Mindy on the Map

Vienna is so easy to fall in love with - I was looking forward to planning my next trip to Austria before I even left the first one!  The city is easy to get around, with the excellent public transportation that's available for a reasonable price (72-hour pass or a weekly travel pass valid for a specified calendar week for only 17.10 Euros in 2022). I purchased a 3-day pass when I first arrived and got more than my moneys worth! You can purchase the tickets at the kiosk located at any of the underground metro stations, and validate them when you're ready to start the clock. When you're trying to figure out how to get to where you want to go, you'll quickly notice the U and M icons all over Google Maps that indicate the existence of such stations. Your day-pass will also cover transportation on trams, trains, and buses throughout Vienna, which also have icons all over the map. The only things that needs to be purchased separately are Westbahn trains (trains that take you...

I'm currently living in Michigan, and sometimes there isn't time or enough vacation days left in the year to travel abroad - so instead I'll explore destinations closer to home. Just because they aren't far away doesn't make them any less special! I've taken family and friends to these locations when they've visited, and I think they are consistently as blown away by what Michigan has to offer as I am.  Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Sleeping Bear Dunes is a National Lakeshore along the coast of Lake Michigan, and it's about a 4-hour drive from Detroit. If you're close enough to Sleeping Bear to drive there, it's a great option for camping. And, it's one of the few national parks that will allow dogs, so if you're looking for a vacation you can bring your furry best friend(s) on, it's a great option for that as well!  Personally, I'm not a camper, so I can't provide much advice on that front. But I have stayed in hotel...