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The Little Penguins of Melbourne
When you think of penguins, do you imagine an icy coast, somewhere near the South Pole? Me too! Well, we found out that a colony of penguins hangs out in Melbourne, Australia. And you can watch them waddle back to their home every night! We were SOLD! Join us this week for a peek at the little penguins of Melbourne. A Little Bit About the Penguins Growing between 12 and 18 inches tall, they are called little penguins or fairy penguins. They moved in during the 1950’s, when the breakwater was built in St. Kilda’s bay. These large boulders provided just the perfect spot for the penguins to nest, raise…
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The Temporary Masterpieces in Melbourne
If you research the top places to see in Melbourne, Australia, time and time again you’ll hear that you HAVE to walk to lanes. Oh, and spend time enjoying the “coffee culture”. Since I like both coffee and walking, I figured this was a “win-win” scenario. I expected to enjoy graffiti, while I sipped on a latte. What I didn’t expect, to see were the temporary MASTERPIECES in Melbourne. Let us show you around some magnificent pieces that won’t be around for long. How it All Began From the 1970’s – the 1990’s, Melbourne had an underground art scene where graffiti artists would “tag” trains, walls and bridges. Starting in…
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How to Spend THE Perfect Day in Boston
It doesn’t matter if you’re in town for a conference or to run the Marathon, there are things in Boston you DO NOT want to miss on your first trip. Since we’ve been to Bean Town a time or two, let us share with you how to spend THE perfect day in Boston. Preparation is Key If you only have one day here, you’ll want to make the most of it. Do everything you can to make sure you’re ready for the adventure in advance. First Stop – Breakfast at Stephanie’s on Newbury Stephanie’s on Newbury is ALWAYS busy. Not because it’s a touristy place but because it’s JUST THAT…
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The Famous Boxes at Brighton Beach
As part of our grand adventure to Australia, surrounding the Sydney Marathon, we got to visit Melbourne, Australia. On our first day, we got to see skyscrapers, walk alleyways that were covered in grafitti, and enjoy “Beetlejuice, the Musical”. This week, we’ll head over to the coast to visit the famous boxes at Brighton Beach. What were they originally? Originally built in the late 1800’s, these wooden sheds were just practical. People used them to change into their swimwear, since it was considered immodest to wear bathing clothes in public. Their popularity waxed and waned, and the town even considered demolishing on and off throughout the twentieth century, until the…
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Running the Tokyo Marathon
As this year’s Tokyo Marathon is ALMOST here, we thought we’d share a little more about our time in Japan. We visited grand toriis and drank sake in a roof top igloo. We played with snow monkeys and rode on fast trains. But by far the MOST interesting experience has to be what happened RIGHT before the race. Let’s unpack the “collision at the crevice” and running the Tokyo Marathon. First…the Collision at the Crevice In case you missed it, let me recap. Our hotel room in Tokyo was small. How small was it? If it were any smaller, the bidet could have doubled as a shower. It was so…
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How to be a Digital Nomad
If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that people DON’T believe in washing their hands. Just kidding. It actually taught us a lot of things – like you can get used to wearing a face mask. You can binge watch just about anything if you’re bored enough. And if you’re a person who works on a computer for a living, not only can you work from home…you can work from ANYWHERE! Let me share with you some things I’ve learned along the way. Here’s how to be a digital nomad and not lose your mind! This post contains affiliate links. Get a Travel Monitor If you have a laptop, that’s good.…
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What Could be Better Than Hot Tubs and Snow Monkeys
If you’re heading to Tokyo for the Marathon this March, let us let you in on a little secret. You will be just a train ride away from one of the most unique experiences on the planet. This week, let’s find the answer to this important question, “what could be better than hot tubs and snow monkeys?”. Faster than a Speeding Bullet? The first thing you’ll need to do is take a bullet train from Tokyo to Nagano. Though they aren’t quite as fast as a speeding bullet, you’ll still cover the 140 miles in less than 2 hours. And the train is rather posh, sort of like first class…
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What You Won’t Want to Miss in Tokyo
In 2023, we undertook an amazing adventure through the Land of the Rising Sun. We stayed for almost 3 weeks and shared with you the highlights of each out our days. Since there are just SO many GREAT places to see, we thought we’d make a City Guide for you so you’ll know what you won’t want to miss in Tokyo. If you want to do a deeper dive in Japan – check out our Japan collection. And if you’re a person who loves headlines, this article is for you! First, let’s talk food…Where to Eat? Oh my gosh! There hasn’t been a place I’ve visited where I’ve liked the…
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Tips for Your First Trip to Japan
With the Tokyo Marathon just over a month away, we thought some of you might be planning a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun. It might feel a bit daunting to visit somewhere so different from home. But we did it and we have some great tips for your first trip to Japan. Before You Go Order Pocket WiFi In Japan, you may not always have cellular service. Rather than sweating it, or remembering to download maps to your phone, get a pocket WiFi unit. You can rent them for as little as $5.40 USD per day. The company will have it delivered to your hotel prior to…
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Tall Buildings, Graffiti Lanes, and Beetlejuice
This week, let’s go back to the land down unda and head to the big city of Melbourne. We’ll see tall buildings, graffiti lanes and Beetlejuice! Just be sure NOT to say that out loud 3 times. Getting there As the Great Ocean Road faded into our rear view, the tall buildings of Melbourne came into view. Though Stephen felt pretty confident driving on the left on a two lane road, this city was something else all together. I honestly felt like some of the roads were built on a diagonal. Queen Victoria Market Our first stop of the day was the Queen Victoria Market that has indoor and outdoor…
