What's Everyone Doing for Their Summer Travels?

Summer travel is fast approaching and with the economy kinda tanking and people having problems of all kinds, 2025 is shaping up to be different than other years, especially in terms of travel. I know we aren't spending as much as we usually do on travel, and definitely not as much as we did in 2024, where we took 3 trips over the summer. This year we'll be heading back to Vegas, but we will probably do less or eat at less expensive places (or both).

So, how do your travels stack up to other Americans?

While we won't be going to any of the most popular destinations

this summer, we will be headed to France in the fall and will be staying in both a vacation rental and hotel.  Tell us where you're going and if you're spending more or less than average.

Places to Celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is AAPI Heritage Month, where we try to learn more about those people who helped build the country that we live in. I frequent a handful of AAPI-owned businesses just in the town where I live, but I try to find others in greater Portland and also when I travel, because when minority-owned businesses are uplifted and thrive, the whole community benefits.

Here are some places to visit on your travels to celebrate and support the AAPI people there:

Chinatowns

Most large cities have a Chinatown, but there are some that aren't that well known that are steeped in history and have amazing food that should be on your radar:

• Las Vegas - Believe it or not, amongst all the other crazy things in Vegas, you can visit a completely separate Chinatown that's not on the Strip. It has over 150 restaurants and is home to 6 supermarkets. This has been on my list for over a year, and I hope to spend some time here on my summer trip.
• Oakland - Often overshadowed by San Francisco's Chinatown, Oakland can be a bit more chill. It's mostly a neighborhood rather than a tourist destination, but there are 45 restaurants and 9 tea shops, the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Madison Park, where you can see people doing Tai Chi in the mornings, and Oakland Fortune Factory, where you can customize your own fortune cookies.
• Honolulu - Hawaiian/South Pacific culture is different than Chinese culture, and Honolulu's Chinatown is it's oldest and most artistic neighborhood, with an eclectic mix of Asian vendors, from lei makers, dim sum restaurants, the Japanese Izumo Taishakyo Mission Shrine, and Chinese Kuan Yin Temple.
• Houston - Although it seems like an unlikely place to find authentic Chinese culture, Houston has a younger, thriving Asiatown, as it brings diversity, instead of just Chinese merchants. You'll also find Malaysian, Vietnamese, Korean, and more within the 6 square miles, including the Hong Kong City Mall and Teo Chew Temple. You can also take a bus tour of this sprawling neighborhood through Asiatown Houston Bus Tour.

Japantown

At one point there were many Japantowns, like Chinatown neighborhoods, but they got pushed out of towns, so now there are only three: San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles. There is also a Japantown in Vancouver, BC. I had a goal to visit two others besides San Francisco, but I didn't have time in my schedule when we traveled to LA and Vancouver, so they are still on my list. 

Museums

I love a good museum and when I can learn about a new culture or heritage (or even my own), even better. There are some great ones that can educate you on the history of Asians in America. Here are just a few:

• Wing Luke Museum in Seattle - Located in Seattle's Chinatown, this museum is named after a city council member who was the first Asian American to hold a public position in the Pacific Northwest. Inside you can view paintings, photos, other artwork, and textiles. The museum also offers programming and city tours.
• Angel Island Immigration Museum on Angel Island, California - Thought of as the West Coast's Ellis Island, an estimated one million immigrants came through Angel Island, though Asian immigrants were discriminated against, so not nearly as many were allowed in as wanted to come. Now, Angel Island is a state park that is home to a recreated detention center that will show you what life was like for those Asians who were forced into these types of centers due to the Chinese Exclusion Act.
• Hmong Cultural Center Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota - You might not think of a large Asian population calling the midwest home, but make sure to visit this museum that tells of the Hmong people from Laos who sought refuge in the US after the Vietnam War. Even know, there are around 90,000 Hmong people living in Minnesota, as they were given help through the University of Minnesota Agricultural Extension Service to set up farms in the Great Lakes area.

Can't afford to travel and you're not near any of these things? Well, you can always check out your local Chinatown or Asian cultural center, go eat at a local Asian restaurant, coffee shop, or bakery, or you can throw a destination date night or party at home. Here are a few we've done:

• China
• Japan
• Myanmar/Burma
• Polynesia/Pacific Islands
• Tokyo
• Vietnam

Another great idea is to get ready for a future trip by learning a new language, like Mandarin, Japanese or Korean.

• Babbel allows you to buy a lifetime subscription at up to 55% off, but you can also just pay for a monthly membership. We plan to travel to a lot of international destinations and I jumped on a really good lifetime sub sale in 2021 as a Christmas present to us.
• Pimsleur has been around for a long time and I've used it when they were individual CDs, because I'm old, and that's what was around the second time we traveled to France. Now you can have all their offerings in one spot. Choose one language with Premium Monthly or get access to all 51 languages with All Access Monthly/Annual.
• Rosetta Stone is another one I used before everything was online. I still have Spanish CDs from them somewhere. The online RS is much better, because it's easier to use. You can choose from one language with three month and twelve month plans or all 25 of their languages with a lifetime plan.

Previously, I recommended Duolingo, as I used it in a pinch, it was fun, and it can be free, but they have announced that they are going to be using almost exclusively AI, which means, you never know if you are getting the correct language education, so I immediately dumped it from my phone.

Over the course of the next few months, I'll be posting facts on Facebook about Asian and Black history in destinations I'll be going to over the next year, because I think knowing more than just white history is important, even outside of the US.

Do you have a favorite Chinatown, Asian Market, or Museum that you would like to add to this list? I'd love for you to share.

Disclaimer: Support Shereen Travels Cheap by using the links in my posts to shop. I receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) so I can continue to create helpful free content. I earn from qualifying purchases made to the featured retailers. Thank you. I appreciate your support!

 

France Is Calling

So, I have been trying to decide where we will go on our usual Fall vacation and going back and forth as to whether we should leave the country or not and trying not to let my FOMO get the best of me and just get on a plane to somewhere everyone else has been going. While it's a few months off still, I've landed on the perfect balance for us: Normandy, France.

Now, you may have noticed we've been to France several times. The last time we went, it was the first time we didn't include it as part of another vacation. We first visited in 2006, as part of our honeymoon. It was mostly not my favorite trip there. We visited again in 2013, again as part of a bigger trip to London, but we spent more time there than the first trip and did more interesting things. Our last trip was in 2022. If you have been around awhile, you know that we did a lot of non-touristy stuff, and then we spent 3 days at Disney, because that trip cost less altogether than a trip to Orlando would have, plus we got to sightsee around Paris. 

This trip we're going to try some new things. First up, renting a car and driving in the French countryside. I'm always nervous about driving in a different country, but more so I'm definitely afraid to drive in the big city if it's on the other side of the road. I will gladly try that out in the country or even on the highway. I won't be doing that this time, though, because France drives on the right-hand side like we do in the U.S. I also won't have to figure out how to drive in Paris, which seems like it could be scary...though I did drive in Ecuador and Quito was crazy, but we didn't die and I actually was really confident by the 3rd day.

Why Normandy? Why not? It has a ton of history, beaches, great food, Monet's garden is out there, and France just happens to be an affordable destination, even now. I'm excited to explore new areas of France and not have to rely on public transportation to go to a new town. Not that I have anything against buses and trains, but when you have limited time, you don't really want to waste it waiting on a bench. If we didn't rent a car, the train trip from Paris to Normandy would only be 2 hours, which is fine, but getting around the area might be a bit more challenging.

Normandy is an area made up of a bunch of smaller towns, so there's so much to check out, but here are just a few things I have on my list to do:

• The Bayeaux Tapestry - a 230 ft-long tapestry showing Duke William of Normandy's conquest of England.
• Notre Dame Cathedral - apparently, the one in France isn't the only one, it's just the most famous.
• Conservatoire de la Dentelle - a conservatory dedicated to the art of handmade lace.
• Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy
• Bayeaux Botanical Garden
• Maison et Jardins de Claude Monet
• Jardin de Plantes and Jardins des Simple - two gardens in Caen that showcase rare and medicinal plants.
• Caen Castle
• Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei - officially listed as one of the most beautiful towns in France.
• The Haras du Pin National Stud - known as the Versailles for horses, it encapsulates all of Normandy's horse history and culture.

And since we'll be flying and out of Paris, we're absolutely going to visit Disneyland Paris again. I love those parks and have a new plan for dining this time, too. I've been doing more research and it looks like the food in Disney Village is better than the sit-down dining in almost any of those in the parks, unless they are quick-service. I'd also like to explore, at least, the Disneyland Hotel and possibly the Disney Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel. We might be lucky enough to also be there during a festival or the start of Halloween.

If you've been to Normandy and have recommendations for things to do or where to eat, hit me up. (Same for Disneyland Paris food suggestions.)