Shalee Wanders Travel Blog
An Inside Look at the Van Life: Q&A
AN INSIDE LOOK AT VANLIFE: Q&A Living in a van isn’t the most usual lifestyle. And with an unusual life comes many questions. Few people will ever understand what living in a van for months on end entails. The good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly. It’s not the easiest or most comfortable…
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Bucket List: The Glass Beach of Northern California
BUCKET LIST: THE GLASS BEACH OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA There are few places that stand out in such a way it almost seems fictional. For example, a beach made entirely of sea glass. In the quaint (and extremely adorable) Northern California town of Fort Bragg sits a series of coves with not much sand, but quite…
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The Best Places to Visit in the United States: 2017
THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN THE UNITED STATES I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but somehow I’ve ticked off 42 states on the United States map. You know what that means, right? I’ve got 6 1/2 years to hit the last eight to complete 50 states before I turn 30. Challenge accepted. In…
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Please Don’t Ruin This:
Below is a selection of photographs showing fragile environments affected by our decisions as a country and world.
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A Road Trip up the Pacific Coast Highway
A Road Trip Up The Pacific Coast Highway Oh, California, I have such a love-hate relationship with you. A magical coastline, (mostly) beautiful weather, mountains, redwoods, orcas, and oceans. There aren’t many places in the world where Christmas Day includes spotting whales off the coast, or a lazy Sunday means camping under the stars…
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A Lake Michigan Sunset
A sunset in Greece over the Aegean Sea was beautiful. A sunset in the mountains of Norway was stunning. A beach sunset in Hawaii was breathtaking. Yet a Lake Michigan sunset remains the most magical of them all. People who finds themselves lost, hurt, or broken; often travel to the shores of Lake Michigan for healing. They…
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How to Take Good Instagram Photos
How to Take Good Instagram Photos March 19, 2022 Let me start this article off by saying I am the furthest thing from an “Instagram model.” In fact, this is what I look like on 90% of my travels: But when it comes to how to take good Instagram photos, all you really need to…
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I Got Robbed in San Antonio
WE GOT ROBBED IN SAN ANTONIO Operation #vanlife is proving difficult. Much more difficult than living out of a backpack for three months in Europe. Who would have thought? Here’s a recap of the first three weeks on the road: Day one: Discover our daytime lights continuously flash, so everyone on the road thinks we are constantly…
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8 Alternative European Towns to Visit
8 ALTERNATIVE EUROPEAN TOWNS TO VISIT We all know about Paris and Rome. We’ve added Santorini and Cinque Terre to our list of “must-see” places. Twenty years ago these sights were busy, today they are a tourist hell. Sure, some of them are worth a stop, but thanks to social media constantly promoting their beauty…
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Budget Van Renovation: How to Renovate a Van For Under $600
Budget Van Renovation: How to Renovate a Van For Under $600 January 25, 2020 I’ll always look back and remember that my first home was a van. Nearly two months after arriving back to Michigan from Europe, I am preparing to embark on yet another adventure that will hide me from a mortgage and…
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Around Europe in 90 Days
AROUND EUROPE IN 90 DAYS (VIDEO)
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Everything You Need to Know About the Eurail Pass
Everything You Need to Know About the Eurail Pass Updated: March 21, 2020 Gallivanting around Europe is nothing new to young explorers. For those taking the leap to travel Europe for an extended period of time, there is one key element that will make or break the trip. How will they see it all? The…
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What Happens in Europe…
WHAT HAPPENS IN EUROPE… Three months in Europe comes with a lot of memories (and mishaps). When beginning a journey of such magnitude, you know that along the way you will create stories both good and bad, and come back with a few “pinch me” moments. Since returning home, many people want to know…
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How to Travel Europe on a Budget (25 Countries for Under $3,500)
How to Travel Europe on a Budget (25 Countries on $3,500) Updated March 23, 2020 Here is a map of everywhere we stopped and traveled to during 90 days with $3,500 each while traveling Europe on a budget: I think “backpacking Europe” is on a lot of people’s bucket lists. I know it was…
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Mount Olympus: A Trek up Greece’s Highest Mountain
MOUNT OLYMPUS: A TREK UP GREECE’S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN And I peeked over the edge, only to realize that a thousand-foot cliff waited for me on the other side. I was roughly 400 vertical feet from the summit of Mount Olympus, the tallest mountain in Greece and the heart of Greek mythology. I had yet…
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Traveling Europe on A Budget
Tips for Traveling Europe On a Budget January 25, 2020 You’ve journaled price estimates, added every quarter to your travel fund, and mapped out exactly where you want to go. You have dreams of a classic European backpacking adventure, but how do you ensure you can afford it? Sticking to a budget is tough.…
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What I’ve Learned from My First Month Backpacking Europe
WHAT I’VE LEARNED FROM MY FIRST MONTH BACKPACKING EUROPE When I said goodbye to the United States on June 1st with nothing but a backpack, a passport, and a boyfriend, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. We had nothing planned, no idea what we wanted to see, or what the next three…
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The Island of Cies
THE ISLAND OF CIES Arriving in Europe on June 2nd with no plans, no itinerary, and a limited budget was probably one of the scarier things I’ve done while traveling. I’ll admit that although I’m not a planner (or a good one at that), I was more than intimidated arriving on an entirely new…
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Red River Gorge Cabin Life: Treehouse Edition
Best Red River Gorge Treehouse + Cabins Updated: April 14, 2021 Last week I returned to the Red River Gorge in Kentucky for some climbing and exploring. On my first visit last October, I fell in love with the area and the atmosphere around Miguel’s Pizza. This time, I had the opportunity to go…
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MILLION VIEW GIVEAWAY: A Traverse City Adventure
Want to win a trip to Traverse City? Here’s your chance! As many of you know, I am in love with northern Michigan. It’s the place that inspired me to start a blog and begin this crazy journey. A little over two years later, I’ve just celebrated my MILLIONTH view. MILLIONTH. 999,000 more than what…
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An Alternative Graduation: Hot Air Ballooning
AN ALTERNATIVE GRADUATION: HOT AIR BALLOONING I’m a college graduate, guys. I’M A COLLEGE GRADUATE. Whew. What a weekend. Last week my pending graduation was finally beginning to hit me. My Facebook feed was filled with classmates taking pictures around campus in their green & white cap and gowns, each of us anxiously awaiting…
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Travel Essential Packing List
TRAVEL ESSENTIAL PACKING LIST
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An Audition to Be the Director of Toughness
AN AUDITION TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF TOUGHNESS A while back I auditioned for Columbia’s Director of Toughness and made it all the way to the final round. It was one of the most unique experiences, although it has taken me a while to finally write about it. Last August, Nedra from Adventure Mom…
Read MoreGrab your Friend—and Go Jump off a Cliff
I was introduced to Tobermory, Canada about two years ago, and my life hasn’t been quite the same since. Ontario isn’t known for its drastic landscapes, northern lights, or French accents like its relative territories of Quebec or Alberta. Ishpatina Ridge sits at the highest elevation inside its 415,000 square miles, a little hill slightly…
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Behind the Blog: How to Start your Own
BEHIND THE BLOG: HOW TO START YOUR OWN It’s new and relatively unknown. Blogging is a concept many people are trying, but not many know what they’re doing. It’s evolved significantly in the past few years, and the future looks promising in the millennial world. This week I’m answering one of the main non-travel related…
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Fathom Travel: A New Kind of Adventure
Recently I took a trip that included beaches and mountains, but not the kind you’d typically find me on. This was a new adventure, one that wasn’t your typical vacation. I’d never been on an impact trip. I had always been curious, but was always picky about what kind of trip I would take. I…
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8 Tips for Tight Budget Travel
8 TIPS FOR TIGHT BUDGET TRAVEL Some of us are visual learners (myself included). This week I decided to take a different approach to share some of my tips while traveling on a budget. What is the twist? AN INFOGRAPHIC. Recently, I’ve had a bit of an obsession with infographics and I just created…
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8 Small Town Michigan Overnight Getaways
8 SMALL TOWN MICHIGAN OVERNIGHT GETAWAYS 1. Mesick It’s in the middle of nowhere, it’s near the highest point in the Lower Peninsula, and it’s the mushroom capital of the world. If you love hunting for those Morel mushrooms come spring, this is the place for you! I spent countless weekends here as a…
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Why I Chose Not to Study Abroad
WHY I CHOSE NOT TO STUDY ABROAD Yes, I am a college student travel blogger. And no, I haven’t studied abroad. It is one of the most frequent questions that I am asked. I respond “no” and wait for their reaction and follow-up statement that’s something along the polite version of “How the…
Read MoreFit-Geeks Guide to Michigan 2016
Lower body workouts: Climb sleeping bear dunes 3x in one day Three climbs equals about 2,000ft of elevation climbing on sand in under a mile. On the bright side, every time you run to the bottom you can dive into Lake Michigan. And yes, massive amounts of sand will end up in your hair, pants,…
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How to Save for Your First Big Adventure
HOW TO SAVE FOR YOUR FIRST BIG ADVENTURE You’re dreaming of it, right? You want to lie on the beaches of Thailand, skydive over the mountains of New Zealand, picnic next to the waterfalls of Iceland, and camp under the stars of California. You see the photos on Instagram, you read the articles online,…
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Over 550,000 views in 2015! THANK YOU.
OVER 550,000 VIEWS IN 2015! THANK YOU! I can’t believe 2015 is almost over and I can’t believe I have been blogging for almost two years. When did this happen? Where has time gone? My site stats for the year recently came in, and I am in awe once again. 550,000 of you in 173…
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Caribbean Paradise: Budget Travel Meets All-Inclusive Luxury
CARIBBEAN PARADISE: BUDGET TRAVEL MEETS ALL-INCLUSIVE LUXURY I would be lying if I said I didn’t recently enjoy a week in paradise at an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic. Weird, right? Not usually my thing. Being a lover of beaches, when the opportunity arose to spend some time on some of the…
Read MoreA Family Affair: International Adventure Travel
Guest post: Jake Oliver. There’s nothing I love more than family holidays; the chance to visit exotic regions and discover new cultures alongside my favourite people in the whole world! It turns out I’m not alone; according to the Family Holiday Association “49% of British people said their happiest memory is being on holiday with…
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Six Best Lighthouses in Michigan
The Six Best Lighthouses in Michigan January 25, 2020 When I’m old, frail, and slightly senile, I want to be a lighthouse keeper. I want to have a cat named Indiana Jones, a beautiful view of a lake, and most importantly – an ice cream shop within 5 miles. I’ve spent my life around…
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A Life Behind Miguel’s Pizza
A Life Behind Miguel’s Pizza Situated among the rolling mountains of Kentucky is a slice of heaven for rock climbers, food lovers, and camping fanatics. Kentucky’s Red River Gorge is known to have the best rock climbing in the eastern United States and is continuously swarmed with climbers looking for some adventure. Those who venture…
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