The Travel Brats

What To Do and Don't In The Airport You must tip the early bag check guy outside. $5 is enough. Don't be "that" person. They will not be gentle with your bags.  Use a wrist strap for your wallet or a side purse to keep items you continuously have to pull out. Check to ensure TSA Precheck is on your boarding pass before leaving the check-in kiosk. When going through security, do NOT rush the people...

One of my all-time favorite movies as a child was Anastasia. From the story to the soundtrack, the characters, and the costumes, it was a magical play on what happened to the youngest Romanov daughter, Anastasia.  That's why, when I found out the Broadway musical was making its way down to Florida, I jumped at the chance to see it. The musical was playing at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida...

Natalie is so excited to be joining the Travel Brats team! She was born in the Philippines to missionary parents but did most of her growing up in a small town in the North Carolina mountains called Black Mountain. As of just recently, she relocated to Fort Myers, FL! Natalie is a professional actor and singer and performs at regional theaters throughout the east coast. She has her BA in Theatre f...

Ashley’s message to the Travel Brats listeners and supporters:  "The love I have for this chapter in my life is immense, but if I’ve learned anything, it is the importance and value of living your truth no matter how hard it may be. As I go into the next seasons of my life, I am proud to have Sofia take the reins of Travel Brats for her to craft it into her vision with me as her number one fan. I...

Houmas House- A Historic Gem Hidden on the Mississippi  The first word that comes to mind when thinking about our stay at the Houmas House Home and Gardens is magical. From the elegant romantic suites to the grand dining room and the blooming gardens to the House itself, this property was something out of a fairytale, with a rich story behind it. Bout in 2003 by the owner, Kevin Kelly,  Houmas Hou...

To support those who have lost so much from this storm, consider donating at United Way Lee for disaster relief.  During this time, I ask for compassion and patience for every single person in the SWFL community as the damage and heartache is truly imaginable.

Things to do: Kauai Museum : (great history)  Located in Lihue, where the airport is. The Plantation House by Gaylords :  Chocolate shop Train that takes you to see the animals Rum Safari Art Shops A Restaurant  Here you can can feed the chickens, horses, and pigs (Great for kids!) See the Napali Coast :  Take a boat tour  Make sure snorkeling is a stop See a luau Favorite one is located in Lihue,...

The top two places to stay at are Hyatt Grand’s Baha Mar or the infamous Atlantis . I’ve traveled down to the Bahamas four times and every time we’ve stayed at Baha Mar and it has never missed the mark.  Baha Mar is a quick 15 minute drive from the International Airport and you can just get a taxi when you walk out. For us, it cost less than $30. Getting to the Bahamas is also extremely easy, espe...

Story Time! This year I got married and my husband and I planned an epic month trip all over. Some said we were Amish (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, google it), and some said we were crazy, but we couldn’t decide what we wanted to do, so we decided to do everything! We started our trip in the great centennial state of Colorado! From spectacular hiking to unique art and delicious food,...

Wednesday, August 24: Fly into Denver Dinner at Mountain Sun Thursday, Aug 25: Drive up to the Mountains Hike Mount Evans on the Way (Elevation: 14, 272 Ft)  Buy tickets ahead of time for a parking slot.  Different trails to wander around on.  Idaho Springs: Indian Hot Springs : Cave, pool, jacuzzi. Separate men's and women's clothing is optional. Degrees: 110 and 120. Normally 110-115. Eat at Kem...

What is there to do in Southwest FL? So much! Date Nights Deromos Dorona - Amazing Italian steakhouse! Roadhouse Cafe - Live Jazz Wednesday and Saturday nights; 6:30 to 9:30 pm London Club - Live Jazz, Amazing Burger and drinks Players Circle Theater - Plays, Jazz, country and comedy shows Broadway Palms Dinner Theater: Rock of Ages, The Wizard of OZ (till Aug 13), Broadway Palm through the decade...

Unique Places in Florida Marie Selby Botanical Gardens - Sarasota Bok Tower - Lake Wales Ancient Spanish Monastery - North Miami Beach (diff royal vibe) stone The Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens - Miami (beautiful lawn) Vizcaya Museum and Gardens - Miami (stunning wedding, courtyard, water) Leu Gardens - Orlando  Wall Murals -  Downtown Orlando (modern artsy) Wynwood Walls - Miami (modern art...

Where to Stay - Sites Hotel in Medellin, Airbnb in Old Town Cartagena  Recommended Tours - El Penon de Guatape for incredible views Museums - Emerald Museum in Cartagena, Inquisition Museum, Naval Museum Extra Tips - Global Entry Enrollment Upon Arrival program, Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  As always, stay safe, enjoy, and make some amazing memories. Share your favorite Colombian mome...

Gloria Ferrer Winery Since we hired a driver to pick us up from San Francisco, we decided to put two renowned wineries on our itinerary that day before being dropped off at our hotel in downtown Napa Valley. We had to drive through Sonoma, so we made that our first stop at Gloria Ferrer Winery. The most beautiful views I had ever seen as it had a long driveway up to the wine tasting and you overlo...

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After planning of months, our Napa Valley trip was destined to begin in San Francisco. Flying from south Florida to California meant our flight options required a layover, so we chose to splurge to fly first class on American Airlines (AA) . American Airlines seemed to have the best options to fly from Southwest Florida. After a pretty easy travel experience, thanks to TSA Pre-Check and Global Ent...

There's nothing worse than finding a "good" deal on Expedia or Bookings.com, but when you get there, it looks nothing like you expected. Tune in as Sofia shares one of her most memorable travel stories while taking a quick getaway in Orlando, FL. Share your craziest/ nightmare travel story with the Travel Brats on IG for a chance to be featured!

Connect with the Travel Brats on Social Media, and be sure to follow along Ashley's journey to Napa Valley in the coming weeks. 

Where to Stay  Naay Curamoria Tulum Hotel Caruma - went through booking.com, but also can book directly through them. Their suite style room was perfect and we stayed there comfortably for 3 nights and 4 days. There is a spa style bathroom shower, but the best part had to be how kind the entire staff was and the rooftop bar and pool. If you’ve been researching where to stay in Tulum, this location...

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After listening to and watching so many Costa Rica travel guides, I think my knowledge on this beautiful destination far exceeds all I should know, and because of that, we had an amazing trip. Traveling is not all it’s cracked up to be - it’s messy, uncomfortable at times, but ultimately, it’s so rewarding and helps me create memories that truly do last a lifetime. Prior to meeting my boyfriend, I...

There are great airlines that fly to Costa Rica. For a pricey, more comfortable choice, American Airlines and JetBlue regularly fly and typically out of international hubs. So Miami is a convenient spot to get the most cost effective and direct flight. Spirit flies out of Fort Lauderdale, but that’s a story for another day. If you have flexibility on your schedule or aren’t sure which days to go y...

October 4th - Day 1 6:15am – Arrive in Keflavik International Airport (kuh·fla·vuhk) 7:00am – Pick Up Rental Car Discover Rental Cars Voucher Driver's License Passport 9:00am – Drive to Fagradsfjall ( 1:00pm – Drive to Reykjavik (rey·ke·vik) 2:00pm – Hop On- Hop Off City Bus Voucher will be exchanged for ticket October 5th – Day 2 8:00am – Drive to Snaefellsjokull NP (snie-fels-sio-koot) 303 km to...

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