Mandalay Pagodas – Keep Calm and Wander

Mandalay Pagodas - Keep Calm and Wander

These 6 Mandalay pagodas are must-see tourist attractions when you are in this ancient capital of Myanmar. They are all Buddhist temples/pagodas but each one is distinct from the other. You will be surprised how the locals devote their time when they are in the temple. Myanmar, I think, has the most number of Buddhist temples/pagodas in the world. Not sure about that but many of their tourists attractions are temples – and Mandalay is no exemption.

Let me introduce first these three Buddhist pagodas within the city of Mandalay.

Remember to take your shoes off when entering temples. Dress appropriately or cover you exposed skin with a sarong that you can borrow/rent at the entrance of some temples. You can also bring your own sarong if you’ve got one. Don’t worry about losing your shoes. No one will snatch them away. Be respectful when taking pictures inside the temple. There are places where “No Photography” sign is displayed. Don’t be THAT tourist! Always bring wet tissues to clean your feet after visiting.

Myanmar Pagodas – Kyauk Taw Gyi

The most prized possession here is the presence of the largest marble Buddha in Myanmar. As soon as you enter, you’ll see its imposing size and brilliant whiteness surrounded by a not-so-well-lit temple. Remember to check out the backyard where some interesting things to do and see await you.

Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Best Things to Do in Lake Chelan – 2TravelDads

Best Things to Do in Lake Chelan - 2TravelDads

Lake Chelan is decidedly the most family friendly wine destination in Washington. I’ve decided this after visiting Woodinville, Yakima, the Olympic Peninsula and the Tri-Cities. There are lots of things to do here that aren’t wine related, and plenty to keep you having fun or relaxing in any season.

Very near Leavenworth, Washington, this recreation area is a great weekend trip or you can spend a whole week exploring the lake, hills and canyons around the area. It’s also great for hiking and seeing a completely different side of Washington State. This is the place where playing in the outdoors meets enjoying agritourism in the sunshine.

Best Things To Do at Lake Chelan

Okay, you ready for a great collection of things to do in any season? Having visited in summer, fall, and winter, I’m confident you’ll be able to create a really fun, interesting trip the whole family can enjoy. We’re breaking this down by activity type, whether it be out in nature, family friendly wine tasting or getting onto the water, you’ll be able to pick and choose great activities all around the Lake Chelan area.

Full Story at 2TravelDads

Northwest Washington Gay Travel Resources

Victoria’s Butchart Gardens – Keep Calm and Wander

Butchart Gardens - Keep Calm and Wander

At Butchart Gardens in Victoria (British Columbia), the flowers will happily welcome you. This is one of Canada’s largest gardens with a designation as a National Historic Site. As you can guess from its name, there are gardens within this huge garden that was made possible by Jennie Butchart, wife of a Canadian businessman who manufactured Portland Cement. Today, the garden receives one million visitors every year and these pictures below will tell you why.

Taking a bus to Butchart Gardens

On a beautiful Spring day, I spent my whole morning strolling from one garden to another. From downtown Victoria, I took a bus early to avoid the heat that was predicted that day. It took me around 45 minutes to arrive there. Though the bus won’t stop at the gate of Butchart Gardens, the bus driver was kind to drop me off at the exact stop/location and walked from there.

Before coming here, it is better to check out the gardens’ virtual tour on their website. If you want to be surprised, then avoid doing it. However, once you arrive and pay your entrance fee, remember to get a map so you will be guided on where to start and go. The dominant flowers here were tulips of different colours.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Southern Vancouver Island Gay Travel Resources

Hiking Pinnacles National Park in California – 2TravelDads

Hiking Pinnacles National Park - 2TravelDads

Most of the Parks we go to are fairly well-known. I mean, there are only 63 of them, so most are familiar to the masses, but Pinnacles is fairly new so isn’t wildly popular yet. We love to return to Glacier and Olympic and such because we’re so familiar and there is so much to do and see. Hiking Pinnacles National Park exceeded our expectations, so we’re sharing everything you need to know to plan a visit and see what we mean!

If you haven’t heard of Pinnacles, it’s because it’s one of the newest additions to the National Parks. Formerly a National Monument and jointly managed by the NPS and Forest Service, the area was converted to a Park in 2013 giving it more, different funding and programs, and also bringing it to the forefront of many hikers’ and travelers’ minds. Huzzah for the upgrade!

Hiking Pinnacles National Park – Where Is It?

Pinnacles is located between San Francisco and Los Angeles off Highway 101. It’s not exactly sitting on the side of the road so you do need to actually plan for some time in the Park and make sure that you have ample supplies for your jaunt (see below). You can easily add it to a California Coast road trip or make it the start or end of a Central Coast road trip.

Located in the mountains between Soledad and San Benito, California, it borders farm country and the high desert. While it may look out of the way on a map, it’s is only about 1.5 hours from San Jose, or 2 hours from San Francisco.

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Bedruthan Steps Camping in Cornwall – Our Taste for Life

Bedruthan Steps Camping - Our Taste for Life

If you’re thinking about Bedruthan Steps Camping in Cornwall, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about camping at Bedruthan Steps, whether you have a tent, a campervan, or a caravan.

Bedruthan Steps Camping is Gorgeous

Carnewas at Bedruthan Steps is one of the most picturesque coastlines in all of Cornwall.

Cinematic cliffs tower over jagged sea stacks, while the magnificent Atlantic ocean stretches as far as the eye can see.

We only planned a brief stop-off here during our Cornwall road trip. But the views were so incredible that we decided to stay close by to enjoy them some more.

We found that the choices for camping near Bedruthan Steps are pretty limited. However, we did find a couple of campsites in the nearby area, as well as a few options for wild campers.

I’ll be covering it all in the blog post, alongside all the best things to see and do in the area.

By Charlotte & Natalie – Full Story at Our Taste for Life

Cornwall Lesbian Travel Resources

Fort Frederica National Monument on on St. Simons Island – 2TravelDads

Fort Frederica National Monument on on St. Simons Island - 2TravelDads

The Golden Isles are a wonderful destination along a Georgia Coast road trip. They are beautiful and full of history. Fort Frederica National Monument is located on St Simons Island in the Golden Isles, and is a gorgeous spot to explore, especially on a sunny afternoon.

. Fort Frederica National Monument for Kids

Historical sites rock for traveling new places with kids. Here’s why: they’re a snapshot of a moment in time that we’ll never experience again. Sometimes those sites are really well preserved and you can step back in time with little use of the imagination. Heck, sometimes there are even folks in costumes to help you imagine. And then sometimes you visit an historical site that is all but gone, like Horton House on Jekyll Island or Fort Frederica on St Simons Island, Georgia.

Where did it go? If it’s gone, should you still visit it? We’ll help with some answers and tips for visiting Fort Frederica in the Golden Isles of Georgia, but let’s just say first that it is totally worth the stop and even something you should carve out time for…as long as you’ve already had a beach day. Anyways, keep reading because yeah.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Georgia Gay Travel Resources

Hiking Mount Rainier for Gay Families- 2TravelDads

Hiking Mount Rainier for Gay Families- 2TravelDads

Hiking Mount Rainier National Park is a great summer activity. These are the best hikes with kids or for a reasonable challenge. From Paradise to Sunrise, Ohanapecosh to Lake Mowich, great hiking trails for any skill level can be found at Mt Rainier.

Even though we love going to Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier National Park is one of our favorite spots in the state of Washington. One of the things we love about Mount Rainier is that you can enjoy hiking the North or the South Side and have very different experiences. On the north side there are far fewer people to deal with than on the south side, but on the south side the views all around the mountain are unlike any you’ll see anywhere else in Washington State. When you go hiking in Mount Rainier National Park prepare to find a wide variety of hiking trails for any sort of traveler.

Kid Friendly Tips for Hiking Mount Rainier

We have great tips for hiking in Mt Rainier National Park that are the most kid friendly, easiest, or what you can tackle in a day without being worried that you’re going to die somewhere on the mountain. Whether you want waterfalls, lush forests, or just to go and sit in a beautiful Lodge Mount Rainier National Park has you covered.

Once you’ve gone through our list of recommendations if you have any more please do share in the comments section below. We are always looking for new hikes to go on with the kids, or even just ourselves when we want to do something more challenging.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Washington State Gay Travel Resources

Incredible Hikes to Take Your Breath Away – Keep Calm and Wander

Incredible Hikes - Mt.Sinai

These 6 incredible hikes will take your breath away. It did to me and I could still remember how these hikes changed me as a traveler. I was never a fan of hiking, especially when the scorching sun is unforgivable. But I learned to adapt to harsh weather conditions and make sure I wear appropriate clothes. 

Nature is therapeutic. In fact, in Canada, doctors can now prescribe trips to National Parks to enjoy nature. And what better way to enjoy nature than go on a hike? It doesn’t matter how long or how physically-demanding it is. A walk in the woods or enjoying silence by the lake is a break from the topsy-turvy world out there. Of course, for the adventurous and physically-fit souls, the mountains, the cliffs, the deep oceans, and other natural wonders are waiting. 

Let me show you these 6 amazing hikes that really blew me away.

Incredible Hikes #1 – Great Wall of China

While I was living in Beijing for 5 years, I had opportunities to climb and hike the Great Wall of China so many times. I even attended the first ever electronic dance rave held at the Jinshanling part of the Great Wall. It was chaos but fun

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

China Gay Travel Resources

Travel Safety for Women Travelers – Go Girlfriend

travel safety for women travellers - deposit photos

Staying safe while traveling takes preparation and thoughtfulness – especially for women. I like to think most people are well-meaning and want to help, but safety while traveling isn’t a game of chance.

The Biz Chicks recently invited me to talk on their blog talk radio show about how I stay safe while traveling. Business travel is a big part of my life and safety plays a starring role in almost every travel decision I make. Many of my safety tips come from personal experience but some come from thinking through worst case scenarios – and doing my best to avoid them.

Feel free to use these tips for travel safety for women as your own and add to the list in the comments section. The more we share, the safer we’ll all be – and that means we’ll have more fun traveling!

Travel Safety for Women Travelers

Here are a few tips for when you’re on your way to your destination:

Use covered luggage tags (so information isn’t easily accessible) and use a business card – not your personal home information.

Pay your Uber or taxi fare, pay digitally or if you need to pay cash, put your wallet away and close your bag before exiting the vehicle.

Full Story From Go Girlfriend

Bali Waterfalls – Keep Calm and Wander

Bali Waterfalls - Keep Calm and Wander

These 11 Bali waterfalls will add to the excitement when visiting the famed Island of the Gods. Whether they’re big or small, these waterfalls can surely delight your adventurous spirit. All of these waterfalls involve a bit of hiking, some are a bit exhausting and others are easy peasy. But once you see/hear the raging or calming sound of these waterfalls in a middle of a lush jungle, all worries are gone. Not to mention the sounds of birds, insects, and other living creatures that harmonize with the cascading water.

Bali Waterfalls – Sekumpul

I have no doubt this is Bali’s most beautiful waterfall. Sekumpul Waterfall is way up north of the island right in the middle of a jungle. I was speechless the first time I saw it. It was just beautiful from afar and much more stunning when I was at its base.

The hike down was easy but you’ve got to be wearing shoes to make it easy to wade in the water and to protect your feet from sharp objects/rocks. Going back up can be challenging as it would test your physical limits.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Bali Gay Travel Resources