Gay Travel Resources

Walking Gay Vienna – Keep Calm and Wander

Walking Gay Vienna - Keep Calm and Wander

Here’s my own walking tour of gay Vienna – using the map I picked up at the tourism office at the train station. If you are arriving by train, don’t forget to drop by the tourism office and ask what you could do for a day or three in the city. The nice lady recommended and handed me a map of a two-hour walking tour. She patiently answered my questions and even gave a few coupons I could use. But, of course, I didn’t depend on the map alone. I had help from Google maps, too. 😉

I recommend that before you embark on your own walking tour, make sure to find these places in order. It will save you time, especially if you are not good at reading maps – like me. 😀

Vienna State Opera House

There is no better place to start my walking tour but here on a Saturday morning. This is not just a historical Rennaissance building, but this is the center of Austrian arts. Waltz originated in Vienna and world-renowned composers, like Mozart and Beethoven, found their homes here.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Vienna Gay Travel Resources

The St. Augustine Lighthouse – 2TravelDads

The St. Augustine Lighthouse - 2TravelDads

If there’s one thing that’s iconic of a coastal vacation or anything maritime, it’s lighthouses. They’re tall, striking, weird buildings that really bring the feel of the ocean directly onshore. In the Pacific Northwest we have them every 100 meters (total exaggeration) because it is so stormy and foggy all of the time, and a lot of our lighthouses are pretty short. The St Augustine Lighthouse is huge and really beautiful.

Whoever painted the St Augustine Lighthouse was bored so really spiced it up. And it’s a fun place for all kinds of visitors of any age making it perfect for family travel. So here’s why you should drive ten minutes out of your way to climb the St Augustine Lighthouse. We swear, it’s not just a pretty lamp.

Where to Find the St. Augustine Lighthouse

Just a ten minute drive across the Bridge of Lions out of downtown lies the lighthouse, one of the best things to do in St Augustine. It’s visible from almost everywhere and it’s really beautiful. As far as other activities close by, you’ll probably be visiting the St Augustine Alligator Farm or Fort Matanzas, so you’ll already be close to the lighthouse. The Alligator Farm is just across the boulevard so is super close.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

St. Augustine Gay Travel Resources

Sunset at the Temple of Poseidon in Athens – Keep Calm and Wander

Sunset at the Temple of Poseidon in Athens - Keep Calm and Wander

The Temple of Poseidon in Sounion is where you should spend your sunset viewing outside Athens. It takes an hour to get there by bus from the Greek capital, but it’s all worth the hassle. 

Homer, the well-known Greek writer, was the first one to record Sounion in “The Odyssey” as the “sacred cape of the Athenians.” 

Herodotus, Aristophanes, Sophocles, and Thucydides all mentioned the Temple of Poseidon in their stories and poetries. 

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Athens Gay Travel Resources

Fort Matanzas National Monument in St. Augustine – 2TravelDads

Fort Matanzas National Monument - 2TravelDads

The city of Saint Augustine, Florida is remarkable and full of history. There are so many things to do in St Augustine that you’ll never be at a loss, but for a special experience you MUST visit Fort Matanzas National Monument. Because it’s not directly in downtown St Augustine, it’s often overlooked but offers a variety of things to do and learn. We really love Fort Matanzas and sharing it with others visiting Florida’s Historic Coast.

Where Is Fort Matanzas National Monument

Only about 20 minutes south of St Augustine, Fort Matanzas sits directly on the Mantanzas River. The river is actually an inlet, a part of the inner coastal waterway. Either way, Fort Matanzas sits on the water with Anastasia Island, a barrier island, separating it from the Atlantic Ocean. The land is pretty marshy, but beautiful. If you’re visiting Daytona Beach with kids and want to plan a day trip to the Saint Augustine area, it’s an hour’s drive north and it’s totally worth it.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

St. Augustine Gay Travel Resources