Guest Post: The Stunning Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland

April 19, 2016April 18, 2016Leave a comment

Our good friend Audrey and her new husband spent a wonderful, two-week honeymoon in Ireland and Northern Ireland last June. Neither had ever been before, and they quickly fell in love with the lush scenery, the friendly people, and the surprisingly tasty food. Their goal was to get to see the sights, but also to enjoy down time embracing Irish culture. They spent their fair share of time off the main roads in tea shops and pubs enjoying one type of brew or another. Enjoy Audrey’s guest post on her visit to the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland!

Audrey and Josh

Belfast

We kicked off the honeymoon in Belfast in Northern Ireland. We had round trip Dublin flights, but caught a bus up to Belfast for about $30 a person when we arrived. We then took a taxi out to our amazing hotel, The Culloden, which was situated about 10 minutes north of the city.

Seriously, I got sleep here! Normally I would get a place closer to the sights, but who on earth would pass up staying in this beauty?!? They even had a train station just off property so you could get into Belfast with ease. Continue reading →

Great Georgia Getaways

April 15, 2016April 15, 2016Leave a comment

Spring has sprung, and it’s time to get outside and explore on the weekends! We love living in Atlanta because Georgia just has so much to offer! Head north, and you’ll reach the Blue Ridge Mountains. Head southeast, and you’ll hit beautiful beaches and barrier islands. There’s something for everyone! Here are a few of our favorite Georgia getaways along with our favorite places to stay and things to do.

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Our #Take12Trips Challenge

April 7, 2016April 7, 20162 Comments

Wow we can’t believe we’re already a quarter of the way through 2016! We thought it would be fun to provide an update on our 12 trips in 12 months effort so far and our plans going forward. We’d also love to hear from those of you joining us in the challenge on where you’ve been and where you’re planning to go.

If you missed our original #Take12Trips post, be sure to check it out. Our New Year’s Resolution is to travel more often and travel differently, and it’s working!

How We’re Going to Travel More in 2016

January

Stephanie started off the year in Florida visiting the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park. Later in January she also took an overnight trip to the Chattanooga area with a fantastic stay at the Chanticleer Inn.

The Beechwood Inn - www. AFriendAfar.com

Meagan’s January trip took her to the beautiful and delicious Beechwood Inn in Clayton, Georgia.

February

Meagan and Steph biking

We took a fun girls trip to coastal Georgia! First we went to St. Marys where we stayed at the lovely Spencer House Inn. Then we hopped over to Cumberland Island for a night at the stunning Greyfield Inn.

March

1842 Inn - A Macon Bed & Breakfast

March took Stephanie on a brief trip to Phoenix to catch a spring training game with her husband Ed. Meagan & Ryan did a weekend trip to Macon to stay at the 1842 Inn!

whale watching

We both went to Irvine, California for the Women in Travel Summit (WITS) 2016! Read a little about our experience there on our new friend Lindsay’s blog I’ve Been Bit. The night before we flew back home we went whale watching with Captain Dave’s and saw 5 grey whales. It was pretty exciting!

April

Meagan is more than a little in love with her day job. The Carter Center just held a staff retreat in Plains, Georgia, home of President and Mrs. Carter, and Meagan and her husband went to check out the small town. It’s the perfect example of a tiny southern town. The shops that you see above are all that make up downtown Plains, and that’s incredibly charming. Naturally, there’s a lot of President Carter pride there.

Stephanie is headed to Dubai and Durham, North Carolina for work in April! She’s hoping to have a bit of time to explore both.

May

[Photo credit: Ulrich Latzenhofer]

In early May, Stephanie is headed to the DC area for work and is also doing a girls weekend with two friends who live in the area to the Eastern shore of Maryland. Mid-month she’s headed to Iceland to do a trip around the Ring Road and is looking forward to seeing the original Geysir, waterfalls, ponies, lagoons and more! Photo credit

Meagan and her husband are heading to Istanbul for the first leg of their trip and will be there on their 5th wedding anniversary. They’ll be spending nights on both the Asian side of the Bosphorus in Kadikoy and the European side in Sultanahmet.

June

[Photo Credit: Kasbah du Toubkal]

After Istanbul, Turkey, Meagan and Ryan are headed to Marrakech, Morocco! They’ll be spending a few days in the city before heading out to the majestic High Atlas mountain range to stay at the Kasbah du Toubkal in Imlil. Can you believe that view?

Stephanie is dreaming about a domestic National Park visit for June but doesn’t have definite plans yet.

July

Stephanie is in the early stages of planning an epic Sound of Music tour of Austria, visiting WWII sites in Germany and maybe a visit to Prague in the Czech Republic.

Meagan has too many ideas, but none of them are concrete. Does anyone have a ticket to Hamilton that they’d like to share?

August & September

We’re both headed to Ireland with our husbands for the Georgia Tech versus Boston College American football game in Dublin! We can’t wait to explore the city and also see some of the iconic Irish countryside. If you’ve been, please give us your tips below since we’re still planning our trip!

October-December

At this point we just have ideas but nothing firm planned! Stephanie is dreaming about celebrating her three year wedding anniversary at Big Bend National Park in October. She also wants to visit Biltmore Estates in Asheville in December to see it all decorated for Christmas!
Meagan wants to take the Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad through the North Georgia Mountains and is also looking at a trip with Georgia Conservancy.

What About You?

Where have you been so far this year? Do you have any exciting trips on your calendar? We’d love to hear all about them in the comments below.

If you have tips for any of our upcoming destinations, we’re all ears!

#12 Trips How to Travel More

Meet A Friend Afar: Liebster Blog Award

April 4, 2016April 4, 20162 Comments

We are excited to announce that we’ve been nominated for the Liebster Award by Jess at Jetsetting Spirit. Thanks so much for this nomination, Jess! We appreciate it!

post_108_liebster1_thetrekkingcat.com

You might be asking, what is the Liebster Award? It’s a tool used to recognize new bloggers for their hard work and dedication to blogging. It is passed down from blogger to blogger and just goes to show how supportive the blogging community is! Once nominated, the blogger must answer 10 questions they are given. They then must nominate 5 new blogs and write 10 new questions for them. We thought this would be a fun way for our readers to check out some other travel bloggers and get to know us better, too!

Meet a friend afar: stephanie and meagan

collage crop

What was your first blog post about? We both really love maps so Meagan wrote a post called Beautifully Illustrated Maps for our very first blog post!
What was the first international trip you went on? How old were you? Meagan: I was 17 and went to Italy! I still have my journal from that first international trip, and it’s hilarious! Stephanie: I had just turned 17 and went to Australia with my high school band. We were part of a 2000 member band that marched in the 2000 Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony. It was such an amazing first international experience!
What made you start blogging? Is it a career for you or a hobby? For us, starting A Friend Afar has been a wonderful hobby based on our love for travel and our careers in international development. We love sharing our favorite places and help our friends and family plan their trips, and that’s what A Friend Afar is all about!
Where do you hope to see your blog in 10 years? We’re dedicated to becoming a great resource for the part-time traveler – the week-long and long-weekend vacation taker, the business tripper with a little extra time, and the hometown explorer.
What is your favorite movie and why? Stephanie: I have a hard time choosing but I really love musicals, and The Sound of Music is my favorite! I love Julie Andrews and the setting in the Austrian Alps is stunning! Meagan: Oh so hard! I think I’ll have to say Midnight in Paris right now! It expresses my personality as a traveler who seeks out wonder and joy when abroad. Paris in the rain? Weather won’t ruin my trip! I also love history and the arts, and they’re the perfect pair in that movie.
How do you manage your time when blogging? Do you have another job outside of blogging? We try to set aside time during our weekends to work on writing posts separately and then sometimes get together to work together. We schedule a “blog night” during the week where we work on “blog stuff.” Prioritization is super important to us since there’s always a to do list, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. We both work for international development non-profits (Meagan at The Carter Center and Stephanie at CARE) based in Atlanta so blogging is a part-time job!
What is your dream trip? Where would you go, how long would you stay, what would you do? Meagan: Trans-Siberian Railway! I want to take the Moscow to Beijing via Mongolia route! I would love to take a month to be able to stop along the way. Besides looking out at the beautiful scenery, I would take a few good books and play the Ticket to Ride board game! Get it? Also Mongolia is one of the top countries I want to visit. Stephanie: I’ve been to six continents so far, so I just need to go to Antarctica! I’d love to do a cruise from Chile or Argentina and would want to stay for a few weeks. I’d do lots of hiking before the cruise and then take kayaking excursions from the cruise! I also really want to see penguins, of course!
How often do you travel? This year we’re trying for 12 Trips in 12 Months so we typically average around one trip a month.
What is the one item you would want with you if you were on a deserted island with no cell reception or wifi? A water purifier!
What is your favorite thing to do outside of blogging? Travel, of course!

10 fun facts about a friend afar

Meagan: While in Belize at a sanctuary for wildlife rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, I let a jaguar lick my face. He had a huge sandpaper tongue!
Stephanie: I lived in the same house in the same room until I moved into my freshman dorm in college!
Meagan: I studied Spanish in high school and Japanese, Thai, and Spanish in college at Georgia Tech. I’m about to start a Chinese class.
Stephanie: While serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana, I hitchhiked a lot. One time a Ghana Medical Service truck stopped for me, and when I got in the vehicle I realized they were driving a woman in labor to the hospital!
Meagan: My husband and I met in Juarez, Mexico while building houses over spring break. Travel has been part of our relationship from the very beginning!
Stephanie: One of my travel goals is to go to all 59 National Parks in the US. Really, I want to go to all national park sites but this feels more attainable since there are 400+ of those. I’ve been to 18 so far!
Meagan: Italy is the country that I keep going back to over and over again. I love the food and the history.
Stephanie: My husband’s favorite place in the world is Hawaii- he’s been five times and I went for the first time on our honeymoon.
Meagan: One of my favorite things to do when I travel is visit art and history museums.
Stephanie: My favorite dessert is tiramisu. I really love all Italian food- pasta, pizza, gelato…

Our Five nominations for the liebster award

Our questions are…

What’s your spirit animal (the animal that you feel fits you the best) and why?
Of all the places you’ve visited, which place is your favorite and why?
What places are at the top of your travel list right now?
What advice would you give to someone traveling abroad for the first time?
Do you have a favorite guidebook or travel magazine?
As a child, what occupation did you want to have as an adult?
What item(s) do you never leave home without for a trip?
Has a book or movie influenced your travel?
Tell us a few of your favorite Instagram accounts you follow for inspiration.
If you had the chance to work with any brand you wanted, who would it be?

And here’s what should go in your post, nominated bloggers:

Thank the Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog
Link back to the blogger who awarded you
Copy and paste the award to your blog
Answer the questions you were given and share ten facts about yourself
Nominate 5 blogs to receive the award (must have less than 3000 followers)
Let them know of their nomination!

Those are our fun facts! Do you have any more questions for us? Ask us in the comments!

Lo & Sons Bag Review

March 29, 2016March 29, 20163 Comments

Are you in the market for a new personal carry-on bag? I was back in the fall and did some research on Google as well as consulted Meagan, our resident expert in all things related to fashion. I decided on the Lo & Sons O.M.G. medium overnight bag based on reviews, price point and the company’s “travel light and look smart” mantra. Here’s a Lo & Sons bag review based on a few months in of using it almost daily for work and on my travels!

[photo courtesy of Lo & Sons]

Lo & Sons O.M.G. Bag REVIEW

One of the characteristics that is super important to me is functional pockets so I can (try to) keep myself organized! This bag has a ton of pockets and dividers! The front pocket includes places for your pens, business cards, keys and your work badge. The back pocket zips on the top and bottom so you can use it as a pocket but then attach it to your roll-aboard handle when you travel, which is a key feature I love! As long as I keep everything where it’s supposed to go, this bag helps me keep organized. There’s a sleeve for your shoes if you want to keep a pair of sandals, TOMS, or ballet flats handy when traveling or around the office.

If you have to get work done on such a gorgeous day, head to the pool with your Lo & Sons O.M.G. bag.

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The 1842 Inn – A Macon Bed & Breakfast

March 24, 2016March 24, 2016Leave a comment

We’ve been on a mission lately to find great weekend getaways from Atlanta for you. Recently, we visited the Beechwood Inn in the North Georgia Mountains, the Chanticleer Inn in Lookout Mountain, the Historic Spencer House Inn in St. Marys, and the Greyfield Inn on Cumberland Island. We traveled from the mountains to the sea, just one of the reasons we love Georgia, and now we’re taking you just two hours south of Atlanta to the 1842 Inn for a historic Macon Bed & Breakfast.

1842 Inn - A Macon Bed & Breakfast

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The Greyfield Inn on Cumberland Island

March 10, 2016March 18, 2016Leave a comment

Where History, Nature, and Luxury Meet

The magnificent Greyfield Inn on Cumberland Island is more than a romantic coastal getaway. It’s a classic Southern destination. It’s an opportunity to enjoy Georgia’s coast at a slower pace. And it’s a chance to take a step back into another era.

Cumberland Island overflows with natural history as well as stories of America’s past, and those continue at The Greyfield Inn. As soon as you step off the boat and are guided toward the old Carnegie home, you’ll feel as though you’ve stepped into a Southern Living magazine. You’ll find yourself wondering how long you can possibly stay before you really have to return home, and you’ll be in good company – everyone else is wondering the same thing. There are few inns that offer such an exceptional experience. This, friends, is how you vacation.

The Greyfield Inn - Cumberland Island Vacation Guide - www.AFriendAfar.com

For more on visiting Cumberland Island National Seashore, you can see our full guide here.

Cumberland Island Vacation Guide - www.AFriendAfar.com

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Cumberland Island Vacation Guide

March 4, 2016March 28, 20164 Comments

Cumberland Island National Seashore is one of our absolute favorite places in Georgia! Pristine beaches, wild horses, and a mansion in ruin are a few highlights of why we love this place! If you’re a nature lover like we are, look no further for your next unique beach destination.

Cumberland Island Vacation Guide - A Friend Afar

Nature on Cumberland Island

There’s a whole lot of the natural world to see on Cumberland Island. It’s Georgia’s largest and southernmost barrier Island; in fact, it’s almost twice the size of the island of Manhattan! Cumberland Island hosts a variety of wildlife, and you’ll see numerous species even on a short day trip. The island is famous for its wild horse population. They tend to congregate in areas where there’s grass, so it’s not unusual to see them near the ruins and houses. The population of horses is usually between 150 and 200, so it’s very likely you’ll also see them along paths or in the sand dunes. You might also run into armadillos, rattlesnakes, white-tailed deer, wild boars and turkeys, and even the occasional alligator, not to mention all of the birds! We’ve even seen dolphins on the ferry ride over there, so don’t forget your camera! [Note: Keep a healthy distance from the wild horses. The photos below are an exception as this young horse near Greyfield Inn came up to us! We let her nibble on our sleeves a bit, but then we gave her some space.]

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The Historic Spencer House Inn and St. Marys, Georgia

March 1, 2016March 18, 20162 Comments

For our February trip of our Take 12 Trips Challenge, we began our weekend away at the Historic Spencer House Inn in St. Marys, Georgia. St. Marys is the perfect coastal town to use as a base for not only exploring Cumberland Island National Seashore (since the park ferry departs from the port) but also other surrounding areas including Savannah, the Golden Isles, Fernandina Beach, Jacksonville and even St. Augustine. At a little over a 5-hour drive from Atlanta, an hour and 45 minutes from Savannah, and 45 minutes from Jacksonville, it’s a great long weekend destination.

The Historic Spencer House Inn

The Spencer House Inn was built in 1872 and was known as one of the finest hotels in all of southeast Georgia. It operated as a hotel until 1942 when it changed ownership and was run as a rooming house. In the 1980s it was renovated and used as a professional building until 1990 when it was restored again and preserved as the Historic Spencer House Inn. The current owners, Mary and Mike Neff, took over in 1995!

The Historic Spencer House Inn
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10 Travel Essentials We Don’t Travel Without

February 25, 2016March 18, 201627 Comments

Everyone loves a “what’s in my bag” post, and this one is “packed” with the Top 10 Travel Essentials that we don’t leave home without! A long-haul flight may require a lot more to keep you comfortable, entertained, and sane than a short flight or train ride, but these are the items we’ll be packing no matter the trip. If you catch us at the airport, here’s what you’ll find in our bags…

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