In the beginning……..

By CadyLuck Leedy on March 14, 2013

Where do you want to go?  That is the question.  I guess the best answer to that is: How much time and money and interest do you have?

I love history. I love food. I love to meet people. I started out in Ireland years ago. It appealed to me. I always wanted to go to France. I did.  But, I absolutely was fascinated with Italy once I went there and now it is a passion.   I start my travels with “Background Checks”.  My “Background Checks”  consist of finding out as much information as I can on the destination. I start on BC’s very early in the destination process and take my time.   I check out guides.  I love guides! This year I updated my Rick Steves’ collection, yes collection, Rick Steves’ Italy 2013. I pour over the pages and mark my favorites in yellow marker. I go to TripAdvisor and look up favorite hotels, restaurants, sights, and things to do in my destination. I read a lot of reviews.  And then I make an itinerary. A detailed itinerary. To me it is more helpful to have all the information on what I might want to do and see rather than get home and have missed out on something.  The itinerary is not written it stone, it is my guide. I use a program called Knapsack (Mac app) to plan day to day: where I am staying, what I want to see, etc. I detail the places, phone numbers, addresses, website info.  It has train information, car information, flight information and all information associated with it. I love it because I can document everything I did or wanted to do for every vacation. When I am happy with the itinerary,  I email a copy of it to my family.  This way they know every day where I am or where I should be! For my own benefit I print out the itinerary in a day-by day format and carry just the pages I need for any given day.  Saves me from lugging guidebooks with me up and down those stairs!

If you woke up tomorrow to find all your plans had been cancelled for a week and $10,000 was on your dresser, what would your week look like?

Next…..Terrific apps on your phone.