tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13377509993703527332024-03-13T10:48:45.660-04:00racheerachh travelsfrugal travel.
tips. tricks. trips.Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.comBlogger702125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-9394345088487467902023-12-26T07:30:00.219-05:002023-12-26T07:30:00.157-05:001 Week in DominicaThis year for our winter break, J and I chose to go to Dominica (not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, which is where we went last year). Dominica is known as the nature island, which was immediately appealing to the both of us. We stayed at Secret Bay, which was pricey but worth it, and I highly recommend visiting this island (and hotel) if you get the chance.There are no direct Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-12413515355686630362023-10-16T20:25:00.005-04:002023-10-16T20:25:23.335-04:00Jersey Shore Whale WatchingLast weekend, J and I drove down to Belmar to go whale watching. We went with Jersey Shore Whale Watch, which guarantees you'll see a whale or they'll comp you a free trip. We were aboard the Jersey Girl, which was a really smooth ride; I don't think I even needed my Dramamine. We were out at sea for a few hours and hadn't seen a thing and we were on our way back when the captain got radioed by Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-38329118957628981532023-07-17T06:00:00.326-04:002023-07-17T06:00:00.141-04:001 Week in MichiganJ is from Michigan and wanted to show me his old digs so he planned a weeklong trip to Michigan for us to enjoy. Our vacation kicked off with several flight delays that resulted in us missing our connecting flight and some misplaced luggage, but we regrouped and ended up driving to the UP from Chicago and J's checked luggage eventually made its way to us up in Hancock.It was a lot of travel time,Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-50045126293541207672023-06-26T07:48:00.031-04:002023-10-16T20:12:03.940-04:00Shenandoah National ParkI just realized I never posted about my trip to Shenandoah earlier this year. I went in May over Memorial Day weekend. J and I camped (we were at Big Meadows, Site 001). It was kind of a challenge to get a campsite (as soon as they opened for booking, they were all immediately snatched up) so I ended up gaming the system a little and it all worked out.I'm just sharing a few snapshots from the Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-62199100583294212452023-06-26T07:00:00.130-04:002023-06-26T07:00:00.162-04:0024 Hours in TokyoWe flew into Japan for just a day before we headed back home. We weren't there for long but we managed to jam in a few fun activities and some delicious food. Since my sis and I had already been there before (technically twice) we just hit up a few of our favorite spots mostly within the neighborhood near our hotel, with a little bit of venturing out.To be honest, Tokyo is not my favorite, but Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-20126377644581584182023-06-19T07:00:00.230-04:002023-06-19T07:00:00.143-04:001 Week in Koh SamuiOur time in Koh Samui was great. The last time I was there, it was way too brief and we barely left the hotel so I wanted to take this chance to explore more of the island.So this time around, we rented a car and ended up doing a loop around the whole place. We also did a little bit of jewelry shopping, got Hainanese chicken a few times, and also indulged in a few spa sessions.We stayed at the Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-90436680262465575892023-06-13T07:00:00.072-04:002023-06-13T07:00:00.140-04:0024 Hours in SeoulOur last day in Korea was spent in Seoul. My aunt and uncle dropped us off at our hotel in Myeongdong and then we packed our day with a few touristy things before we had to head off to Thailand. It was bittersweet having to say bye to my family, but I was excited to eat in Seoul. I had made a bucket list of food and there were still a handful of items to check off.In terms of sightseeing, having Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-7966507014326750842023-06-12T07:00:00.236-04:002023-06-12T07:00:00.145-04:0096 Hours in Gangwon Do, KoreaIn April, I went to Asia for a couple of weeks. We flew into Tokyo (so that we could fly out of Newark instead of schlepping it to Queens) and then immediately flew over to Seoul. My aunt and uncle picked us up and drove us to their newly built countryside home in Yangpyeong. We settled in and showered and then ate sullungtang (bone broth) with kimchi before tucking into bed.Yangpyeong is in Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-85795622246411009712023-01-02T06:00:00.263-05:002023-01-05T14:12:39.028-05:00Punta Cana 2022The week before Christmas, J and I flew to the Dominican Republic to spend a week at an all-inclusive resort. We stayed at the Excellence Punta Cana, in Playas Uvero Alto, a town about 40 minutes west of Punta Cana. It was an adults only resort, which made it extra enjoyable for us, as the plane ride down was full of crying babies.It was my first time doing a vacation of this style. Typically, Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-18884790157690975942022-11-29T06:30:00.000-05:002022-11-29T06:30:00.224-05:0096 Hours in Tennessee: NashvilleOn our final morning in Gatlinburg, we lazed around in bed until we had to check out so we could milk every second of our Airbnb rental period. Then we hit the road and headed back west towards Nashville. We stopped at Aubrey's for brunch, where we both immensely enjoyed the tomato bisque.The drive back was easy and we didn't hit any traffic.For our last night of vacation, we stayed at Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-57022225682066044232022-11-28T06:35:00.203-05:002022-11-28T06:35:00.208-05:0096 Hours in Tennessee: Great Smoky Mountain National ParkJust before the Thanksgiving break, I flew into Nashville and spent a few days between the city and Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It was a whirlwind trip but it felt pretty chock full because it was so beautiful and fun.J and I flew down on Friday night, checked into our hotel and immediately headed out for cocktails.We stayed at The Gallatin, which J picked on a whim for how quirky and Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-71965848453351639452022-11-14T06:28:00.259-05:002022-11-16T13:18:22.515-05:00Catskills Autumn 2022A couple weekends ago, J and I drove up to Fleischmanns, New York to stay at a cute little cabin rental (via Red Cottage Inc.). Though we were past peak foliage, it was still really pretty and we had a great time. We had some great dinners at Brushland Eating House and Peekamoose and a great breakfast at Cafe Marguerite. We went on a fun hike at Giant Ledge and on our way home, we Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-29309650930292297502022-11-08T06:37:00.022-05:002022-11-08T06:37:00.229-05:00Long Weekend in Fort LauderdaleFor my sister's birthday weekend this year, we went to Florida for a long weekend. We had booked a trip to Fort Lauderdale to get delicious Vietnamese food back in March 2020 and had to cancel it due to the pandemic. Rescheduling that trip was long overdue and I'm glad we got to go. We went to our favorite eatery, Pho 79, twice and stayed at the lovely Westin which had a lovely spa and Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-44292332252872565682022-09-12T06:28:00.284-04:002022-09-12T06:28:00.219-04:00Long Weekend in Mont TremblantA couple weekends ago, J and I drove up to Mont Tremblant for his friend's sister's wedding. It was a long haul so we broke it up on the way up. We started the trip north after work on Thursday, stopping in Albany for dinner before parking it in Lake George for the night. On Friday, we headed up to Montreal and stopped for a sandwich at Schwartz's Deli (at my insistence) and then made our way to Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-1440922221990011972022-08-29T06:27:00.194-04:002022-08-29T06:27:00.237-04:00Long Weekend in IthacaI went to Ithaca over the Fourth of July break. I hadn't been up there since November 2018 and frankly, I hadn't been there in the summer time since 2015 so it was nice to be there to enjoy the campus with the sun out. We did a bunch of my favorite things (like Cascadilla Gorge Trail, Farmers Market, Dairy Bar, chimes concert at the clock tower, dinner at Maxie's, Buttermilk Falls, looking at theRach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-52965583070262874382022-06-08T07:30:00.289-04:002022-06-08T07:30:00.192-04:0036 Hours in CartagenaMy last Colombia post will be about the little bit of time we had in Cartagena. It was boiling hot and I'm actually pretty pleased with how everything worked out. At first I felt like I might've wanted a bit longer but I think that a day or two is really all you need to enjoy Getsemani, get some yummy food, and watch the sunset.At least, that's all that was on my agenda.I had booked the same car Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-46233017113978781752022-06-07T07:25:00.303-04:002022-06-07T07:25:00.188-04:0072 Hours in BaruOn our second day in Colombia, we all hopped on an airplane and headed to the coast to Cartagena. I had asked L about doing something outside of Cundinamarca and we had discussed a few options but ultimately landed on the idea of going to Baru, a v. tropical little peninsula south of Cartagena.I arranged a transfer to our hotel in Baru via Juan Ballena because it was way more affordable thanRach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-50370812898028146062022-06-06T07:42:00.351-04:002022-06-06T07:42:00.192-04:0096 Hours in CundinamarcaAfter a two year hiatus from traveling, I feel like I'm finally back in the groove. I went to Hawaii back in November and that was a great start but I feel like I needed to go abroad to feel back to my normal holiday-going self. And even though I technically went to Canada a month ago, I feel like this trip was my first foray back into international travel.Instead of attempting to explore Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-46197575730272925272022-04-18T06:10:00.202-04:002022-04-18T06:10:00.192-04:0060 Hours in TorontoFor my return to international travel (following the pandemic) I went to Toronto for a few days with my favorite friend from college. It was super low key and relaxing and we mostly just walked around the Liberty Village / Kensington Market neighborhoods, ate delicious foods, drank yummy cocktails, and just enjoyed each others' company.I flew United and I was pleasantly surprised to get upgraded Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-33111448661553671082022-03-20T07:00:00.001-04:002022-03-20T07:00:00.219-04:00Kenoza Lake 2022A few weekends ago, I went to a lovely little Airbnb in the western Catskills, near Callicoon. We'd been looking for a spot with a sauna for him and a hot tub for me and I ended up stumbling upon an adorable little tiny house set up called 'The Shire' (listing here). The host, Shawn, was so helpful and friendly and awesome and the location is great and it's all v. quaint and gorgeous. I'd love toRach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-88841243906452032252021-12-31T07:05:00.454-05:002021-12-31T07:05:00.197-05:0096 Hours in KauaiI love Kauai; there, I said it. Seriously though, everyone who had been before had told me how great it was and how much fun I would have and I believed them, but at the time, I didn't know just how intensely true it would be. Kauai has a lot of charm, it's a gorgeous island, and the Napali coast is out of someone's dreams.We saw the coast from the water, from the sky, and actually hiked it as Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-90882306529155498852021-12-30T07:33:00.388-05:002021-12-30T10:58:39.302-05:0072 Hours in WaikikiJust before Thanksgiving, I went to Hawaii with my sister. It was my first time on an airplane in almost two years (the last time was when I went to Europe in 2019) and it was much needed. I had just gotten my COVID booster and honestly, this trip was a mood booster. The timing couldn't have been better; the pandemic chaos was still in a pre-holiday / post-summer lull and the airline and the Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-23746638504066040702020-10-12T07:16:00.145-04:002020-10-12T07:16:01.158-04:00Albany 2020 SnapshotsI haven't touched this blog all year because I haven't gone anywhere. I started a new job in January so I hadn't planned on going on holiday until late spring but those plans were thwarted by a little global pandemic.Even though this year has been pretty hard, my family still managed to get away for a week in the summer. We wanted to stay somewhere local but still feel like we were getting a Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-44846689748039528402020-01-02T07:04:00.000-05:002020-01-02T07:04:22.517-05:006 Hours in Rothenburg Ob Der TauberThis will be my last post of my little Euro Trip series. When I was planning my time in Nuremberg, I had only planned on staying for 2 days with the hopes that I could fly to Edinburgh for one night before returning to London before returning home. However, when that plan fell through, I planned it so that I was in Nuremberg for 3 days and that left me wondering if there were any day trips I Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337750999370352733.post-90423991675693297562020-01-01T07:04:00.000-05:002020-01-01T07:04:00.839-05:0036 Hours in NurembergHappy New Year! I hope everyone is starting the year off happy and healthy.
I didn't know anything about Nuremberg before planning this trip. I had heard of it in high school history (Nuremberg Trials, anyone?) but other than that, I had no knowledge about the aesthetic of the town, if it was known for anything, or what I could possibly see and do there. However, Nuremberg showed up on a list Rach Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574378941048592822noreply@blogger.com0