Wander through our past traveler stories and travel highlights! Have a story while traveling with us you’d like to share? Send it our way to get featured here!
Some of the most memorable moments in travel happen when you step away from the places everyone else is visiting.
While exploring Cairo, we ventured beyond the famous pyramids, museums, and bustling tourist districts into neighborhoods where daily life unfolded around us. The streets were alive with families, neighborhood shops, the aroma of fresh bread, and the rhythm of everyday Egyptian life.
What surprised us most were the children. They eagerly approached us with bright smiles and excited greetings of “Hello!” Many wanted to practice their English, asking simple questions and laughing as we answered. Their curiosity was genuine, and it quickly turned into conversations filled with smiles, high-fives, and shared laughter.
Many of these children don’t often encounter visitors in their neighborhoods, making the experience memorable for all of us. Those simple conversations reminded us that some of the best travel experiences aren’t found on an itinerary. They happen through genuine human connection.
The pyramids may have brought us to Egypt, but the warmth, kindness, and hospitality of the Egyptian people are what we’ll remember most.
On a two-week Princess Cruise, I had one of those unforgettable travel moments in Rome. It was sweltering, and I speed-walked through the Colosseum to snag the perfect photo. Unfortunately, all that hustle created a little too much friction, and my linen pants split right down the middle.
I realized the mishap on the way to lunch, with the Vatican still ahead. Thankfully, the kind restaurant owner handed me a needle and thread. So there I was, in the back of a Roman trattoria, stitching up my pants just in time to visit St. Peter’s Basilica.
Sometimes travel gifts you history and culture… and sometimes it gifts you humility (and a really great story).
One of the things I love most about traveling is how it lets me step outside myself and embrace more than I ever thought I could. I love saying yes to new experiences in history, culture, entertainment, and food. It’s not unusual to find my family dancing at a bon voyage celebration or laughing our way through a cooking class as we learn to make Austrian Nockerl.
Over the years, we flew on trapezes, swam with dolphins and manatees, tasted foods from around the globe, rode mechanical bulls, took in breathtaking scenery on horseback, soared up mountains by cable car, coasted down the Alps, wandered through castles, cruised across oceans, and even stood in the middle of Biblical history. And through it all, especially in the missteps, we discovered joy.
Travel is an invitation to adventure, to the unexpected, and to saying yes. For us, every yes has led to laughter, wonder, and joy.
While shopping along Salzburg’s famous street, the one with Mozart’s boyhood home, we noticed a few picketers and a small crowd forming. Curious, we stepped back to see what was happening.
To our surprise, Italian President Sergio Mattarella came walking down the street with just a small entourage and light security. He was in town for refugee talks, but to us, it felt like he was simply out for a casual stroll past the shops.
Travel is full of unexpected moments. Sometimes it’s strudel, sometimes it’s presidents.
During a stop in Le Havre, France, we rented cars to drive out to Normandy. On the way back, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the road signs for exits to Paris. Just the idea that Paris was “right there” on a highway sign tickled me.
The next day brought a similar moment as we traveled from the cruise port to Heathrow. There on the road sign, side by side, were exits for both Legoland and Windsor Palace. Two very different worlds sharing the same turnoff.
It’s funny how something as simple as a road sign can spark delight. These little reminders of where you are, and what’s nearby, become just as memorable as the big sights themselves.
