Fraunces Tavern, New York City

NYC | A Hamilton Happy Hour with Urban Adventures

Everyone in New York City knows that Hamilton tickets trump everything except for weddings. “I can’t go to your charity event – I have Hamilton tickets.” “I can’t travel to DC for that important meeting – I have Hamilton tickets.” “I can’t go into labor right now – I have Hamilton tickets.”

But what if you don’t have Hamilton tickets? {I’m speaking hypothetically of course, because I *do* have a ticket thanks to one of my cousins, though we have to wait a whole eight months until it’s our turn – for all we know, Carrot Top will be starring in it at that point.}

Untouchables Bus

Chicago | An Untouchables Mobster Tour of the Windy City

He waved a gun at the entire bus while yelling, “Shut up, everybody!” Then he grinned and said, “That’s how you say ‘hello’ in Chicago.” The gun was fake, as was his “gangster” accent, but he stayed in character for the whole bus ride. He was “Baby Face Bambino,” the bus driver was “Shoulders”, and I was there for “Chicago’s Original Gangster Tour” with Untouchable Tours.

Prague | A Czech Bar Crawl with Prague Urban Adventures

I could go on and on about the benefits of solo travel, but the truth is, sometimes it gets lonely – and it did for me in a few cities on this last trip. Something I recommend to people traveling solo for the first time is to sign up for a tour. As one of my tour guides once told me, when the guide asks everyone where they are from, it gives people on the tour permission to then talk to each other: “Where in Bulgaria are you from?” “I have an aunt and uncle in Indianapolis – is that nearby?” “I’ve always wanted to go to Luxembourg,” – even if you legitimately have no context for the place they mentioned. I knew I could fend for myself in the smaller cities, but I wanted to explore the bar scene with others when in Prague, and signed up for an Urban Adventures’ Beer & Czech Tapas Tour.

Paris | Meeting Mona Lisa at the Louvre with Walks of France

Visiting Paris has been a huge dream of mine since 1994, when I first started pretending I was in the art scene. I wore a red French beret and a black turtleneck with a music note pin on my chest pretty much every day. I imagined taking the train to Giverny to see Monet’s Gardens in person, visiting the Picasso Museum, and seeing Mona Lisa at the Louvre. Giverny was closed for the season until the weekend after I left Paris and the Musée Picasso had a limited collection while they prepared for a special exhibit, but Mona Lisa? She was there. And I was going to see her.

Malaysia | An Evening with Food Tour Malaysia

Traveling solo is hard for a few reasons – You have to figure out everything for yourself, there’s times you get lonely (even if you like being with yourself as much as I do), and you can’t try as much of the local cuisine off of someone else’s plate. Which is why, because I only had three days in Kuala Lumpur, I took a food tour with Food Tour Malaysia. Food tours are one of my favorite things to do while traveling, because you get Erin-sized samples of many varieties of food, along with the story and history of the country, if you’re on a good one.

Chicago, IL | An ExBEERience in Chicago

Not only was I lucky enough to participate in a food tour when I was in Chicago last month, I also had the opportunity to do a beer tour, which is something I’d never done before while traveling. I am definitely a beer girl over any other type of alcohol (read about my Struggle with Port Wine), but I also am now in my 30s and (very) unable to drink as much as I did in my college glory days, so I was curious how the day would go.

Chicago, IL | The (Deep) Dish on Chicago Food Planet

Last weekend was my first time ever in Chicago, visiting my friend Kristyn who moved there about a month ago. I’d wanted to go several times before, including last fall, when my cousin Em ran the marathon. With my luck, of course the marathon was the same weekend as a wedding I was in. Neither party would reschedule, so I chose the wedding. Since it took me so long to get to Chicago, I knew I had to make the most of it when I finally arrived.

NYC | A Shining, Shimmering, & Splendid Disney on Broadway Tour

Luckily, Walks of New York’s newest tour brings this part of Times Square to you in a way that isn’t overwhelming – in a way that allows you to see past human Hello Kitty, human Elmo, and human Spiderman, past the equally annoying shoving or stopped-in-the-middle-of-the-sidewalk tourists, and past the excessive advertising. The Disney on Broadway Tour focuses on the history of theatre and performance in New York as well as specific Broadway houses and shows.

Porto, Portugal | A Food Tour with Taste Porto

A definite highlight of our time in Porto was our experience with Taste Porto Food Tours. Andre, our amazing guide, not only showed us around the best eateries and gave us the best food in Porto, he also gave us a tour of the city, language, culture, and the history. Andre took us to the best views, the trendiest ‘hoods, and pointed out his five favorite tiles in Porto along the way to our tasting locations.

Newport, RI | Blinded by the Lighthouses

Recently, I spent a beautiful weekend in Newport, Rhode Island for one of my dear friend’s bachelorette parties. If you haven’t been or if you wish to revisit, we should go together. It’s an adorable little boating town and I got a good taste of it, but I want more. One of my favorite items on the weekend’s agenda was a Lighthouses and Mimosas Tour with Classic Cruises of Newport.

NYC | This ‘Hood Was Made For Walkin’

When I first moved to Jersey City and later, New York City, I spent many a night on the Lower East Side in crowded dark bars, feeling out of place because I wasn’t wearing heels and my dress actually covered my behind. Nowadays, I prefer the Lower East Side during the day, especially after a recent tour that my sister, Katie, and I took with Jeff from Walks of New York.