Last weekend we took a staycation to Australia to learn about the country, do some sightseeing, and celebrate Australia Day. But what is Australia Day and why is it celebrated across the country? Like our Fourth of July, Australia has parades and fireworks and BBQs.
Saturday, January 29, 2022
What's Australia Day All About?
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Happy Australia Day Staycation
Happy Australia Day. This weekend we were finally able to get back into staycations and we "traveled" to Melbourne, Sydney, and Bondi Beach. It was a whole thing. I have been wanting to do Australia for quite a while, so when I saw that Australia Day was January 26th, I figured this was the month to do it. So, let's talk about it!
I, honestly, didn't do any research on Australia Day, but then I felt kind of bad, because it's right up there with Columbus Day and that sucks. Not only did the Dutch come and take over part of Australia, the Brits came later and also declared that they discovered it and completely colonized it and named a day after it. Um...that's not how discovering something works, but whatever. The decent part is that each Australia Day, people who celebrate also acknowledge the native people and give thanks for the land. And, unlike Columbus Day, they include all the nationalities of people who make up Australia, not just that one white guy who got lost and stumbled upon land he wasn't looking for. (Hurray for Indigenous Peoples Day!)
So, yeah. While it's not the best holiday, I learned some stuff and was still glad that I had a banner and did it for January. Back to the rest of this staycation.
I wanted a little bit of everything, so I had a Sydney Harbour backdrop made and then also picked up a backdrop of Bondi Beach, because when I think of Australia, I think of surfing and the Sydney Opera House. So, we had a great view of the harbor and an iconic landmark. I set my table with a luminary that I used as a vase for eucalyptus stems that I picked up in The Spot at Target. On another trip there, I found some outback animals: a platypus, kangaroo, and koala. I also found an adorable rattlesnake of some kind, which I am using for something else, but thought it would make a good home with these other animals.
I wanted a very natural feel to my table, so I threw on a rust-colored tablecloth and served food on recycled wheat straw plates that I paired with my favorite yellow cloth napkins. A packet of Wiley Wallaby licorice candies and a mini bottle of 19 Crimes wine completed the tablescape. (If you like flavored licorice, you'll enjoy these candies probably. Eric and I both thought they were gross. I probably should have bought some Marmite for toast instead.)
I debated on whether I should make food or if I would even find anything that I could make that wasn't rack of lamb, but went with a local hand pie shop that was the closest I could come to true Australian fare around here. We got a good variety of things and all of them were pretty hearty:
Cottage pie (shepherd's pie, but with beef), lamb pot pie, curry pasty, and sausage roll. I thought everything was tasty. I don't generally eat sausage, but all of these meat products are locally sourced and high quality, so I pretended I was on actual vacation and tried it all. The sausage was pretty spicy to me. Eric said it wasn't, but I told him his tongue was broken.
While we ate, we watched the 2020 Australia Day parade in Melbourne. For having so many people, the parade seemed kind of sparse, and I'm not sure there were a ton of people in attendance, but it could be that tourists there aren't loud and obnoxious like they are here. It started with a tradition by the Australian Air Force and then much of the rest was just people walking in groups. There were a few floats, but not many. It lasted 30 minutes and then we moved on to learning more about Australia Day and the history of the country itself.
We moved on to dessert, while we enjoyed a nice cruise on Sydney Harbour. I had picked up a slice of bourbon hazelnut pie (kind of like a boozy pecan pie, but hazelnuts) and Anzac cookies, a traditional biscuit made from rolled oats. The cookies were perfectly sweet and not at all tooth-shattering like I assumed they might be. The outside is crunchy and the rest is soft. It's kind of a perfect non-chocolate cookie. I also really liked the pie, but Eric wasn't into it, so I had a whole piece to myself.
We watched a regular harbor cruise for tourists that was beautiful, but also really hard to hear, because the boat engine, and then one of a family who was taking a 4-day boat getaway on their own. It's like if your family wanted to go camping...except on a boat. They made all their own food and stopped to take advantage of showers and whatnot. We got to see quite a lot more from a different perspective and then got the inside scoop of where to stop and sightsee.
At some point, we may revisit Australia and do a walking tour of Sydney and/or Melbourne, because the country has so much to see and we basically did a mini hop around to get a little taste of everything on a holiday. You could totally make a whole weekend out of an Australia staycation: one day for Melbourne, one for Sydney, and maybe one for Brisbane or the Outback to learn about the native people. It can be both fun and educational, especially if you're doing it with kids.
Watch some surfing competitions, take some undersea voyages with scuba divers off the Great Barrier Reef, go on a safari to see all the cool (and sometimes terrifying) wildlife, or celebrate Anzac Day - a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served" - that takes place in April.
More ways to say g'day, mate to an Australian staycation:
- A backdrop of Sydney Harbour
- One of an Australian beach (the one I have doesn't seem to be sold anymore)
- One of Melbourne
- Some eucalyptus garland or stems
- An Australian flag
- Outback animals
- I also think this bingo game sounds fun if you have enough people
- Marmite
- A travel guide for your kids or for you
- Learn some slang with these lingo cards
- An Australian cookbook
- Natural looking dinnerware
- A YouTube playlist (mine was fine, but you might want to find non-Australia Day things if you're not celebrating that.)
Monday, January 24, 2022
De-Stress with SpectraSpray
I only noticed when I got back in the car that my camera decided to focus on the background, but I do take this everywhere I go :) |
Saturday, January 22, 2022
What's Flying Like In A Pandemic?
Well, I did it. I finally got back on a plane. It had been 22 months since I did so, and I felt every day of that. Traveling is something that is a necessity in my life. Though we'd been doing Destination Date Nights, it only pushed off the wanderlust for so long. So, once we were all fully vaccinated and boosted, we booked a flight to Arizona to get away from the gross winter weather.
I had my doubts as to whether or not airlines would really enforce the mask rules, but I talked to several people on Twitter who travel for work and they all highly recommended Alaska Airlines, which is already my favorite airline, so I booked with them. I wasn't disappointed either. My favorite announcement from the pilot:
"You must wear your mask properly throughout the entire flight. Properly means over your nose and your mouth...at the same time. Once you are finished eating or drinking, you must put your mask back on. We are not doing this to make a political statement. It is for your safety. If this sounds too difficult for you, please let us know and we can get you off the plane and find you another way to get to your destination."
We all sat together on the ride home and double-masked, only because there seemed to be quite a few people grumbling about flying with masks at the gate, and I actively heard some behind me talking about some anti-masker site that she was reading about and wanted to tell others about. We pulled our masks down to eat snacks, but kept them on in between bites, as requested.
I always find the plane cold, so having a mask was nice for me. I only worried about the flight attendants being able to hear me when they came around asking if we wanted anything. Usually, you have speak loudly for them to hear you over the engine anyway, so it was about as annoying as it always is.
The day after we came home, we made sure to test (I purchased at-home tests before we left) and then two days later, just in case. We knew we weren't sick before we traveled, but mostly only the tourists in Arizona were wearing masks wherever we went, unless it was enforced (literally nowhere), so we were being extra safe for family and my coworkers. You can still get tested for free and can make an appointment for when you return from your trip, but however you do it, testing should 100% be on the top of your to-do list.
So, aside from masking and testing, travel is much the same as it was before, with the addition of social distancing when you can, bringing along hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes (which many of us were already doing), and having to contend with shorter open times when you get to your destination, waiting a little longer for service, and having to pay for most things with a credit or debit card - sometimes ahead of time, so you have a digital e-ticket to show. Planning ahead has never been more useful or necessary.
Where will your next trip take you?
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Free National Park Days
- Jan 17 — Martin Luther King Jr Day (if you want to start planning for next year)
- April 16 — National Park Week kicks off
- Aug. 4 — Celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the Great American Outdoors Act
- Sept. 24 — National Public Lands Day
- Nov. 11 — Veterans Day
Save some money on your pass
When to skip a pass
Visit Canada
Saturday, January 15, 2022
How to Celebrate National Plan For Vacation Day
January 25th is National Plan for Vacation Day. With January being the best month for booking travel and travel bouncing back from its two-year slump, you might want to definitely give it a go this year. Over the last 20+ months, many of us have found ourselves dreaming of big trips and longing for when we can get back out in the world.
If this perfectly encapsulates your life right now, then perhaps now is the time to start planning your next trip and figuring out how to make it happen. With the holidays behind us, travel rates have dropped, because availability - on planes and hotels - has greatly opened up. Even if you're looking to travel during the high season (i.e. summer), flight prices right now will be lower than if you purchase closer to your travel date. You just have to plan in advance.
Traveling Internationally
If you're looking to travel internationally and want to save, look to go in August, when flights can drop up to 20%. This may be because lots of countries in Europe go on holiday. This doesn't mean you won't have anything to do. Do some research into what things will be open and how many options you have. Generally, tourist attractions are available, but you'll find shorter hours, and many dining establishments will be closed.
Be Loyal
Do you have a lot of frequent flyer miles or hotel points? This may be the time to use them. Save on either (or both) your flight or accommodation, so you can do more at your destination or eat in more desirable restaurants. (Not that there's anything wrong with those hole-in-the-wall places that are amazing and food carts and the like. Those are some of my favorite places to eat. Here are ways to save on dining.)
Cruising
Those of you wishing to finally take a cruise will find that "wave season", the first few months of the year, is when most of the great deals will be available and when most of the rooms are booked for the year ahead. In fact, travel advisors book 75% of their cruise business during this time.
Saving
I save in a variety of ways. If you're planning right now, then make a plan to also save money for your upcoming trip. There are so many ways to stuff your savings account a little bit at a time that don't really feel like that much work.
When planning what you want to do on your trip, don't forget to look into the cheap and free activities to fill in your days between paid attractions and dining out.
Still thinking about where you want to go next? Maybe take inspiration from one of your (or my) Destination Date Nights
Soon you'll be hearing about my recent trip to Arizona. I'm also getting ready for a trip to Las Vegas for the Travel Goods Show. If things go well, we'll be taking a summer trip, and we have a vacation to Paris planned in the fall. I'll be doing everything as safely as possible and testing as often as I need to be able to do that.
What are your hopes for 2022 travel?
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
What Does 2022 Have In Store for Travel?
I'm getting back to travel this year, and I know a lot of you are hoping to say the same. So, what are the new trends in travel for this crazy era we're living in? What matters most to travelers right now and what are they looking forward to?
Saturday, January 8, 2022
5 Money-Saving Travel Tips
Travel in the off-season
Eat local
Take public transportation
Look for promo codes and coupons
Do the free stuff
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
How I Pack Small
As you're reading this, I'm on my first trip of 2022. We'll be gone for 4 days and I challenged myself to pack everything in a small carry-on* I bought for solo trips. I've been carefully choosing our travel wardrobe over the last few weeks. The weather will be a mix of warm, cool, and possibly cold, so I knew I needed to do some strategic planning.
As always, I chose mix-and-match separates, so we would only need two pair of pants and 4 shirts apiece. I'll also be bringing along pieces to layer, but wearing them on the plane, like my coat and an athletic jacket. Eric will have a cardigan and a coat. We will be doing many outdoor activities, so having the appropriate clothing for the weather is very important.
I have, in the past, just put it in my personal item, but instead, I transferred everything we would need into this smaller Travelon two-part toiletry bag that has one side for liquids and one for non-liquids. Insted of taking up space in my tote that will be mostly my laptop, I came up with a creative solution for making it fit in this small bag. I left it open and slid it right into the front pocket. It added very little to the profile.
This left just enough space for my flat iron, and any last-minute items can go in the free space of the zipper slip pocket.
So, now you probably want to know what's in my tote. If you've seen my Instagram Stories, you will have seen what's in there, but let's do a little deep dive. (This all fits in that Timbuk2 Scholar tote, which is out of stock right now, but I highly recommend their other bags.)
- laptop with charging cord & HDMI cable
- chargers and charging cables in blue bag
- bluetooth headphones
- magazines
- backup battery
- snacks!
- wrap to use as a scarf or blanket or sarong
- masks (I will also have hand sanitizer in my bag)
- reusable water bottle
This bag has all the pockets and I love it. The profile is slim and it also has these stow-away backpack straps. Because we'll be on the plane, I wanted to make sure I had KN95 masks with me for all three of us (me, my mom, and Eric). This is a great place to stow them where I can get to them easily at the airport, where we can switch out our cloth masks before we board the plane.
Like I said, this tote has pockets. My electronics bag goes in the front, for easy access. I'll be able to put pens and any necessary paperwork in the bottom pocket. And my reusable water bottle has a pocket of its own on the side, so it's not taking up valuable inside space, and it's always on hand.