How to Plan a “No Plans” Trip

By Sarah Martin HoodAugust 28, 2022August 28, 2022 active lifestyle, travel astoria, oregon, PNW, road trip, seattle, washington 2 Comments

No one loves making travel plans more than I do. I revel in the planning and I believe a well-crafted itinerary is something of which to be proud. I’m regularly sharing past itineraries with friends…

Rovinj, Pula — and a warm return to Italy

By Sarah Martin HoodFebruary 21, 2022February 21, 2022 travel asolo, CIMBA, croatia, croatia 2021, italy, paderno, pula, rovinj Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from my October 2021 travels in Croatia.Click here for all posts. If you’ve been following this adventure from the beginning, you’ll remember we started the week…

Low-Key Adventure in Zadar

By Sarah Martin HoodJanuary 3, 2022August 21, 2022 travel croatia, croatia 2021, sea organ, zadar Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from my October 2021 travels in Croatia.Click here for all posts. When people ask me about storytelling and travel, I often offer a combination of advice….

Plitvice Lakes and Krka National Park: Chasing Waterfalls in Croatia

By Sarah Martin HoodJanuary 2, 2022February 21, 2022 travel croatia, croatia 2021, krka, plitvice, waterfall Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from my October 2021 travels in Croatia.Click here for all posts. Sometimes, all you need is a change of scenery. Early last summer as I absentmindedly…

Welcome to Split, Croatia: More Boats than People

By Sarah Martin HoodDecember 5, 2021January 13, 2022 travel croatia, croatia 2021, hvar, road trip, split, vis Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from my October 2021 travels in Croatia.Click here for all posts. Early in our planning, we found Split. Our plan was to hug the coast driving…

Dubrovnik, Croatia: An Unexpected Pearl

By Sarah Martin HoodNovember 11, 2021January 13, 2022 travel croatia, croatia 2021, dubrovnik, travel Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from my October 2021 travels in Croatia.Click here for all posts. At this point, after nearly two years of pandemic-induced dormancy, my passport was itching. As…

Manhattan Kayak: Sightseeing from a New Perspective

By Sarah Martin HoodJuly 10, 2019July 10, 2019 active lifestyle, adventure travel, canoeing & kayaking, travel colt, intrepid, jeff, kayak, manhattan, new york city, NYC, SUP 1 Comment

NYC is one of my favorite cities and no stranger to the Hood family. Jeff and I went for a Yankees game years ago, three years ago I took Colt on (what would become) our first…

A Day Trip to Pearl Harbor: Travel (with kids!) Guide

By Sarah Martin HoodApril 28, 2019 active lifestyle, adventure travel, travel, travel with kids colt, hawaii, maui, spring break, spring break 2019 2 Comments

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2019 Spring Break adventure in Hawaii. Click here for all posts. Early in the planning for our trip to Hawaii we decided to stay…

Helicopter Parenting! Am I Doing This Right?

By Sarah Martin HoodApril 11, 2019 active lifestyle, adventure travel, motherhood, travel, travel with kids air maui, colt, hawaii, helicopter, maui, spring break, spring break 2019 Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2019 Spring Break adventure in Hawaii. Click here for all posts. I wish you could’ve seen the look on Colt’s face when I suggested…

We Tried SNUBA in Maui: Here’s What You Should Know

By Sarah Martin HoodApril 10, 2019April 11, 2019 active lifestyle, adventure travel, travel, travel with kids colt, hawaii, maui, sail trilogy, snorkel, snuba, spring break, spring break 2019 Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2019 Spring Break adventure in Hawaii. Click here for all posts. Two years ago I tried snorkeling for the first time in Belize, and I…

The Road to Hana: The Road Less Traveled

By Sarah Martin HoodApril 8, 2019December 12, 2021 active lifestyle, motherhood, travel, travel with kids colt, hawaii, maui, spring break, spring break 2019, waterfall Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2019 Spring Break adventure in Hawaii. Click here for all posts. Driving The Road to Hana was one of the first things I put…

How to Build a Travel Itinerary of Memorable Activities for YOU

By Sarah Martin HoodFebruary 28, 2019February 26, 2020 travel, travel with kids planning, travel tips 1 Comment

So. You saw a breathtaking photo of CITY-OF-CHOICE on Instagram and you’re ready to book a flight and take the whole fam. Now what? This is one of the most common questions I get about…

Castillo de San Marcos and a Rainy Glimpse of St. Augustine

By Sarah Martin HoodNovember 11, 2018November 11, 2018 travel, travel with kids colt, florida, florida trip 2018, national park, st. augustine Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2018 trip to Florida. Click here for all posts. As we build travel itineraries for experiences across the country, we always check the area…

A Quick Visit to Canaveral National Seashore

By Sarah Martin HoodNovember 10, 2018November 11, 2018 travel, travel with kids canaveral national seashore, colt, florida, florida trip 2018, national park Leave a comment

This post is part of a series of stories from our 2018 trip to Florida. Click here for all posts. As we build travel itineraries for experiences across the country, we always check the area…

A Family Escape to the Cayman Islands

By Sarah Martin HoodJuly 31, 2018November 4, 2018 adventure travel, travel, travel with kids beach, cayman islands, colt, grand cayman, horseback riding, jeff, parasailing, snorkel, stingray 1 Comment

We’re no beach bums, but this little family needed a slooooow dowwwwwn and we managed to pick the perfect destination. After an incredible summer of camps and travel and weekend activity (most of which I…

The Golden Circle: An Icelandic Road Trip

By Sarah Martin HoodJuly 5, 2018December 12, 2021 travel geysir, golden circle, gullfoss, iceland, iceland 2018, kerid, thingvellir, waterfall 1 Comment

This post is part of a series of stories from my 2018 trip to Iceland. Click here for all posts. At the top of any “What to See in Iceland” list out there, you’ll find…

Iceland’s Westman Islands: Puffins or Bust

By Sarah Martin HoodJuly 3, 2018November 4, 2018 travel atlantic puffin, heimaey, iceland, iceland 2018, puffin, rib safari, Vestmannaeyjar, westman islands 4 Comments

This post is part of a series of stories from my 2018 trip to Iceland. Click here for all posts. When Jenni and I started planning this trip, we had a wish list with a…

Iceland’s South Coast: A Special Kinda Beautiful

By Sarah Martin HoodJuly 2, 2018December 12, 2021 travel europe, iceland, iceland 2018, reynisfjara, seljalandsfoss, skogafoss, skogar museum, south iceland, vik, waterfall 1 Comment

This post is part of a series of stories from my 2018 trip to Iceland. Click here for all posts. Admittedly, I was worried it may not live up to the hype, but Iceland is…

Introduction to Iceland and a Taste of Reykjavik

By Sarah Martin HoodJuly 1, 2018November 4, 2018 travel anthony bourdain, brennivin, europe, hakarl, iceland, iceland 2018, reykjavik, street art 1 Comment

This post is part of a series of stories from my 2018 trip to Iceland. Click here for all posts. Sixteen years ago, I spent a semester in Europe with my friend Jenni. We attended…

What’s in my Camera Bag? Travel + Everyday Gear

By Sarah Martin HoodAugust 6, 2017August 19, 2020 travel camera, photography, travel photography Leave a comment

Believe it or not, I once resisted photography. In the early days of this blog I would post grainy, pre-iPhone cell phone photos and even relied on a disposable camera when I traveled to West…