Wilde Child Travel

While planning for my next trip, between Christmas and New Years, I've been utilizing different travel applications. These apps have been extremely useful at keeping all of my information in one place. They are great resources while on the go; it's convenient to keep hotel, flight, transportation info in the palm of your hand - even if you're offline and without reception or wi-fi! Google Trips This is one of the most innovative travel applications I've come across, so far. Once the app is downloaded, everything you save for your trip will accumulate one location. Book a hotel or flight with your gmail account and the reservation will appear in the app once it's synced. Search google for events, save them, and they'll be saved in the app as well.  One of the things I love best about this application is that it breaks down all of the categories of travel and makes planning extremely easy.  Google Trips allows you to download your "Trip&qu

If you've been following me on Instagram (Wildechildyup), then you know I've been to New York recently! I have visited the Big Apple before, but I haven't experienced any of the famous land marks on the tourist checklist. This time I made sure to see Time Square lit up in all of it's blinding glory! From blocks away you could already see the hazy lights of one of the world's most famous tourist spots. The lights only get brighter the closer you get!   Although it was pretty cold and misty, we trekked out to the heart of the city to take in all of the bright lights. Time Square wasn't as crowded as I anticipated, perhaps it was the weather, yet it everything I had imagined and saw every year during the New Year Eve Ball Drop. There is no way I would ever want to be in Time Square for that! It would be way too intense and crowded. I'm glad there weren't mass crowds of people walking around during the night, we seemed to have picked the

As part of my birthday celebration I wanted to see a part of the famous Bourbon Trail in Kentucky. There are plenty of distilleries and well-known labels participating in the Bourbon Trail, and I picked Four Roses . Doing my research, I looked at numerous websites and settled on Four Roses based on the Spanish style of the buildings. The aesthetic makes the campus really beautiful!  Four Roses offers tours and tastings from 9 am to 3 pm for $5. I arrived in time for the 2 pm tour. Unfortunately, it was already sold out. However, there was still room in the tasting. I would suggest calling ahead of time to make sure there's still room for you, if you want to take the tour.  (gift shop & ticket counter) Here is my first stamp in my Bourbon Trail Passport! When you get all of the stamps, you can send in your passport and get a t-shirt. The tasting teaches the history of Four Roses and allows you sample the Single Barrel, the Small Batch, and the Y

Visiting Amsterdam for the first time (Or not...)? If you're not sure on what to see or what to do, consider the following attraction/shot spots before you go! Explore Jodenbuurt, the old Jewish quarter, where there is a daily flea market, Waterlooplein. There is much to see including Rembrandt’s House, the Portuguese-Israelite Synagogue and the Jewish Historical Museum. Be mindful of all forms of transportation (bikes, cars, trams) Another market to check out is the Albert Cuyp market. It's a popular street market that has been in action since 1905 selling flowers, food, clothing and more. 9 Streets (de Negen Straatjes) is amazing for foodies and fashionista. This shopping area is located in the middle of the city and has numerous cafes, restaurants, boutiques, specialty stores, bars, and anything else you could want. If you need wi-fi to check in or pull up maps,wi-fi is free and available at a number of cafes around the city. There are the normal locations such

Backpacking can be tricky. You only have one piece of luggage, but it can be a major pain. Sometimes it's a carry-on and sometimes you'll be forced to check it as luggage. Either way, that bag will contain your important possessions along the duration of your trip and you'll want to pack and preserve all that you can. Keep Liquids in a Ziplock bag - Especially if you're carrying the bag on the plane. Keeping the liquids in a seal tight bag will keep your clothes and other items safe from leaks or spills. Keeping this bag at the top of your pack will help make the move through the TSA line a little easier. Pack a Laundry Bag - It's a small little bag that will hardy take up any space at all. A laundry bag is a great item to have on hand to stuff your dirty laundry in and to transport your clothes to the laundromat. It also keeps your clean clothes smelling fresh instead of mixing them with the dirty items. Locks - I secure all of my backpack zippers with

I haven't been on a road trip in a while, and this was my first solo adventure. I decided to spend the weekend in Toronto, Ontario Canada. I drove up late on Friday and arrived early Saturday. I stayed in the Courtyard Marriott downtown on Yonge street, I asked for a room on a higher floor to see what kind of view I could get (to see the view from my room on the 11th floor, check out the Toronto video below!). I went to the St. Lawrence Market after settling in at the hotel. The St. Lawrence Market is a covered market where you can find fresh produce, fish, meat, wine, and anything else your kitchen needs. I walked around for a bit and found it interesting that I was never carded. Some days I look a lot younger than I am, and other days I don't. I went to two wine stores and they offered free wine tastings and never carded anyone at all! Later in the day I went to a restaurant called Signs . It's ran by deaf staff members. When I was seated I was introduced by

I've been a member of a hotel rewards program for over an year now, but haven't been really using it until recently. I've stayed in hostels, Airbnbs, and even couchsurfed, yet I still really enjoy hotel rewards programs and all they have to offer. Now, more than ever, it's easy to accumulate points with any brand. Shopping online and signing up friends can get you to a reward faster. More commonly, points can add up with hotel credit cards, stays with sister hotel brands, airline miles, and car rentals. Points can be used domestically and internationally at anytime and usually there are no blackout dates. If you want to extend your stay, for example, simply trade in your points for another night! It's easy to use members' points also for spa days, airline miles, products, free nights, activities, and meals. Brands love faithful patrons and want to treat them well when they visit, so they send special offers to reward members only. Based on the prog

Packing is one of the most annoying elements of traveling. You have to worry about liquids, space in the suitcase, weight, and still have to figure out what you can bare to leave at home. Here are five travel hacks to make the task of packing a little easier. 1. Stuff Socks and Undies Inside Your Shoes: No space should go to waste when packing, use every nook and cranny to get your necessities into the suitcase. 2. Pack Shoes In Shower Caps: No one wants shoe prints and dirt on their clothes. Before packing your shoes, cover them in a cheap shower cap (like the one you get from a hotel) to keep your clothes clean.  3. Lock Up The Rouge Hairpins: Put your hairpins in Tic-Tac containers to access them easily. 4. Spill Proof Your Bottles: Slip a bit of plastic wrap over the opening of a bottle and screw the top back on.  5. Organize Jewelry: To keep rings and earrings in one place use old pill boxes to keep them paired up and safe. I'm always looking for mo

Years ago my friends and I booked a flight from Columbus, Ohio to Dublin, Ireland with a layover in Philadelphia, PA from one of the many online booking sites. Once we reached Philadelphia our international flight was delayed, and then delayed again, and eventually downsized. We were reassigned to a new flight in the morning. The airline gave us vouchers for a airport hotel and $20 for food the next day. This was not how I wanted my vacation to begin! The delays made me afraid that the hotel in Ireland would cancel our reservation and give away our rooms. We had no way out since there were no more flights that day with that airline. We had to call the hotel to tell them what happened and that we were still on our way. It was the beginning of our trip and it had already hit an unforeseeable rough patch. Sharing this memory with Elizabeth Blount Mccormick, president and co-owner of Uniglobe Travel Designers, she assured me that if I had booked with one of her travel experts I w