La Siesta Resort: A Relaxing Stay in Islamorada, Florida

  

On my recent road trip to the Florida Keys, we spent three nights at the beautiful La Siesta Resort in Islamorada. Located right on the Atlantic, the resort turned out to be a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the Keys. 

Staying in Birgu: A Beautiful Apartment on Malta’s Grand Harbour

The first time I visited Malta, I stayed in a wonderful apartment in Senglea. On my next visit, that apartment was already booked, so we decided to stay across the harbor in Birgu.

And I am so glad we did.

Birgu, also known as Vittoriosa, sits along Malta’s Grand Harbour, directly across the water from Senglea. From here, you can also take a traditional water taxi across the harbor to Valletta, making it a wonderful location for exploring Malta.

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica: Where the Rainforest Meets the Pacific

Manuel Antonio was one of the stops on our Costa Rica adventure, and it couldn't have felt more different from the time we spent around La Fortuna.

Located on Costa Rica's Pacific coast near the town of Quepos, Manuel Antonio is known for its beautiful beaches, lush rainforest, abundant wildlife, and, of course, Manuel Antonio National Park. It is one of those destinations where the rainforest seems to meet the ocean, creating some incredible scenery.

The Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill: Exploring Ancient Rome

I've visited Rome more than once, but during my 2016 trip I finally made my way to three of the city's most iconic ancient sites—the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to visit them, but I'm certainly glad I finally did. These are the places you see in photographs and history books, and standing among them in person gives you a much better appreciation for just how much of ancient Rome is still woven into the modern city.

SAINT PAUL'S BAY, MALTA

On my first trip to Malta, I was fascinated by how much history seemed to be tucked into every corner of the island. Even when we were simply driving through, there was always something that caught my eye.

Malta is also closely connected to the story of St. Paul. According to tradition, St. Paul was shipwrecked on the island during his voyage from Caesarea to Rome. Many scholars have identified the island mentioned in the biblical account as Malta, and the Maltese people believe that St. Paul played an important role in bringing Christianity to the island.

Golden Bay, Malta: A Quick Stop at One of Malta’s Most Popular Beaches

When we asked locals about the prettiest beaches in Malta, Golden Bay was a name that kept coming up. Located along Malta’s northwestern coast, Golden Bay is known for its wide stretch of golden sand, beautiful Mediterranean water, and surrounding hills.

Compared with many of Malta’s rocky swimming spots, Golden Bay has a true sandy beach, which helps make it one of the island’s more popular places for swimming and spending the day by the water. The beach is also relatively easy to access and has restaurants and other facilities nearby.

POPEYE VILLAGE ~ MALTA

'Popeye Village Malta', the Film Set of the 1980 Musical Production “Popeye”, also known as 'Popeye Village' today is one of Malta's major tourist attractions. The film set was constructed in Anchor Bay during the last 7 months of 1979.

HOW TO PACK CLOTHING FOR EUROPE WITH ONLY CARRY ON

Packing for a week or more for a vacation in Europe using only a carry-on can be done!

My daughter and I spent 16 days in Europe without our luggage after the airline lost it on the trip over. Since then, I only travel with a carry-on. I don't want to take the chance of arriving at my destination without my luggage again!

This is what I packed for our trip. Everything shown here went into my carry-on. My electronics went into the black bag, and I wore my bulkiest travel clothes on the flight.

When we planned our trip, we knew we would be flying Ryanair once we got to Spain, and they had very strict—and very small—luggage requirements.

At the time, you could have one free carry-on that was no larger than 21.6 × 15.74 × 7.87 inches, including the wheels and handles. So think child-size suitcase!

When you're working with that little space, looking good and packing light have to go hand in hand. The trick is choosing pieces that mix and match so you can create several outfits without taking your entire closet with you.

And don't be afraid to wash things along the way. You can wash a pair of jeans in the shower and hang them up to dry. The same goes for underwear and other small items.

It may not sound glamorous, but when you're traveling with a tiny suitcase, you learn to make things work!

And there is another advantage to packing light: you have an excuse to go shopping! Leave a little room in your suitcase for something special you find along the way.

2026 Update: Ryanair's Carry-On Size Has Changed

A quick update to this older post: When I originally wrote this, the Ryanair bag requirements were 21.6 × 15.74 × 7.87 inches, and that is the size bag I used for this trip. I was able to fit everything I needed for our European vacation into that bag, which is what inspired this post in the first place.

Ryanair's baggage rules have changed since then.

As of 2026, Ryanair's free small personal bag allowance is 40 × 30 × 20 cm (approximately 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 inches). The bag must fit underneath the seat in front of you.

That's considerably smaller than the bag I used for this trip, so keep that in mind if you're using this post to plan a trip today.

I'm leaving the original measurements and packing advice because they reflect the bag I actually used and how I managed to pack for our trip. Just be sure to check Ryanair's current baggage requirements before you travel, since airline policies can change.

I hope this helps if you're planning a trip and trying to figure out how to fit everything you need into a small carry-on. Trust me—you really can do it!

FOLLOW ALONG AS WE PREPARE FOR OUR TRIP TO EUROPE

I'm Headed Back to Europe in October and I want you to come along.  I guess I should actually say WE are headed back to Europe.  I am traveling with three 27-year-old ladies, one of them being my daughter.

Each of us has a budget of $1000. That may sound like a lot of money to you but it you go search for flights to Europe, you will find that just the plane tickets are over $1000. We are going to try to book flights, hotels, food, and transportation and bring it all in around the thousand dollar mark and I'm going to show you how.

So follow along as we book our flights and lodging.  See how we pack everything into small cases so we don't have to pay luggage fees and how we earned our travel money.  Let's get started.....

Here is the gang:

As you can see, only one person in the group that is earning their travel money solely from their regular job.  The rest of us has had to do "something extra" for our travel money which means you can do it too.  I know there are some people who may already work two or three jobs to pay the bills and say there is no extra money.  I was that way for many years myself.

SECRETS TO FINDING CHEAP AIRFARE

Since I always have people ask me how I find cheap airfare, I thought I would write a post about it. Below are some tips to the sites that I use and why I use them. I'm not going to go into earning airline miles in this post, I'll save that for a later post.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about how I fly cheap on Spirit Airlines. There are other airlines that have similar cheaper flights and you can save a lot of money using them. Just keep in mind that there are trade-offs for the cheap fares such as no free food or beverages. I have listed links to some of these airlines below.

Check Fares Often
Airlines change fares constantly, often multiple times a week. So when it comes to buying an airline ticket, timing is everything. To get the best deals you will need to check airfare sites often. I have about three sites that I check at least once a day. The price of a fare can change in a few seconds (many times the price will change while you are looking at the fare). I was looking at an airfare to Morocco which was listed at $167 and the price jumped to $850 within five minutes.

Be Flexible
You can save hundreds of dollars by being flexible on your dates and destinations. Here is a random example I pulled up on Skyscanner

Experiences Are Worth More Than Things

I've always believed that experiences are worth more than things.

When I look back at the moments that have made me happiest, I rarely remember what I bought that year. I remember where I went, who I was with, what I saw, and the unexpected little moments that turned into stories I still tell today.

That got me thinking about a question I love to ask:

What are three of your favorite memories from the past year?

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center: A Texas Safari Experience in Glen Rose

If you are looking for a unique wildlife experience in Texas, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose is definitely worth a visit. Located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Fossil Rim offers an experience that feels a little like going on safari without leaving Texas.

Instead of walking from one exhibit to another, you drive through large open habitats where animals roam throughout the landscape. Giraffes, zebras, antelope, deer and other wildlife may come surprisingly close to your vehicle, making this very different from a traditional zoo.

I had the opportunity to visit Fossil Rim Wildlife Center for the first time, and it was quite an experience.

Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Arkansas

Garvan Woodland Gardens is especially beautiful in the spring. I had been seeing so many beautiful photos of the tulips in bloom that when I was visiting my daughter in Hot Springs, I decided to make a quick trip to see them for myself.

NEW ORLEANS - AN UNEXPECTED DETOUR

New Orleans was an afterthought.

I was with friends in Mississippi when someone suggested that we go visit someone they knew in New Orleans. So we headed that way and showed up on this poor guy’s doorstep.

I think we may have woken him up, but he graciously welcomed us and gave us a tour around New Orleans. Sometimes the best adventures are the ones you never planned.

Dining at Dominica in New Orleans

If you are visiting New Orleans and looking for somewhere great to eat, put Domenica on your list.

When I first visited Domenica, I was definitely stepping outside my comfort zone. I am a country girl who was much more familiar with the kind of restaurants I grew up eating at, but one of my favorite things about traveling is trying something new. So I was willing to give it a try.

And I am glad I did.