Travel Hack: The Envelope Challenge

When we decided that we wanted to spend a couple of months in Europe for the winter, I knew that saving money would be a challenge. We were in the middle of a Pandemic AND we had just started a business that wasn’t making any money. In fact, we were doing just enough to get us by…in the hopes that our business would have a chance to see a real cruise season.

I had seen a post about an envelope challenge to save money. And it was then that I knew this would be a good way for us to save. You might be wondering, “How does the envelope challenge work?” In the initial post that I read, it suggested that you take 50 envelopes and write the denominations ($1 - $50) on the envelopes. Each week, you would then select an envelope. You would then put that amount of money in the envelope that corresponds with the number on that envelope. At the end of the 50 weeks, you would have saved $1275.

I knew that we were going to need more money than that for an extended trip to Europe, so I doubled the number of envelopes from 50 to 100. Each week, we pulled two envelopes from our bag…and then during that week we got the money and put it in the envelopes. Some weeks were tough. Sometimes, we used money that we would have used to go out to eat…and some weeks we used cash from tips. Some weeks, if we would pull two envelopes with high denominations, we would pick again. But EVERY week, we would pull those two envelopes. And luckily for us when tips were good, we were able to stuff three envelopes in a week.

During the course of the year, we saved $5050…just by putting that money in envelopes and NOT using it on dumb stuff throughout the year. It was so fun to go to the bank with my stacks of cash…and it was a HUGE sense of accomplishment that we were able to SAVE this money during a pretty difficult time.

Taking this trip was a priority for us…and it just goes to show that you don’t have to be rich to be able to live the kind of life you have always dreamt of!

In less than a year, you could complete the envelope challenge too! Where would you go on YOUR dream vacation? Comment below!

If you have not yet listened to the Podcast, check it out here!

5 Things to do when visiting Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

With over 3 million visitors a year, there is no doubt that Cabo San Lucas is one of Mexico’s top tourist destinations.  Many of these visitors arrive via cruise ship, which mean time is limited! To help you narrow down your choices, here is my list of top five things to do while in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

1.  Take a water taxi ride to see the Arch of Cabo San Lucas.  “El Arco” is a limestone arch that sits at the southern tip of Cabo San Lucas (the end of the Baja Peninsula).  The arch has been carved by the tide and wind over the years. 

Some people choose to book an excursion from the ship, we very rarely do that.  We enjoy exploring on our own.  We like to support the locals directly.  I guarantee that there is no shortage of water taxis in the Marina.  The cost is going to be significantly less and the you will have more flexibility on times and destinations compared to booking the excursion through the ship. 

 An added bonus to the boat ride is you have the chance to see some wildlife: birds, manta rays, whales, and sea lions!

This is definitely the iconic view of this region!

2.  Visit one of the many beaches in the area.  Some of the most popular beaches in the area are Medano Beach, Lover’s Beach, Divorce Beach, and the Cannery Beaches.  Not all of the beaches are great for swimming, so you will need to research this before heading to your destination.  However, there is no doubt that this beautiful coastline is home to some of Mexico’s most beautiful beaches.

3.  Experience the adventuresome side of Cabo San Lucas.  Due to the location of Cabo, there is a wide range of water and land activities available: atv tours, zip lining, parasailing, scuba, and snorkeling. 

4.  Explore the Marina.  If you don’t want to venture to far away from the ship and the beach is not really your scene, there is plenty to see and do near the marine.  Get your picture taken with an iguana, shop for local souvenirs, and of course tequila tasting at the Tequila Lighthouse!

5.  Eat, drink, and experience the culture!  You don’t have to venture far from the ship to find a variety of Mexican Restaurants.  The pictures below were from our meal at Captain Tony’s!

 If you do venture just outside of the Marina, you can have a drink at Slim’s Elbow Bar - the smallest bar.  Or if you are lucky, you will stumble upon one of the best bars (with great specials)…located in the back of a souvenir shop. 

There is a lot to discover and enjoy in this beautiful destination.  Whether you want to explore the desert on an ATV, relax on an amazing beach, or unwind at a bar, there is definitely something for everyone! Enjoy!

Off Your Beaten Path Podcast - Episode 1

Back at the beginning of 2021, I created a vision board (this was a first for me!). On that board was the word podcast! After a lot of thought and planning, we are so excited to release our very first episode!

Here is what you can expect to learn from our first episode:

• How we met

• Our first date

• Our first trip

• How many states, provinces, countries, and continents we have visited

• Are there arctic monkeys in Alaska

• And most importantly...How in the world did we end up in Alaska!?

We hope you will give it a listen! If you like it, please feel free to follow, like, and share with others!

Big News: Our Newest Edition

Off Your Beaten Path has been in existence for 6 years now. We started as a blog, shifted focus to my photography, AND now we have a GREAT new addition!

Drum Roll Please…We have started our very own PODCAST!!!

Off Your Beaten Path is a weekly travel podcast about trading in your daily grind for a life worth living! Take a new path each week as your hosts Nicole and George inspire you to live bold and explore outside the lines. Take that trip, work with purpose, and live a life less ordinary by getting Off Your Beaten Path.

We feel that the Off Your Beaten Path Podcast is the perfect way to add to our brand!

Click below to listen to our trailer!

We hope you will take a listen, share with your friends, and subscribe!

We want to know what topics you want to hear about on the show! Let us know in the comments!

A Series of Unfortunate events: Travel Edition

Are you the person who has everything planned from the packing list to the itinerary when you travel?  You know what I mean…the seasoned traveler who is 100% prepared for anything and everything.  That was definitely how we viewed ourselves as travelers…until two weeks ago.  Travel is something that George and I have done together (as often as possible) since our first month together.  In ten short years, we have traveled to all 50 states, several countries, countless cruises, and hundreds of thousands of road miles! We know how to travel.  Or so we thought!!!

As with a majority of the world, Covid-19 happened and the world stopped…especially our beloved world of travel.  This was finally our chance to get out and enjoy the world outside of our little bubble in Skagway.  It had been over 630 days since we vacationed…and our lack of “experience” showed!  If you don’t believe me…look at how we overpacked!

For some people whether or not to vaccinate became a political issue.  For us, it meant that we were one step closer to being able to travel again.  In fact, as soon as our first dose was completed, we booked a cruise for later in the year.  We had originally planned a Mediterranean cruise for November, but that was cancelled.  Once that happened, we changed gears and planned a cruise to Mexico from California. 

Traveling to and from Skagway, Alaska is not as easy as one might think.  You have to ferry or fly to Juneau, which always adds at least a day onto your travel plans.  Since we needed to build in a little cushion, we planned to spend some time in Seattle and California before we actually left for our cruise.  All I can say is thank goodness we had that cushion. 

The week leading up to our trip was filled with a lot of wet weather.  We had flights scheduled out of Skagway, which can always be a little iffy if the weather is not great.  The morning of our trip, we heard a flight come in the morning, which was a welcomed sign…but we were still not out of the woods!   About an hour before our flight, we called the airport and were super excited to find out our plane was on the way! WE WERE GOING ON VACATION!!!!

We arrived in Juneau without a hitch.  We even had time for a delicious dinner at our favorite Juneau restaurant!  Our flight from Juneau to Seattle was scheduled for the next morning at 5:30 am, so we planned to arrive to the airport at 4:00 am.  I don’t know about you, but I can never really sleep soundly when I have an early morning flight.  I was worried that we would not wake up for our 3:00 alarm, so my body was restless…and I was awake by 2 am. 

We were all up by 3…and excited about our day of travel ahead!  About ten minutes before we were ready to head downstairs, I decided that I would download some podcasts for our plane ride.  It was moments later that panic set in…I had left our passports in Skagway!!!!!

For our flights, we did not need passports…but for our cruise they would be a required document.  There was NO getting out of traveling without them!  We quickly weighed the options of getting on our current flights and having passports shipped to us overnight…or changing our flights to a later flight and not leaving Juneau until we have the passports in our hand.  The bad thing about a misstep like this is that you can’t just drive home and get them.  It is not physically possible. 

This hiccup then set off a long chain of events that made this day the longest day of our lives!  Here is a glimpse of the chain of events that occurred over the next couple of hours:

·       George contacted Alaska Airlines to change flights to the 6:30 PM flight.

·       I contacted the house sitters to have them get our passports to a friend who brought them to the airport. 

·       Our passports were sent on the next available flight (as cargo) to Juneau – weather permitting.

·       We cancelled our Covid tests which were scheduled for Seattle upon our arrival. 

·       We located a Covid testing site in Juneau and scheduled appointments for 11 am.  We completed these tests and hoped for the best.

·       We rented a car in Juneau, so we could complete all of our tasks and have a place to hang out once we checked out of the hotel.

·       We ate breakfast at Donna’s.

·       Yay…the passports arrived.  We picked them up from Alaska Seaplanes Cargo.

·       We tried to nap in the car…unsuccessfully.

·       We arrived at the airport, excited about finally being able to complete the next leg of our trip!

·       Our family unit CALMLY AND EFFECTIVELY worked through and solved all problems (SUCCESS).

Our excitement lasted until we boarded the plane and realized the three of us were in the last row of the plane…on a narrow body plane.  We were shoe horned in the seats pretty good.  Alex and I took turns sitting forward and sitting back, so we would have a little space.  Good thing the flight was only two hours.  Two hours…until we arrived in Seattle and had to sit on the tarmac for 30 minutes before we had a gate.  Would this day ever end?

Because we had planned on spending the day sightseeing in Seattle, we had a rental car reserved and paid for.  Now that we were arriving so late, we really did not need it.  But having a car meant we would be able to go grab a quick bite to eat before we went to the hotel and CRASHED from exhaustion.  What we didn’t realize is that the rental car pick up was located off site…and it was probably further away than our actual hotel! 

When we arrived at Alamo, we were second in line.  As we waited the queue filled up.  There was one employee helping customers.  And one employee who sent people in line to a non-working kiosk before she sent them next door to Enterprise and then left for the evening.  There were about 4-5 groups of people in line behind us and one being helped at the counter.  Then the employee announced that the computers crashed and everyone should head to Enterprise next door.  We went from being the first in line to being in the back of a line of 20 people. 

If that wasn’t bad enough, the employee that had been helping us in Alamo said that Enterprise computers were down also and we should rent a car somewhere else.  However, we had already paid for our car with them!  And it was now 11:30 at night on what was the longest day of our lives!  This is at the point where we lost it.  As a family, we had handled all of the bumps in the road with stride (which I was so proud of).  But after all of this, we snapped.  And by we, I mean the calmest one in our group lost his cool…and it quickly started to escalate.  Until I corralled the guys out of the rental car place and we hopped on the shuttle back to the airport…so we could take the hotel shuttle. 

We arrived at the hotel around midnight…about 21 hours after our journey had started for the day.  We were tired, grumpy, and hungry.  The small bit of joy that faced us was that we were in a town that had Door Dash…and restaurants were actually open past 8 PM!  For most, this would be no big deal…but when you live in a rural town in Alaska where EVERYTHING closes early and options are slim, this was a small win! We got some food delivered to us and passed out! 

 We were done with this day! 

And definitely done with this lesson.  I can assure you…I will NEVER forget our passports again!!!!

Juneau in Less than 24 Hours

When my friend from Florida booked a trip to visit me in Skagway, I decided that I would fly over to Juneau to meet her and do a quick sight seeing trip with her before she arrived in Skagway.

Here are my must do’s for anyone with less than 24 hours in Juneau.

A lot of people wonder how people travel between Skagway and Juneau.  Because there is no road between the two communities, your choices are to fly or ferry.  For this trip, I did both…which is definitely the way to go!  For my trip to Juneau, I flew on Alaska Seaplanes.  These are not the float planes that you might be thinking of…but instead, small turbo prop planes.  I was worried that my flight was not going to happen because it was cloudy and rainy all day, but the clouds cleared just in time!

A picturesque view from above - Haines, Alaska.

The views from above are truly spectacular!  It puts into perspective just how small we are!  Once I got to Juneau, I picked up my rental car from Juneau Rental Car.  I love this company because they drop the car off at the airport for you…no need to mess around with going to a desk and waiting in line!  You never know what kind of vehicle you are going to get…and this time there was a Lincoln Continental waiting for me!  One word…luxury!

The Lincoln Continental for the win! Luxury…

It was a mad dash to the Super 8, so I could get checked in and meet my friends for dinner.  No trip to Juneau is ever complete without a trip to In Bocca al Lupo!  It is my favorite choice for dinner (and dessert if you are lucky enough to get there in time to get some!)  Luckily my good friends, who live in Juneau, were available to meet me for dinner! As always, I got the pizza margherita…which never disappoints. I also got a Caesar salad this time…and it was AMAZING!

***Pro tip…get the Thunderdome as an appetizer.  You will not be disappointed!!!

It is always so hard to get a picture…because we are tearing into the deliciousness so fast!

After dinner, we grabbed some frozen yogurt from Juno FroYo…and then I was off to the hotel to wait for the arrival of one of my favorite people…all the way from Florida. 

Yes, please! All the flavors and toppings that I want!

Marnie arrived at 11 PM…so we didn’t have much time to catch up.  I knew we needed to be up early, so I could cram in as much as possible in the 8 hours we would have to sightsee!

We started our morning around 8 am!  Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day…but it is also my favorite (we actually used to own a breakfast food truck!)  Our first stop was Donna’s, which is a staple in Juneau!  It has been there since 1984…and it is very apparent that it is a local favorite.  It is located right by the airport…so there is rarely a time that we visit Juneau and do not make a stop here!  

A delicious breakfast to start the day!

After breakfast, we headed straight to Mendenhall Glacier!  We were hoping to beat the crowds…which was never an issue because somehow we lucked out and landed here on a no ship day!  We practically had the whole area to ourselves.   We did the 2 mile round trip hike to Nugget Falls and used the time to get caught up on each other’s lives (It had been 1.5 years since we saw each other)!  We then wandered down to Steep Creek to see if we would be lucky enough to see any bears…but the only wildlife we saw were some salmon and a porcupine who was sound asleep in a tree.

Mendenhall Glacier 2021

The reward after a nice hike - Nugget Falls

Next stop…Breeze In, but not just any Breeze In…the Lemon Creek location (because they have a wall of donuts!)  The motto of Breeze In is “More than a convenience, it’s a breeze!”  I always wonder if we are just unusually excited by this convenience store because we don’t have ANY convenience stores in Skagway, but I have found that my friends from the lower 48 are usually as impressed with the donuts here too!  After snagging boxes of donuts and some drinks, we headed for the Shrine of St. Therese.

The Shrine of St. Therese is located “out the road”, which is about 22 miles north of downtown Juneau.  It is a Catholic church that overlooks the most beautiful section of the Lynn Canal.  It sits on 46 acres, with the stone chapel showcased on the peninsula.    While visiting the shrine, we took the time to follow the Merciful Love Labyrinth.  It was an opportunity for us to follow the path, enjoy the experience, and for me…take some photos!

The chapel at St. Therese.

Some of the best views in Juneau are at the Shrine of St. Therese.

Next stop…downtown Juneau!  On our way downtown, I made a quick detour to the whale sculpture.  Takhu is an iconic, life-size, bronze sculpture of a breaching humpback whale.  It was sculpted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Alaska’s statehood.  Once we marveled at the beauty and snapped the obligatory photos of the whale, it was off to the Red Dog Saloon. 

The Red Dog Saloon has been in operation since the heyday of the mining years in Juneau.  In those years, it was the model of hospitality and fellowship for travelers…and now it continues that tradition of fellowship for all of the cruise passengers and independent travelers that make their way through the capital city.  I brought Marnie here because a “duck fart” shot is a must when you travel to Juneau!  It is a layered shot of Bailey’s, Kahlua, and Crown Royal.  In my opinion, you can’t really say you went to the Red Dog Saloon if you didn’t have a duck fart.

Quack, quack…

At this point, it was almost time to head for Auke Bay, which was our departure point back to Skagway…but not without a trip to Fred Meyer first!  Fred Meyer would be our equivalent of a Target.  And since we do not have any of these types of chain stores in Skagway, it is always a must visit.  At this particular time in Skagway, we were having the “Great Milk Shortage of 2021”.  Milk was hard to come by…and it was being flown and trucked in whenever possible.  When the milk did arrive, we were all thrilled… but a half gallon was going to cost you about $8!  So, we went to Fred’s and picked up a few gallons of milk ($2.99 a gallon). 

It was now time for us to head to the harbor to catch our ferry back to Skagway!  We chose to travel with Alaska Fjordlines…which is a family run business out of Haines, AK.  During the summer season, they have runs between, Skagway, Haines, and Juneau.  On the trip back from Juneau, you get the chance to see whales, seals, eagles, sea lions, glaciers, lighthouses, and so much more!  It is definitely an experience in and of itself! 

Eldred Rock Lighthouse

Roadblocks: Can't Stop, Won't Stop!

Do you ever feel like the world is stacked against you?

This past year has been tough for a girl who likes to be on the move. I know I live in THE most beautiful place on Earth, but I have to say that being “stuck” in our small, remote town has been tough!

The moment we got our first vaccination, we booked a Mediterranean cruise leaving Italy in November. After the cruise we were going to spend 2 months traveling around Europe.

That cruise was canceled a few weeks ago which was a bummer. Instead of canceling the trip, we just pushed it back a month. This would enable us to be out of Skagway during the darkest months of winter (Dec and Jan).

Well...our airline tickets are purchased through Alitalia Airlines. If you have seen the news lately, you might have seen that Alitalia is going bankrupt...and out of business! I cannot seem to get any straight answers about what this means for our flights...but I know we will be going one way or another!

Europe is calling my name...and I must go!

I just want to travel!

Which leads me to this question...if you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go? Comment below…

Let's daydream together!

August 24: Vesuvius Day - Five Facts About Vesuvius

August 24th is known as Vesuvius Day.  On this date in 79 A.D. Mount Vesuvius erupted - historically known as one of THE largest volcanic explosions to ever occur.

Facts about Vesuvius:
1.  It destroyed the cities of Pompeii, Herculeum, and Stabiae.
2.  The volcano is located along the Gulf of Naples.
3.  Vesuvius last erupted in March 1944.
4.  The elevation is 4203 feet.  When you visit Vesuvius, the bus takes you to 3280 feet...and you are able to climb approximately 650 feet in elevation to get to the top.
5. Mount Vesuvius is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.

This view in this picture is from the terrace at the Airbnb that we stayed at in Striano!  A definite highlight of our trip to Italy!  We highly recommend staying with Anna and her family at the Vesuvio Residence! 

From this Airbnb in Striano, you are within traveling distance to visiting Vesuvius, Pompeii, Naples, Sorrento, Capri, and even the Amalfi coast! It is a great jumping off point…and Anna is so good with help planning the logistics of how to get to these locations!