RTW Lovers

13/05/2020

This post is definitely different. And maybe the one I'm most proud of. Don't let the crickets fool you-- this one was all heart. And a succinct summary of our crazy year around the world.

http://www.rtwlovers.com/round-the-world-lovers/travelblog/the-world-trip-poem

The World Trip We reigned among steel giants made on gold, A Neverland, as rough as it is fair. Then dared to test in what legend foretold, That we could leave and make it anywhere. Inadequate in all but choice to go, We gave up all in order to explore. Nothing but questions, yet a p

20/11/2019

Switzerland, Swiss-chic and Swiss-pensive

We’re lucky to have wonderful friends and family. And we have no issue riding their coattails to fabulous opportunities.  For example: when Ryan’s sister got an opportunity to be a visiting resident at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Zurich for the summer, we decided to crash in he

20/11/2019

Snobbing it in France

A 5-week travel through deliciousness and luxury, our road trip in France was a travelers dream.

20/11/2019

Civilized Scandinavia

We swore we wouldn’t go to Europe.  But what use is a trip around the world if you can’t follow you heart?  And when our planned destination (Turkey) became too volatile (and we were also under budget thanks to our finance department and this blog), we decided tha

21/08/2019

The World Trip Poem

We reigned among steel giants made on gold, A Neverland, as rough as it is fair. Then dared to test in what legend foretold, That we could leave and make it anywhere. Inadequate in all but choice to go, We gave up all in order to explore. Nothing but questions, yet a peace to know: The hea

21/08/2019

http://www.rtwlovers.com/round-the-world-lovers/travelblog/asia-quotes

“People traveling here are either searching for something or running from something.” -Ryan Millar, our friend in Laos , on SE Asia backpackers

21/08/2019

Japan, We Love You

When handing out awards, Japan is the dark horse of our trip. We didn’t know much about the country or culture, nor did we know many people who’d visited. We’d traveled through 11 countries in Asia at this point. We’d been through Africa, the Middle East, and South America and had traveled c...

21/08/2019

Bali Paradise

Bali, a name that is synomonous with Paradise, couldn’t possibly live up to that reputation. Incorrect.  Bali is the single most relaxing place we’ve ever been. Enough activities so you don’t get bored, cheap enough that you never feel stressed, easy enough so y

21/08/2019

Our China Crash Course

Our adventure through China was an absolute whirlwind that covered almost 3,000 miles in 10 days. To see China in that amount of time is like taking a 10 day trip to see New York, D.C., LA, and Seattle. It was absolutely insane. But we had a good reason for the quickness—Blakely’s family came to...

20/08/2018

We will be speaking about our trip at the historic Miller Theater this Thursday, August 23 at 12pm. Delicious The Southern Salad is catering and thanks to LOOP it's FREE. Come hear our favorite highlights and tips!

31/05/2018

http://www.rtwlovers.com/round-the-world-lovers/travelblog/yoga-trek-to-annapurna

After the chaos and hyper stimulation of India, we needed some peace.  Our bodies were dusty and exhausted, our minds were overworked and muddled, so we pursued a refuge that pilgrims of our same state have retreated to for thousands of years: the Himalayan Mountains. Across all d

24/05/2018

India Travels Continued...

The Taj Mahal is a tourist attraction that is 100% worth the hype, crowd, and line.  It is an architectural masterpiece, and all eyes travel over the pools and up to the domes exactly how the genius creators intended. It is made of an ivory-white marble, and took about 20

17/05/2018

A Honeymoon in India

India is an all-encompassing experience and a world unto itself.  As we made our way through the country, we read as much as we could, both fact and fiction, to try and soak up this spectacular culture.  We didn’t get enough. For those lucky enough to have gone t

08/11/2017

This was one of the coolest things we did on the trip. Our adventures in incredible Singapore are posted on the blog!

08/11/2017

Step into the future in my latest post about our time in incredible Singapore!

http://www.rtwlovers.com/round-the-world-lovers/travelblog/singapore-future

Blakely Downs November 8, 2017 What We Did Singapore - Welcome to the Future Blakely Downs November 8, 2017 What We Did Singapore is like stepping into the an episode of the Jetsons.  It's unlike any other place we’ve ever been, and it stands in juxtaposition to all other countries in SE Asia with i...

05/10/2017

We're BACCCKKKKKK! Check out our Thai adventures with some of the best friends that anyone could have:
http://www.rtwlovers.com/round-the-world-lovers/travelblog/thailand-thigh-land

Thailand was one of our favorite places on our trip. This wasn’t only because of the spectacular country, but because of the spectacular company-- we were lucky enough that a group of our best friends came to meet us there! They said it was to spend time with us, but we know it was to chec

17/03/2017

My latest Glamping article is up! It's an important one-- I reveal the most important and underrated factor when you're planning your travel destination.
http://www.glamping.com/blog/single-important-underrated-factor-travel/

Let’s not sugarcoat this: Currency is synonymous with snooze-fest. But before you zone out, conjure to your mind a 90-minute massage on the beach, endless mouth watering dishes, the convenience of door-to-door service or the comfort of world-class hospitality. Now, imagine it could all be yours. Ima...

19/01/2017

This chica was peacefully asleep while music blared outside at a party we attended with her parents. Girl after my own heart!

19/01/2017

Three southerners walk into a karaoke hut...
See the punchline of that story, and our other misadventures in Laos, on the blog today!
http://www.rtwlovers.com/round-the-world-lovers/laos-vacation

Laos is one of the few places in Southeast Asia that remains off the beaten path.  That makes it more valuable of a trip, but also more difficult to explore.  Luckily, Blakely’s hometown friend Ryan found love and relocated to a charming, old French colonial town in Laos, and he showed us the best a...

10/01/2017

See Blakely's best Lora Croft in our adventures from Cambodia!
http://www.rtwlovers.com/round-the-world-lovers/cambodia-travel

So, a little background first:  Siem Reap in Cambodia holds one of the most fascinating cultural treasures in the world—the city of Angkor.  Ankgor is a humongous park (over 1,000 square kilometers) with over one thousand temples and, as you wander and explore, you begin to glimpse the awesomeness t...

14/11/2016

Happy birthday Monet! This was taken in his living room at Giverny and is an exact replication of what it would've looked like when he was alive. ?

04/11/2016

The trees + tombs in this place are insane!

03/11/2016

Angkor Watt at sunrise. Yes sunrise.

02/11/2016

Our neighbors at glamping retreat

01/11/2016

This is the Taj Mahal by night- the site was empty, cool and silent in contrast to the daytime chaos.

27/10/2016

Carpool in Jaipur, the pink city of India. #👋

18/10/2016

Exploring the Taj Mahal. Such a beautiful love letter.

18/10/2016

Looking through pics and I found this gem. The Taj Mahal is designed so it appears to be floating. The pools reflect and create a peaceful and cool spot in the middle of chaotic and burning up India!

12/10/2016

http://www.rtwlovers.com/round-the-world-lovers/travelblog/the-best-of-vietnam

Vietnam is absolutely one of our favorite places on our trip around the world.  It was a quick visit, but full of amazing sights, welcoming people, and some of the best food in the world. The food.  We have to start there because it was the star of the show.  Vietnamese food is some of the healthies...

11/10/2016

Escape the workday and dive into the gorgeous lake district of Switzerland in Blakely's article about the fabulous La Pinte du Vieux Manoir!

http://www.glamping.com/blog/la-pinte-du-vieux-manoir/

La Pinte du Vieux Manoir, set in Switzerland’s gorgeous Lake District, is as fabulous as it sounds. The elegance that permeates every corner of the property is matched only by the gracious hospitality of each member of the staff. Further afield, you find a quaint village that seems bent on[...]