Villa Maria‘s sauvignon blanc is one of my favorites in the States, so I was thrilled to find out that they have a winery and vineyard right in Auckland. Villa Maria Winery makes it easy to visit within the city. One of my favorite things to do in any new country is visit their wine…
This may sound a little extreme, but I’ve actually been researching how to best use your cell phone in another country for the last two years. It all started the first time I wanted to take an international road trip. This one in particular was a road trip through Tuscany. While I had an amazing time, here’s what’s…
I said it before, and I’ll say it again: every time I plan a vacation, I always wonder why I’m not going back to Italy. Italy was my first big international trip, and my family is half Italian. Thus, Italy always feels like the most amazing place in the world. When I set out to…
I’m so excited to share the article that I wrote for Condé Nast Traveler with the Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel. You can see the full article on Condé Nast Traveler’s website here. Enjoy! ______________________________________________ There’s nothing more rejuvenating than a beach vacation. But after soaking up the rays, many seasoned travelers crave those special…
The Maldives is exactly the paradise you see in photos. It lives up to the hype and exceeds all expectations as one of Mother Nature’s masterpieces. It’s the kind of place where you need to make sure you have all of your phone/camera memory available because you will take 1,000 pictures daily of the same…
The true underdog of the northeast, Philadelphia is often overshadowed by NYC, DC, and Boston when it comes to travel and tourism. Full disclosure, I had no idea that Philadelphia was much more that the Liberty Bell and South Street (two huge tourist traps). That was until I moved there and got a taste of…
They say that travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer for a reason—every new experience I have in a new culture makes me a more open, enlightened, and understanding person, enriching my life in so many ways. Unfortunately, being richer in mind doesn’t translate to more money in your pocket. Travel can…
So you want to travel more? Don’t we all! One of the most frequent questions I get is, “how do you travel so much?” People assume that I have a ton more vacation time, disposable income, or some magic unicorn that’s getting me around the world. One of the main goals of Mari On The…
Panama City, Panama is full of pleasant surprises. Full disclosure, I never really thought about visiting Panama. Then, I started perusing websites looking for a deal on a flight/hotel in the Caribbean, and Panama kept coming up. In an effort to find a warm weather locale for a trip for my winter birthday, I bet on…
Is there anywhere more magical in the world than Santorini? The whitewashed buildings with their bright blue roofs just scream to be photographed, and there’s a sense of relaxation that flows in with the soft caldera breeze. Just glance out over the rugged landscaped cliffs, and it feels like you can see the curvature of…