Whew - summer heat. While 80 degree days might not seem hot to many readers, I'm thankful that we have air conditioning and a cool place to sleep.

Speaking of readers, we had a small surge in subscribers and I want to say thanks for being here. This newsletter is a combination of travel stories and recommendations, along with personal information and community building stories. Feel free to reach out at any time (you can hit reply to this newsletter and it will come back to me).

And if you want to make sure you see my posts when you're searching for travel information on the web, you can set Traveling with MJ as a preferred source. To do this is easy. Click on this direct link and tick the box next to travelingwithmj.com. Feel free to search and add on any other sites that you want to set as preferred. Easy-peasy, and if Google does what it says it is doing, you'll see search results much more tailored to what you want to see.

The attack on my website is finally resolved, and you should once again be able to access and read everything. I think I have cleaned up all sorts of bits of random left over stuff, but if you see something that just doesn't look right, be sure to let me know.

Mary Jo & Tony

Have You Read:

15 Don't Miss Museums in Winnipeg, Manitoba From Indigenous history and prairie settlement to modern art, science, and local heritage, museums in Winnipeg reflect both its past and its identity as a lively, multicultural urban center on the Canadian Prairies.. Read story

Watch the Knoxville Smokies at Covenant Health Park Baseball has long been part of Knoxville’s story. The city has a way of making baseball feel effortless. This guide will help you plan a weekend around a Smokies home game. Explore a little local history, wander the walkable streets, grab a bite or a drink afterward, and enjoy. Let baseball set the pace; there’s no need to over plan. Read story

A Guide to the Classic Aperol Spritz (with recipe) The history of the renowned Aperol spritz cocktail can be traced back to the mid-1950s, although the hero ingredient was developed some thirty years prior. We've been enjoying these on the deck as an afternoon apertif. They're super easy to make, and I've included the simple recipe that I use. Read story

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Here's what else is going on:

Traveling: Southern California

I'm heading to Southern California this week for the 40th anniversary of the Yaamava Resort & Casino, owned by the Yuhaaviatam clan of the Maara’yam nation. Yaamava s the only AAA Five-Diamond casino resort and is ranked among the best resorts in the world by Condé Nast Traveler.

It will be a three-day getaway with a luxury resort stay, spa treatments, great food, and entertainment. Performances by Imagine Dragons and Snoop Dogg.

Reading: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime.

I've almost finished this book, told entirely through correspondence (letters and emails), and it's been a treat. The plotline is simple. A septuagenarian reflects on her life - career, friends, family, and love - through an assortment of correspondence. As a woman of a similar age, I found this an enjoyable and contemplative read.

While it's certainly deserving of its best seller status and numerous awards, I think the hype for the book overshadowed my experience reading it. I probably should have read it sooner, before all my friends inundated me with raves about it.

Learn more about the book here.

I've finished 80 books this year, so I'm off to a great start with this year's travel reading challenge.

Want to join in the challenge? It's designed for travelers who like to read and readers who like to travel. It started as a simple project with friends, grew into a larger project with friends and friends of friends, and now we have a small community of travelers who love to read. It's self-paced, and while you can read what you want when you want, we hope the prompts encourage you to try some new authors and genres to your reading choices.

You can learn more about the challenge by signing up for our monthly newsletter here. Or join our spoiler-free Facebook group here. Did we need another streaming service? Absolutely not! But we are enjoying so many long-running series during this Seattle winter season that it's been a good return on spending.

Watching: FIFA World Cup

The round of 16, the semi-finals, and then the finals, the World Cup was a blend of sports, emotions, politics, and high drama. Lots of great games (the term most widely used in the U.S.) or matches (the traditional term used in the U.K., Europe, and international governing bodies). It was quite a ride!

Listening: How to be Okay When Nothing is Okay by Jenny Lawson

Jenny Lawson is full of contradictions. She’s a celebrated author but battles self-doubt, paralysis, and anxiety. She’s an award-winning humorist but struggles with treatment-resistant depression. The questions people most often ask her are, “How do you do it? How do you keep going even when it feels impossible? How do you keep creating?” This book is her answer.

I've followed Jenny since her early days as Bloggess. She started blogging about motherhood back in 2026, eventually branching out and writing about mental illness, invisible disabilities, writing, and more. She smart, funny, and irreverent, and she narrates the book. I'm loving it.

Check it out here.

Heads in Beds: Silver Cloud Inn (Mukilteo, Washington)

We were in Mukilteo for a family wedding and wanted to stay locally, rather than driving home after a big night of celebrating. There aren't a lot of options there. We decided on the Silver Cloud Inn, in large part for its location - panoramic waterfront views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, AND it was only a couple blocks from the wedding venue.

We stayed in a King water view room. It had a Juliet balcony, great for a little fresh air and looking around, as well as a fireplace. Given the local weather, we couldn't put the fireplace to much use, but I could envision the room in the winter, made bright and welcoming with the fireplace. I'd bel happy with a cup of tea, a book, and sprawling out in the lounge chair in front of it.

Interested in booking the Silver Cloud Inn in Mukilteo? If you're a DIYer, you can find info here.

Or, if you'd prefer to work directly with us for your travel booking, taking advantage of the many value-added perks we can help with at this hotel, get in touch via our dedicated booking email (most services at no fee).

If you feel like I've helped you in some way, or just appreciate personal travel information that isn't AI-created, feel free to "Buy Me a Glass of Wine." More info here.

4946 SW 329th Way, Federal Way, WA 98023

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