Traveling with MJ My travel ethos is value luxury - knowing when to splurge and when to save - whether traveling across town or around the world. I write about value luxury destinations, experiences, and products. River cruising on the Douro in Portugal is a magical experience. There's something special about the towns and villages along its banks. It's different than cruising the Rhine, Danube, or Rhone. It's a different pace, a different way of life, something inexplicably affirming about...
about 1 year ago • 5 min read
The Travelers Way Thanks for subscribing to our newsletter. You can find more stories and information at our website, just click on the link below. Any time you have a suggestion or an idea for future content, hit reply and this email comes back to us. Read more Where to Visit in the Cotswolds For a Long Weekend If you’re looking for a way to escape modern-day living, even if only for a weekend, a visit in the Cotswolds in south central England is a perfect choice. Read more Flowers & Flames...
about 1 year ago • 1 min read
Traveling with MJ My travel ethos is value luxury - knowing when to splurge and when to save - whether traveling across town or around the world. I write about value luxury destinations, experiences, and products. Olá! That's how you say hello in Portuguese. I'm currently sailing on the Doura River in Portugal on the inaugural sailing of Avalon Waterway's new ship, Alegria. She makes a great first impression. The ship has capacity for 102 passengers, and this VIP sailing is about half full....
about 1 year ago • 3 min read
Traveling with MJ My travel ethos is value luxury - knowing when to splurge and when to save - whether traveling across town or around the world. Oh, December - I both love and despise you. I despite the dark, cold and gloomy days, filled with rain and fog here in Seattle. I love to look at the snow (it only snows here occasionally), but hate the way the city comes to a standstill because we don't have equipment, manpower, or plans to deal with it. But, on the other hand, the winter solstice...
over 1 year ago • 4 min read
Traveling with MJ My travel ethos is value luxury - knowing when to splurge and when to save - whether traveling across town or around the world. Next week, I'm cooking Thanksgiving dinner for wayward family and friends. I never know how many to expect, but all are welcome. Then, I'm burrowing in for the weekend with a few books, a list of movies to watch, a bottle (or two) of wine, and lots of leftovers. It's my holiday happy place. I'll be publishing my Holiday Gift Guide for Travelers on...
over 1 year ago • 3 min read
November 10, 2023 We're well underway with our commitment to scope out new restaurants around the area. Although we still get back to our favorites, we've set a goal of two new spots a month. Some will make it to our site with full reviews, others we'll just share here in the newsletter. We went to Tavolata Stone Way, an Ethan Stowell restaurant, for a Lambrusco paired dinner. We'd been meaning to get there for some time, and a wine paired dinner was the perfect excuse. Food was great, we...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
Traveling with MJ My travel ethos is value luxury - knowing when to splurge and when to save - whether traveling across town or around the world. We took a short, 4-night, coastal cruise on Holland America last week, sailing from Vancouver to San Diego, with a stop in Astoria and two marvelous sea days. We hadn't planned on cruising, but found a deeply discounted rate that cried out for us to book it. So we did. This served as a reminder about a few value luxury cruise tips. Look for...
over 1 year ago • 4 min read
Traveling with MJ My travel ethos is value luxury - knowing when to splurge and when to save - whether traveling across town or around the world. It's been a couple of weeks of food and wine as we continue with our commitment to try new spots around the area. We have some longtime favorites, and have created a rut by always going to the same places. The goal is two new spots each month through fall and winter. Can you do this in your own home town (or region)? We went to a Lambrusco wine...
over 1 year ago • 5 min read
October 10, 2023 We've had a fair amount of local activities going on, and have been enjoying the local fall season. It's a great time of year here in the Pacific Northwest, and I'm soaking up every day of it because I think it's going to be a difficult winter. A couple weeks ago, we went to a pop-up wine tasting with Dossier Wine. Owned by former Seattle Seahawk wide receiver Sidney Rice and Tim Lenihan, we went through a structured tasting with small-bite pairings. We had a few favorites,...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read