Adventures of a Carry-On

08/09/2024

New routes to Europe via American Airlines!

Several exciting new transatlantic flights will be taking off from major East Coast and Midwest airports next year.

05/09/2024

What if you could have tea with The Beatles?

What would you say?

Whittard Of Chelsea
Ahmad Tea PGTips

Taylor's Tea Room TWININGS TEA

There's nothing more British than afternoon tea, then I had the idea of pairing two quintessentially British items Tea and The Beatles.

18/08/2024

I love LA. But I didn’t always. Even though I lived there and I made multiple trips to visit friends. It took me a long time to get the hang of having fun in LA. Once I did it was like opening Christmas presents so much to do there. If you’re going to LA check out my tips for day trips and things to do all within an hour of downtown Los Angeles.

Visit Pasadena
Visit California
Malibu Pier
San Antonio Winery, Los Angeles
Visit Long Beach
The Queen Mary
Grand Central Market
Los Angeles Conservancy

From the Santa Monica Pier to downtown Santa Barbara, here are some of the best day trips and things to do, in and around Los Angeles.

27/07/2024

“Be yourself, everyone else is taken.”
Oscar Wilde.

On Half Moon Street in Central London, you’ll find the Mayfair townhouse. An upscale residential like hotel the neighborhood was once the stomping grounds of Oscar, wild and dandies of the day.

Stay in Mayfair and take the Eurostar to Paris. Have the best of both of these fabulous cities. check out my article
Fo Texas Lifestyle Magazine

Avoid the crowds and high prices in Paris during the Olympics. Stay in London and easily access the games with the Eurostar.

18/07/2024

Do you love touring historic homes? Newsweek is asking for your vote!

Have a say and learn about some new places too. I picked 3 of the choices for review.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Hearst Castle

Step back in time when you tour one of these celebrated houses throughout the U.S. See our expert picks of classic homes brimming with history.

03/07/2024

Good morning! Anyone going to Bath, England or anywhere in the Southwest UK this summer? I have a couple of articles on my site with ideas of what to do, my favorite tour guide, who also happens to be a friend, and a new article up BEOD about a fun pub tour in London.

Drop questions in the comments section of the article. I answer all questions.

VisitWiltshire In and Beyond Bath

It's easy to spend a day out in the beautiful English counties of Wiltshire and Somerset in southwest England.

02/06/2024

Did you know that cheddar cheese originated in a village in Somerset County England? I visited last year to get the story fr two of the top producers Westcombe and Montgomerys.

Last week my article about Somerset artisanal cheddar cheese was published on the website, Cheese Professor.

Almost one year to the day today I’ve come full circle in a nice way.

I’m back in Somerset at a large market in a town called Frome (Frume). Wescombe had a table at the market. I stopped to say hello and introduce myself and the woman who I met said oh yes Penny, we love your article and not only, but we are printing it and giving it to new people as an explainer about what artisanal Somerset cheddar really is.

Talk about validation. If you’re interested in cheese cheddar or would like to know what the heck is artisanal Somerset cheddar.
Here’s the link

https://www.cheeseprofessor.com/blog/somerset-cheddar-cheesemakers

shout out to who helped me immensely on my journey.

Have you tried clothbound English Cheddar?

27/05/2024

Luxury in the vineyards: Portuguese wine and a boutique accommodation in the Tejo region. Quinta da Lapa

Quinta da Lapa is a boutique wine hotel only 45 minutes north of Lisbon. If your idea of luxury is vineyard views and silence, you can find this here.

17/05/2024

Wine travel can be confusing. From country to country opening hours at tasting rooms, transportation, tasting roofies, and other details can vary quite a lot.
In this article, I attempt to answer some questions and provide a guideline for how to begin planning your wine country trip.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/17/wine-tours-what-to-know-about-touring-world-famous-wine-regions.html

12/05/2024

Happy Mothers Day.
I didn’t get my love of travel from my mom, she hated it. But I did get an appreciation for skincare that propelled me into my first career.

Happy Mother's Day! More mother-daughter travel inspiration stories shared by our travel writer friends Adventures of a Carry-On
Jetting Around Spa Travel Gal - Ava Roxanne Stritt Quiltripping Travel Past 50 A Hole in my Shoe Travels With Carole Bonnie Carroll

Special Mother-Daughter Travel Experiences Part Two https://travelingwithsweeney.com/mothers-day-2020-part-two/

25/04/2024

Just in time for how to create a Mexican food and drink themed happy hour. Have a fiesta!

Visit San Antonio

Create a Mexican style Happy Hour at home just in time for Cinco de Mayo. San Antonio's Mexican food and drink culture provides inspiration.

21/04/2024

One of my favorite new places in Santa Barbara is this Italian pizzeria on State Street. They have all the classics, including arancini, divine frito misto and that wood-fired oven, for Neopolitan style pizza. The owner is from Naples originally and turned this pretty little courtyard in Santa Barbara into a little slice of Italy on State Street.

Check it out if you’re in Santa Barbara. Be sure and check out my article about other things to do while you’re there. Link to my blog in my bio.

17/04/2024

Have you tried Tokaji, Hungary’s famous and crave worthy sweet wines?
I love these wines and they are food-friendly too.

Don’t like sweet wines? No problem. Dry styles are called simply Furmint which is the name of the grape.

Check out my article for it’s a 411 on Tokaji wines.

https://thegrapegrind.com/tokaji/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2wLMKateOjjx2o8P0DVKvJG11zkdDSE_8uYPkDF5gBkv8b1aC8UCfeRIU_aem_ASm-spnL9M5rNfvhlB7E34tw0Aiqp2LiLYDL6p70STCo7qdhnWHZ8hcwU9LLHSrVRLbLMWbcD3I0Mftcv9bDPkW9

15/04/2024

Experience the ultimate California road trip by driving from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, a mere 2 hours away! The stunning ocean views on the 101 highway will reward your journey and inspire a sense of adventure. Update your bucket list and uncover new wine tasting rooms, restaurants, and hotels to enrich your travel experience. Don't miss out on this dreamy California beach town.

Brisas Del Mar
The Eagle Inn

Ramada by Wyndham

This charming coastal city with a laid-back ambiance entices visitors. Check these ideas for a perfect weekend in Santa Barbara, California

02/04/2024

Have you heard of Franciacorta Wines? If you have not, you’re not alone. Most people haven’t.
If you love sparkling wine, I promise you will love these wines.

It’s a region of mostly small producers with only 11% of the volume produced being exported. Most of the region is producing organic wine, although there are a few vineyards that are not organic yet.

The region is also the name of the wine in northern Italy in the Lombardy region. The wine is made in the same method as champagne, referred to as the classic method. So if you like champagne, you will like Franciacorta because you have Italian quality, but without the high champagne prices.

But that’s not the only reason… these wines are fresh, lively, exciting really. At the same time, they’re very elegant. And they pair perfectly with most foods.

I tried all of the wines, yes, I tried nine wines before lunch today.😳 and they were all beautiful. We were blessed to have a beautiful tasting menu at a fancy new restaurant located in a building dating to about 1900.

I will soon have more information about visiting this region and the wines on my website.

Would you like to try Franciacorta?

26/03/2024

IS ROME REALLY ALL THAT?
written by Penny Sadler

“One sidewalk cafe coming right up!” and off they go, bumping over the cobblestone streets of Rome. Imagine them: she choosing to abandon her responsibilities to experience a life she has, up to now, only dreamed of, while he plays the role of modern-day knight, on a Vespa.

She sits in front laughing, the wind in her face, as he points out ancient monuments and tourist attractions. He takes her to the Colosseum and then Rocca’s, a cafe near the Pantheon, the first stop in fulfilling her fantasy adventure.

Cliche? Of course. Wishful thinking? Obviously. And we all know how that film goes.

But I’ve done it. It happened.

Well, sort of.

Read the rest of the story on my site, Adventures of a Carry-on. The link is in my bio.


Have you been to Rome?

22/03/2024

Houstonians, cheese lovers , Italian cheese lovers

The core concepts behind Rosie Cannon Ball are the wood-burning, oven and grill, and Comfort food with a southern European twist. To set the mood, the 85 seat restaurant married warm lighting with classic mid-century, design elements, such as glass, wood, marble, and rattan. By reworking the original seating, partitions, Riccio created a sweeping panoramic view of the restaurant from the kitchen, which sits adjacent to the bar – a throwback to 60s Italian design with warm, dark tones.

Because pizza is a quintessential comfort, staple on the restaurants menu, Riccio knew using high-quality cheese from a local producer was a necessity. Fortuitously, at the weekend farmers market in Houston, Riccio met Andrea Cudin: Friuli, Italy, native and founder of lira Rosa creamery. Since 2016, Cudin has been crafting, authentic Italian cheeses with the freshest milk possible from the milk parlor next-door. Four E Dairy.

Here’s the link

https://culturecheesemag.com/chefs/this-houston-restaurant-fires-comfort-food-with-a-southern-european-twist/

This is what happens when you love what you do. My first article for this beautiful magazine all about cheese.

culture magazine: the word on cheese

Rosie Cannonball Lira Rossa Artisan Cheese



It’s a subscription publication and it is available in some cheese shops, so check with your local monger if you’re interested

15/03/2024

So I went back to Santa Barbara last week and I have so much to share! I visited great wineries both in the Presidio and the Funk Zone. I ate delicious seafood and Italian food. I’m still dreaming about those meals at Toma Restaurant & Bar and pizzeria da Michele.

But before I get off on sharing about all the new places let me share about the #1 tourist spot in Santa Barbara.

The oldest working wood wharf in California,

Scroll through the carousel for more shots from the sunset sail and my morning walk. Oh yes the famous dolphin sculpture too.

Eat some ice cream, have some fish and chips and get a palm reading.

Here’s the link https://www.adventuresofacarryon.com/things-to-do-for-a-perfect-weekend-in-santa-barbara-california/

Are you going to ?

05/03/2024

I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately.
I think it’s because I’ve been writing a lot and working on my blog, updating articles.

In 2013 I took a somewhat spontaneous trip to Italy for a week.
I stayed with a friend and had no real plans except to visit Lago di Orta. Which turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever done.

I wrote a short tribute to the beauty of Lake Orta. I also have some nice photos.

If you want to go someplace out of the way, check this out.

Lake Orta may be one of the most beautiful places in the world. Located in Italy's Piedmonte region, it remains quiet and uncrowded.

03/03/2024

Do you like to revisit places? I go to the Los Angeles area every year to visit friends. But there are certain places that I always go back to when I’m there. Malibu is one of those places. Everyone thinks Malibu is expensive and is all about surfing. Well, it is those things but it’s also very affordable. There are great hiking spots, Those are the first two photos in my carousel. Wine tasting rooms. The Adamson house. We always go to Dukes for happy hour. And I love walking on the Malibu pier and stopping for a coffee. Yes you pay a high price for that coffee, but it also comes with a spectacular view.

Have you been to Malibu? I have a couple of articles on my website about things to do in Malibu. https://www.adventuresofacarryon.com/5-reasons-to-visit-malibu-any-time-of-year/

Check it out if you’re going to Malibu. !

25/02/2024

Another thing I love about traveling, is meeting new people. Two years ago, I went Friuli for the first time. What caused me to go? Coincidentally, my friend is from Friuli. He arranged for me to meet a friend of his, who also happens to be an amazing cheesemaker, and this person offered to show me as much as he could of his region.The province of Udine.

Well, with an offer like that, I couldn’t say no. So I took a train from Brescia to Udine. I wrote about my day spent with Ranieri Frederico and all the places where we stopped.

Why should this matter to you?

Well, if you’re planning to go to Italy and you want to go someplace not crowded, but has interesting ruins, cathedrals, art, history, food & Wine, in short, everything that Italy is known for, and it’s far less expensive than Tuscany, Venice, Rome. And it’s beautiful.

Check out my article Venice alternative: five hidden gems to visit.

Photo taken in Cividale del Friuli. 2022

20/02/2024

One of the things I like about writing is research. I’m curious and love learning new things. In 2021 Cheese Professor accepted my first article for them, about an Italian cheesemaker in south Texas,

I was always a fan of cheese, cheese and wine, cheese and bread, cheese over pasta, you get the idea.

Exciting news in the world of curds, I wrote my first article for Culture Cheese Magazine, soon to be released in print! Yes, my first print article! It should be out in March or April, not sure the exact date but I will keep you posted.

So tell me, what kind of cheesy articles would you like me to write?

Cheese and wine pairing?

19/02/2024

I came to freelance travel and lifestyle writing a little bit late in life. I had another career that supported me for several decades, and took up travel blogging around 2012. I began writing for other publications, more so since 2020.
Matador Network, Inside Hook, Cheese Professor, She Buys Travel, Wandering Educators, Vintner Project, Wine Country, and others.

Today it seems that every month there’s the shock of another big layoff at another publication like the LA Times or Conde Nast. And it’s brutally hard to get a decent paycheck. Not only that, but it seems we have less and less control over exactly what we’re writing. SEO optimized content is more desirable than telling a story that captivates readers and takes them along.

With the layoffs of the recent years and well l, even some of the publications that I have been writing for, not exactly folding, but certainly not paying enough to pay bills, I’ve decided to pursue writing for Adventures of a Carry-on again. At least this way I have control over what I’m going to write, how I’m going to write it, and I have a mailing list. I can keep in touch with readers and subscribers, even if Instagram shuts down.

if you’d like to help in some small way, if you’ve ever read anything that I have written and you found it useful or helpful, or heaven forbid, interesting, please subscribe. To be clear, the more subscribers I have the faster I can monetize and become financially viable.

If you’re on your mobile, you may or may not get a pop-up. In that case, if you want to leave your email in the contact form, I can add you to my email list. if you’re on a desktop you should get a subscriber pop-up.
The link is in my profile.

Yes, I will still write for other publications. And I welcome the opportunity to help other small businesses and websites that need help creating content for their landing pages, newsletters, marketing materials.

11/02/2024

Planning a trip to Lisbon? Need some day-trip inspiration? Read this for information on top wine estates, UNESCO sites, and more. Yes, Sintra is included, and I have a tip no one else mentions! Thanks to Surf Wine Tours and shout out to Dangerous Business Quinta do Monte d'Oiro Quinta de Chocapalha Quinta da Lapa

After you've seen all of the attractions in Lisbon, Portugal take a day trip to beaches, wineries and historic towns.

07/02/2024

You might remember in my stories a couple of days ago I posted a photo of a Portuguese wine, and I asked you which grape was the main blending variety.

The choices were Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Blanc, and Arinto. Most people answered correctly., Arinto. The other grape in the blend is another grape native to Portugal.Viosho. They do produce Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, however. They being Quinta de Chocopalha. A Wine estate in the region of Lisbon. The daughter, Sandra, is an award-winning wine maker. Along with her husband, they own a place and grow grapes mainly in the Douro valley.

But before Sandra, it was Alive and Paolo . The estate near Lisbon is over 30 years old now. And part of a wine tourism collective in the area with similar philosophy. They all grow sustainable and organic grapes.

The land is affected by the winds, steep, climate and temperature changes, and of course the breeze of the Atlantic ocean. I can recommend all of these wines not only the white blend in my photo. It’s a lovely experience, visiting the Quinta and chatting with Alice and seeing what they have accomplished there.

this was my first visit to a winery in Portugal, and it was more than I expected. I highly recommend a visit to Quinta de Chocapalha if you are in the Lisbon area..

My tour was provided by

28/01/2024

If you have been following my posts since at least December, you know that I absolutely love Budapest. It’s a beautiful city and on top of that the food is tops. There are a lot of Michelin star restaurants, but this post is to tell you that you do not need a Michelin star restaurant to enjoy an incredible and memorable meal in Budapest.

so this is my inside tip:

Go to

It’s not near any of the tourist areas and it’s on the Buda side of the city, on the hill. It’s in a pretty residential neighborhood and is owned by a family who has had the restaurant for at least 50 years.

All of the food is made on site. There are many regional and local dishes and it’s all beautifully presented. They can also pair a lovely wine for you And I assure you Hungarian wines are phenomenal. So don’t listen to Rick Steves, who says that there are no good restaurants in Buda. It’s simply not true. Although it has been a few years since I read that in his book, maybe he’s changed his mind since then.

If you’re in Budapest definitely check it out. My cover photo is an apple cake with nuts😋

I was at Jardinette researching a story. More to be revealed.

24/01/2024

I first visited in 2019. It was also my first time in Hungary and I wanted a crash course to learn about the wines. I had only 1 day because I was joking a river cruise that departed from Budapest, hence not enough time to visit wine country, vineyards or multiple tasting rooms.

I tasted 6 wines with various Hungarian meats and cheeses, all excellent. Our host also have us a lot of background about winemaking in Hungary and about each wine we tasted. It was a great experience. I learned enough that I wanted to learn more.

That wine pairing experience led to an article I wrote for Adventures of a Carry-on.
Link in my linktree.

I recently returned to Tasting Table and met up with the owner, to dive a little deeper into the Tokaj wines. I love sweet wines but one of the grapes, furmint, is also used to make a dry wine.

More about that in an upcoming article. Tasting Table is expanding and now has a nice wine shop across from the cellar.
They also offer guided tours to Tokaj.

If you’re going to Budapest check out Taste Hungary!

Have you been to Budapest? Would you like to learn more about Hungarian wines?

15/01/2024

Assyrtiko is an indigenous grape from the island Santorini.

One of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, Greece boasts over 4000 years of winemaking history.

There are 33 protected designation of origin PDO regions. One is Santorini with its volcanic terroir, unique geographic, location, and climate, and unique “kouloura” basket vine practice, and wine makers that are committed to continuing the regents and comparable wine traditions.

Kouloura: to me, this is one of the most interesting features of these vines. Because the sun and the wind is so strong on the island, Vintners prune the vines into baskets, called kouloura, a process that is continuously implemented, and it trains the grapes to take this protective, circular shape. some remaining vines are over 400 years old, making them, arguably some of the oldest in the world!

Have you been to Santorini? Have you tried Assyrtiko?

GAI’A Assyrtiko wild ferment 2021

The grapes for this wild ferment, Assyrtiko come from Pygrow upland Vineyards, located on the island of Santorini. The region of the island is known for producing more aromatic grapes than other parts of Santorini.
The name of the estate is after mother earth, in honor of the unique terroir.

This beautiful light, yellow greenish colored wine has citrus aromas and minerality from the Aegean Sea. and some notes of vanilla from the oak used in the wine making process. It’s 50% stainless steel 20% Acacia oak 20% French barrique and 10% American american barrique.

I received this wine as a sample and part of the Santorini volcanic terroir campaign. I was already a fan of Assyrtiko as I had a chance to try these wines in February 2020 in Los Angeles. so all I can say is try anyone you can get your hands on.

If you’re going to Greece, I have an article about where to go winetasting on my blog I’ll put the link in stories and highlights.

10/01/2024

Heavy rain and snow melt is causing havoc along the Danube.

One local farmer says some animals have already died after freezing temperatures set in this week.

05/01/2024

I've been busy the first few days of 2024 finishing articles about trips taken in 2023. Here's one that I think many will enjoy. A brief review of some of the ports and experiences I enjoyed on the in

Have you been?

A river cruise through Portugal's Douro Valley includes terraced vineyards, small historic villages, and spectacular scenery.