I am a retired flight attendant who provides value luxury travel recommendations for avid travelers. It's luxury for real people, not celebrities, and will land in your inbox twice a month.
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🧳Traveling with MJ - September 29th, 2026
Published 24 days 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. I write about value luxury destinations, experiences, and products.
Hello!
The bags are coming out and the packing lists are underway because we're heading to Haywood County, North Carolina, for the annual SATW Convention.
I'll be arriving a little early for the SATW Board meeting before transitioning into convention mode. Conferences are always a mix of work, catching up with longtime friends and colleagues, meeting new people, and — especially at a travel writers' convention — getting out and exploring the destination.
I've been looking forward to this trip since our site visit last year. We're hitting western North Carolina right as fall colors should be putting on a show, and I'm hoping Mother Nature cooperates. Tony will be joining me, so there will be plenty of exploring in between meetings and convention activities.
Expect photos. Probably lots of them.
There will undoubtedly be good food involved, too. There usually is.
And, as always, I'll be looking at the destination through my value-luxury lens: What's worth the splurge? Where can you save? And what experiences deserve a spot on your travel list?
More on Haywood County when we return!
Mary Jo & Tony
Have You Read:
Books Set in Western North Caroline (over 40 of them)
Western North Carolina has an extraordinarily rich literary landscape, with stories rooted in Asheville and the French Broad River, Haywood County and Cataloochee, Cherokee and the Qualla Boundary, the Great Smoky Mountains, and the small towns, farms, coves, and hollows scattered throughout the Blue Ridge.
When you hear “casino resort,” you probably have a pretty good idea of what the trip is going to be about. Gambling. Maybe a show. A nice dinner. More gambling.
Yaamava' Resort & Casino turns that expectation on its head for a luxury resort getaway with spa time, poolside lounging,, great food, and live entertainment.
Adventure Cruising with Kontiki Expeditions in Costa Rica
Costa Rica has long been associated with rainforests, wildlife, and a strong commitment to conservation. Cruising Costa Rica’s Pacific coast offers a different perspective - the forest comes down to the water, mangroves fill sheltered inlets, and islands and marine reserves lie offshore. Farther south, the Osa Peninsula and Golfo Dulce are home to some of the country’s richest terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
Fall is one of my favorite times to travel, and the mountains of western North Carolina should make a pretty spectacular backdrop for the week. I'm especially curious to see how much the leaves have changed since our site visit last year.
Reading: The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
The multimillion-copy-selling author of The Help returns with a bold, big-hearted novel about a group of unbreakable women, fighting for what’s rightfully theirs—and the power of friendship to change everything.
I'm always looking for something that will keep me turning pages on a flight, and this is the one for the upcoming trip..
I've finished 99 books this year, and almost back into my regular reading routine.
Watching: Agatha Christie's Tommy and Tuppence (BritBox)
They're a little different from Christie's better-known detectives. Instead of Poirot's little grey cells or Miss Marple's deceptively sharp observations, Tommy and Tuppence bring a quasi-romantic dynamic to solving mysteries. It's light, clever British mystery viewing — just right when I want something entertaining at the end of the day.
Listening: Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (soundtrack), Dolly Parton
Apparently I'm still in a Dolly mood. Dolly starred as Miss Mona opposite Burt Reynolds in the 1982 movie musical, and the soundtrack has been getting some play. And yes, that means "I Will Always Love You" makes an appearance. Long before Whitney Houston turned it into a powerhouse pop ballad, it was Dolly's song — written and originally recorded by her.
It's a fun soundtrack with plenty of Dolly personality, and exactly the sort of thing that makes mundane tasks like packing a suitcase a little more enjoyable.
I am a retired flight attendant who provides value luxury travel recommendations for avid travelers. It's luxury for real people, not celebrities, and will land in your inbox twice a month.
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. Hello! s the opportunity to get beyond the usual tourist stops. We get to meet the people who make a destination special, learn its stories, and discover experiences we might otherwise overlook. Haywood County gave us plenty to think about, and plenty of reasons to return. There's...
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. Hello! I feel the end of summer upon us. Labor Day is late in the month this year, but schools have started, the evenings require a sweater, and Halloween decorations are in the stores. I'm busy with details for the annual SATW convention in Haywood Carolina next month. It's foliage...
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. Hello! We've been enjoying time with family and friends, including lots of relaxing downtime on our deck. We've discovered the deliciousness of grilled lemonade (dip the lemons in sugar, then grill, juice, and follow your favorite lemonade recipe). There's a full pitcher of it in...
