Favorite Things: Travel

I'm always up for travel and love a good adventure.  I'm excited to share some past travel highlights today!

1. Charlie and I spent our honeymoon traveling around France and visiting close friends. It was amazing! 

2. I love traveling with my mom! She took us on a family trip Rome and Venice when Frannie graduated from college. 

3. We took another trip to Italy a few months ago to visit Margaret while she was studying abroad in Rome.

4. The bachelorette weekend we had with my dear friend, Sarah, in Charleston was awesome! 

5. I traveled with some close friends from Dominica to Barbados last year. We stayed at the Almond Resorts and had a great time! 

6. Recently we threw a bridal shower for one of my island besties, Kristen, and spent a night at Rosalie Bay here in Dominica. Oooh la la!

7. Chincoteague, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, is where Charlie and I were married. {Misty of Chincoteague, anyone? This is the spot!} Chincoteague is a cute little town with lots of B&B's, a national park, a beach, lots of history, and wild horses.  We loved The Watson House, the little B&B where we stayed! 

8. We spent 4 months living in Freeport, Grand Bahama at the start of Charlie's medical school experience back in 2010. We loved living in our cute, beachfront condo at Coral Beach and would love to go back and visit sometime. 

9. The Eastern Shore of North Carolina is just as charming as Virginia's Eastern Shore. We spent a weekend in the New Bern area with my family a couple of years ago while visiting Margaret who was working at a summer camp nearby. We stayed at a cute B&B and had fun riding bikes along the water, eating seafood, and exploring the colorful little town.

10. We have a handful of French islands just a quick ferryride away from us here in Dominica. We can actually see Guadaloupe and Les Saintes from our porch on clear days. I'm pretty sure that if you can see an island from your porch, you need to visit it...

11. Also nearby is Martinique. Some friends went recently and were raving about the food and culture: "It's like an island version of France. But you need to speak some French." I'm in! Charlie, too. And for $100 you can buy a round trip ferry ticket! 

12. Guyana, South America, where my sister, Frannie is currently serving in the Peace Corps. We'll be there visiting her this time next month! 

*See that pretty peach building with the coral roof? That's where Katie lives!

13. As far as travel essentials go, comfortable shoes are a must. I have basically lived in Rainbows since college. They are the best flip flops! 

14. TOMS. Love 'em. I wore them all over Italy and raved about them in my travel shoe blog post. 

15. I love my little camera. The Nikon Coolpix is high quality and perfect for carrying around in your purse. 

16. Lightweight scarf. I never travel without a few of them. They can dress up an outfit, keep you warm in the evenings or on the plane, and they never fail as a beach sarong.

Fonts used: 
Impact Label from dafont.
Pea Whitney Rae by Kevin & Amanda.

Image of Martinique by The Kurz Family. 
Image of Guyana by Casey Grenier.
Other images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W.

Favorite Travel Shoes

Such a huge portion of our recent trip to Italy was spent walking around and exploring, so wearing comfortable shoes was crucial.  Check out the shoes that we walked miles and miles in...

Our Travel Shoe Picks:

1. Canvas Classic TOMS.  A pair of classics in black {perfect for Europe} or something a little more fun like a red pair {if you're feeling bold}, are perfect for walking around the city.

2. Converse One Star Slip-ons.  I'm a huge fan of Converse's line for Target.  A pair of laceless slip-ons is perfect with jeans or a skirt and tights. Margaret and I shared my navy pair all week. Bonus: Converse are really popular in Europe, so you won't look like a tourist!

3. Coach Isabelle Signature Drivers.  My mom wore these daily, they are so stylish and comfortable!  After breaking them in, they were the perfect shoes for an Italian adventure! 

What are your favorite shoes for lots of walking + travel?

***Thank you, Smita, for the great post idea!

Bongiorno!

I'm writing this blog post from Italy where I'm currently on vacation with my mom, Katrina, and sister, Margaret.  We're loving every minute of it!  We've been busy all week walking, sightseeing, eating, and drinking, and it couldn't be more fun!

Here's a sneak peek of the three of us roaming Rome:

We passed this lovely fountain on the way to Margaret's school one afternoon and couldn't resist a family photo.  I can't wait to tell you all about our incredible trip when I return to Dominica in a few days.

Today I'm also guest posting over on Katie's blog, Priceless Adventure, about a trip to St. Maarten I went on to last year with my other lovely sister, Frannie.

Check it out to see our trip highlights and some fun travel photos.

Katie is currently in St. Maarten for our dear friend Kristen's wedding.  A handful of our close friends from Dominica are there celebrating with Kristen and Paul this week, and I know they are having a blast.  Congratulations Kristen and Paul, we're so happy for you!

Trip Planning Tips

Hi Clare fans! I'm Emily, the girl behind Emmy June {born in May}. I'm so happy to be with you today, talking about a topic I love.... traveling! My husband & I got married in Costa Rica. Six months later we traveled around Europe. And nine months after that, we landed in Sydney, Australia.

So yeah, I love traveling. However, I don't always love trip planning. Why? 

1) I'm a tight wad.  And traveling means spending money.  Spending money means I'm going to be hooked to the computer for twelve hours straight scouting out the best deal. 

2) It can be overwhelming!  Sometimes I feel like there's so much research to do & so many logistics to sort out... I just don't know where to start.

{via}

If you're anything like me, here are some tips that can help with trip planning: 

1) Plan well in advance.  Figure out the framework of your trip--pick your dates, country & region(s), and vibe of your trip.  You can fill in the details later. 

2) Book something so you're firmly committed.  Whether it's your flights or a few nights in a hotel, put some money down and let your employer know you're absolutely going.  Oftentimes, people hem & haw and never end up traveling anywhere.  Don't be a travel commit-aphobe! 

3) Pay for it a little at a time.  This is my biggest secret to successful trip planning!  Pay as you go, booking something every month or two {hotels, flights, tours.}  The goal is to have everything paid in advance, at least 60 days before your trip.  When you board the plane, all the money you bring should be for food & entertainment!  This will keep you stress free & focused on enjoying your trip :) 

I hope you find these travel tips useful! I'm in the midst of booking our next big adventure, so I use these tips all the time. Thanks for listening & come say hello.

Be sure to check out Emily's wonderful blog, Emmy June {Born in May} to read all about her adventures in Australia and for more fun travel posts!  Emily also hosts a great series on her blog called Tuesday Travel Diaries that's lots of fun to read each week.  Also, did you know that she surfs?  How cool is that?!?  Thanks again, Emily!