My View from the Middle Seat

10/24/2018

*knock knock* Is this thing on?

Hi, friends! It has been a really long time. I have had an insanely busy year, working around airplanes, traveling a little, trying to get healthy, revamping my blog & basically surviving life.

B & I just got back from a fun five day adventure in NW Ireland & Northern Ireland. I can't wait to share some of the details with you, as these non-touristy areas of the emerald isle should be high on your list.

Facebook has been doing some wonky things with their algorithm &, since it has been so long since I've posted, I'm not even sure if anyone will see this. So if you see this in your feed, leave a comment below with a gif of the current place you're dreaming about visiting!

05/23/2018

I am SO SO SO excited for Sonesta Ocean Point Resort & Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa to officially return next year! And in time for my birthday, conveniently 😎 Can't wait to return to my favorite island.

04/17/2018

The last six months have really been something... a hernia, a new job & a long, cold winter. This has led to things being a little quiet around here lately.

A new blog post today on where I've been & what the future holds: http://bitly.com/2HrIv9L

The last six months have been some of the most mentally challenging of my life: a hernia, a new job and this all means that it has been a little quiet around here....

04/04/2018

An update on a property that left a lasting impression on me after our visit last year. We can't wait for them to rebuild so we can return to Sonesta Ocean Point Resort & Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa!

03/21/2018

A little bit of snow is no match for all the heavies at Washington Dulles International Airport!

03/15/2018

Last weekend we popped down to Charleston for a quick trip of eating, strolling & celebrating a family wedding! I fell hard for this jewel of the South - the colorful architecture, the amazing food & the endless hospitality. I can't wait to visit there (& eat there!) again.

03/14/2018

My favorite beach is back! And it looks like the plane spotting hotel is undergoing heavy renovation. Can't wait to go back to SXM!

The beach plane spotters parade is back!

03/12/2018

I have been feeling super wanderlusty lately - not just any ol' type of wanderlust, but adventure wanderlust. I need the weather to warm up so I can strap on some hiking boots & hit the trail! So this post by my friend Kristin at Camels & Chocolate came right at the perfect time.

Even if you just have a short weekend to explore southern Utah, you mustn't pass up Canyon Overlook in Zion, one of the easiest (and most scenic!) hikes in the park.

03/06/2018

After a brief blogging vacation, I'm back with all the reasons why you should head to See Puerto Rico ASAP! http://myviewfromthemiddleseat.com/2018/03/why-you-should-book-a-trip-to-puerto-rico-right-now/

Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico hard, but things are largely back up & running in Old San Juan. Go support the local businesses & enjoy some fun in the sun.

02/20/2018

We're back tan, relaxed & refreshed from our long weekend getaway to Puerto Rico! Many people have asked how things really are there & if they're ready for tourists. The answer is, without hesitation, go visit. Spend money & support local businesses. Tourism is so important to their economy.

Old San Juan, where we stayed, is doing well: hotels are open (the Hotel El Convento is perfection), restaurants are open, shops are open & tours are running. The cruise ships have returned, but the streets are empty when they're not there. About 25% of the island is still without power (mainly in the mountainous center), which is mind boggling. You & I can't fix the power grid, but we can go support the local economy. If you're looking for a quick warm weather getaway, See Puerto Rico should be at the top of your list.

02/13/2018

Looking for a warm weather getaway? Go See Puerto Rico!

I'm excited to head there this weekend, help pump some tourism dollars into the local economy & support my fellow Americans.

A good sale to San Juan. Seeing the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma and Maria is heartbreaking. San Juan has power again, but parts of Puerto Rico will

02/02/2018

Yes, please X1,000

The rare joint effort is part of an almost $1 billion renovation of the popular attraction.

01/26/2018

What do you do with your leftover foreign currency at the end of a trip?

Earlier this week, I shared my story with Travel + Leisure: After years of trying to spend every last cent, I started saving mine for the next trip (because there will always be a "next trip"). I throw it in an old Ladurée Madison box & always look forward to the digging through it to see what I have before heading out on a journey.

Welcome home: Now what to do with leftover foreign currency?

01/22/2018

Just booked our President's Day weekend trip tonight & I could not be more excited: we're headed to See Puerto Rico! I'm looking forward to helping pump money into their local economy & supporting my fellow Americans. We'll be staying in Old San Juan, which we've been told is in pretty good shape, but hope to get out on a catamaran or to a beach as well.

Most of all, I'm really looking forward to seeing what the situation is down there first hand & helping spread the word in the mainland that Puerto Rico is open for business. Our tourism dollars can help our neighbors rebuild.

01/10/2018

The New York Times 52 places to go in 2018 list is out! I love that so many of these places were included, especially places that could definitely use an economic boost from tourism dollars. I have to give them a hard time about one destination though: Iceland. Even though I loved every single thing about our visit there in July 2016, I'm pretty sure they're the last destination who needs more tourists right now. What do you think? Any of these 52 places on your 2018 travel list?

A starter kit for escaping into the world.

01/03/2018

It's ! Using a gif, comment below on the destination that is top on your list for 2018.

01/02/2018

Ever wonder why your flight costs what it does? An interesting look at airline ticket pricing

Get 3 free meals from Blue Apron at http://cook.ba/2CdixUK Subscribe to Half as Interesting (The other channel from Wendover Productions): https://www.youtub...

01/01/2018

It's awfully good to see St. Maarten back to doing what they do best! Can't wait to return to this island and pump some money into their local economy.

12/29/2017

My flight last night was my 27th and final flight of the year. In 2017, I flew over 40,000 miles, including 3 times back & forth across America and 2 hops across the pond to Europe & back. I flew on a little E175 the most (mostly on American Airlines back & forth to Ohio), but was honored to once again log a flight on Lufthansa's Queen of the Skies. I also added a new aircraft & airline to my checklist: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines's 777. Interestingly enough, I didn't fly at all on a Tuesday! Despite all these flights, I didn't have a single cancellation & only a few delays (although those were epic: one was 6 hours, another was because the plane had a bird strike on landing).

All those miles don't include the additional thousands logged on a cruise ship, trains, cars, kayaks and my own two feet.

Despite my health woes at the end of the year, it was an awesome year of travel. I only have one trip booked so far for 2018, but I have no doubt that next year is going to be just as epic!
https://my.flightradar24.com/MiddleSeatView/2017

12/26/2017

2017 was an epic travel year! From long weekend partnerships with Visit Holland & Visit Richmond VA to an epic 35th birthday celebration in St. Maarten to eating our way through Italy in the fall, the year was not without adventure! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday & is ready to ring in 2018! http://bitly.com/2pzG0KD

Well, 2017 is almost over. And I don’t think I’m alone in saying good riddance! But, despite this dumpster fire of a year, there were some positives our the travel world. We kicked off the year spending a week escaping life in San Diego. In February, I flew to Ohio & surprised my Dad for …

12/22/2017

Looking for a last minute Christmas gift? How about a snorkeling trip with St. Thomas Adventure Tours? The turtles have returned & they're up & running & back in business! The USVI would greatly appreciate your tourist dollars in 2018.

Like most semi-regular cruisers, we had been to St. Thomas before. Several times before. We had almost given up on the most popular of the U.S. Virgin Islands as too touristy. So when we saw that our cruise ship once again stopped in St. Thomas (as most do), we knew we wanted to do something differe...

12/18/2017

As my followers know, St. Maarten is one of my favorite islands. Like many places in my beloved Caribbean, they suffered tremendous damage in Hurricane Irma. Tourism has been slow to return, so I was anxious to read this first hand account from Cruise Critic on the return of Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas yesterday.

12/12/2017

Our trip to Rome was a whirlwind! I was not prepared for how big the city was & how much there is to do. Here are 31 tips for a great trip to Rome, including our favorite meals http://bitly.com/2AfzTvN

Everything from where to eat to where to stay to what not to do - for the perfect 31 Rome tips.

12/12/2017

One of my favorite things about traveling around the holidays is learning about other country's traditions of "Santa." In Iceland, they have the Yule lads & the first one came last night. ❤️

First yule lad came last night 🎄

Drawing by Hugleikur Dagsson

12/04/2017

Today's holiday gift guide comes from fellow Washingtonian The Dining Traveler. Jessica has a yummy round up of edible treats - & introduced me to a bunch of new places in the DC area!

Looking for edible gift ideas in Washington, DC? The Dining Traveler Guide covers food tours to limoncello to cake from local-owned businesses.

12/01/2017

Today's featured holiday gift guide comes from mixologist-traveling wonder-all around nice guy Spencer Spellman at Whiskey Tango Globetrot. His post is perfect for TGIF happy hour!

Ladies and gents, it’s that time of year again. A time for gift giving, carol singing, holiday partying, eggnog drinking (spiked, of course), Elf re-watching, and Facebook debating about whether The Holiday or Love Actually is the best holiday movie (it’s The Holiday). And, most importantly, it'...

11/30/2017

I'm finally having hernia surgery! Wohoo! Cheers to being on the path to recovery.

While I'm offline recouping over the next week or so, I thought I'd share some of my favorite travel gift guides that are floating around this season. First up today: Camels & Chocolate. I pretty much want everything in the stocking stuffer section! https://www.camelsandchocolate.com/christmas-gift-guide/

Looking for the best Christmas gift ideas this holiday season? From home goods and travel accessories to presents for your teens and pups, I've got you.

11/24/2017

Flying this holiday season? Thank NASA!

Flying home today for Thanksgiving? There are decades of NASA Aeronautics research onboard each commercial airplane, making flying safer & more efficient. Take a look: http://go.nasa.gov/2hXdrDU