Eastern Europe Trip Tour

Posted on June 13, 2013 by wpengine

I’m basically salivating right now as I plan out this trip.  Eastern Europe attracts me not only for their affordable prices, or good food, but for the sites.  Some sites are really overlooked in some of these countries like Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria.  An Eastern Europe trip tour is in store for you!

In order to make this trip happen you’ll definitely need to get your hands on the Club Carlson Visa.  Don’t sweat the $75 annual fee on this puppy.  You’ll never regret what you get for that small annual fee.

Instant Gold Status is among my favorite benefits of the card, which is their second highest tier, so you’ll be getting upgraded often.  Last week when I checked in to a Radisson they also forked out free buffet style breakfast coupons, free drink coupons, a larger room, and a cheese and fruit tray in the room.  That is service!  These guys don’t mess around with their gold customers.

However, the hook that will reel you in is the “Last Night Free” feature.  When booking a room on points for two or more nights, you’ll get the last night without paying-points or $$$$.  Say What?!  Yeah, you heard me right.  Staying for two nights only uses one night’s worth of points.  To throw more ice cream, cherries, whipped cream, and fudge on top, this tour through parts of Eastern Europe combines the use of Low-Level-Redemptions(cheap point redemption), which is the basis for your testimony in WorldWanderlusting.

First Eastern European Trip Stop: Sofia, Bulgaria

Eastern Euro Trip Tour

Sofia Park Inn (Photo courtesy of their site)

Tonight you’ll be staying at the lovely Park Inn Sofia by Radisson.  This place has all the normal amenities of your normal North American hotel, but also sports a steam room and sauna, which is really hard to find in most hotels in the US unless you’re staying at the Fairmont.  Although those things are nice, keep in mind that you’re there to see Bulgaria too.

Bulgaria still uses the Cyrillic alphabet (Russian), which is bizarre to me based on their location.  None of the bordering countries use that same alphabet, but oh well, soak it up.   They lay claim to the modern form of yogurt that you probably had for breakfast, so make sure you try some of the local fare that way.

They also have famous opera singers, so try to get a ticket to hear them sing in one of their famous opera houses.  It doesn’t matter if it’s in Bulgarian, you wouldn’t understand the words if they were in English, would you?

Best part?  This wonderful hotel will only cost you 9000 points for two nights with the Club Carlson Visa.

Second Eastern European Trip Stop: Budapest, Hungary

euro trip tour hungary

Radisson Blu Budapest Hungary Hotel (Photo Courtesy of their website)

One of Club Carlson’s most luxurious lines in the Radisson Blu hotels.  The Radisson Blu Beke Hotel in Budapest will knock your socks off!  I’ve never been to Hungary, but I’ve heard all kinds of good things about it.

It’s always nice in Europe when your hotel comes with free Internet, because it definitely isn’t common.  This place gives you access to their free WiFi so you can work on the plans of your following days.  It also is located really close to the train station, which makes it super convenient for travel to downtown, or if you’re planning on seeing the countryside it is great as well.

This city would be a great place to rent a bicycle early in the morning and ride it around all day long.  There is a lot to see in Buda, as well as Pest. You heard me right.  The river divides the two parts of the city, one is called Buda, the other is Pest.

You guessed it.  9000 points for two nights at this humble abode as well.

Third Eastern European Trip Stop: Sarvar, Hungary

Photos of Sarvar Nadasdy Castle, Sarvar

This photo of Sarvar Nadasdy Castle is courtesy of TripAdvisor

If you thirst for an opportunity to visit a castle where you can eat medieval foods, see people dressed up in costumes, and watch some horse races, then plan on coming in the July and visiting the Sarvar Nadasdy Castle.  It could really give your children a feel for living in those times, (minus the unsanitary conditions and the black plague, but who wants to relive those experiences?) then this is a place to visit.  They haven’t opened the entire castle to everyone, but it would be great to play King or Queen for a day, right?

Western Hungary is known for its wonderful spas.  The Park Inn by Radisson Sarvar Hotel & Spa is where you’ll call home. Plan on taking this time to enjoy the beautiful countryside of Western Hungary.  This hotel will take 15,000 points for two nights of enjoyment in the spa.

Fourth Eastern European Trip Stop: Bratislava, Slovakia

euro trip danube

Hotel Danube (Photo courtesy of their website)

For the final leg of the trip you’ll be staying right on the Danube river at the Park Inn Danube Bratislava.  With the Danube river at record highs, hopefully this hotel is still there when you arrive.

This hotel is right on the river and boasts some amazing views of the city.  Get out of the hotel room to see the rest of the city including another famous castle, the Bratislava castle that is less than half a mile from the hotel. Unfortunately it is only a replica, because the original burned to the ground in the early 1800’s.  It sits on an acropolis that overlooks the city.  The city is characterized by medieval towers, right next to modern buildings.  You’ve gotta think that this has been some wanted land for hundreds of years.

Once again, this hotel will only cost you 9000 points for two nights.

Summary of your Eastern Europe Trip Tour

For all your 8 nights (assuming you spend two nights at each hotel) you should plan on paying:

  • 9000 Points for the first two nights in Sofia
  • 9000 Points for nights three & four in Budapest
  • 15,000 Points for nights five and six in Sarvar
  • 9000 Points for nights seven and eight in Bratislava
  • 42,000 Total Club Carlson Gold Points for Eight Nights
  • $75 Annual Fee on the Club Carlson Visa

Who doesn’t want to explore eastern Europe on a tour of these beautiful countries, all the while only paying $75 for eight nights in wonderful hotels.

Why aren’t you worldwanderlusting with us yet? Pick up the Barclaycard Arrival to help subsidize your train fares by $400 to even further affordabilize[sic] your trip.

 

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Eight Great Rich People’s Houses You Can Visit, and One you Can’t

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Brad Christensen

I was compelled to read Matt Ridley’s “The Rational Optimist,” a genuine masterpiece that tells the very insightful story of the evolution of prosperity.  I was especially intrigued paragraph in the first chapter that offered the factoid that today, 85% of people living below the poverty line in the U.S. enjoy at least six amenities that even the richest of the rich had no access to just more than a century ago. Can you name them?

I have toured some of the amazing homes of tycoons of past ages – all of them are museums of art, architecture, culture, and economics. They spellbind you with their extravagance and leave even the most ambitious among us feeling overwhelmed by a sense of insignificance, or, at a minimum, proud of the pallor of our avarice in comparison.

Put a few of these on your list and start making plans to go see them.

Biltmore: Ashville, North Carolina

Biltmore Estate, 1890–1895, Asheville, North C...

Biltmore Estate (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Biltmore deserves a post all its own, but we’ll offer a brief summary. It was the creation of George Washington Vanderbilt.  He inherited a ton of money from his father and in keeping with family tradition, he built a masterpiece – a 250 room masterpiece.

Being a part of a very affluent family he had some connections to some of the world’s best architects and designers.  He tapped into Richard Morris Hunt as the architect and Frederick Law Olmsted as the landscaper.  Construction lasted only six years and his masterpiece was completed. It was equipped with the latest of technology including indoor lighting, a swimming pool, an elevator, a dumb waiter, a refrigerator, and more.

Today you can visit the home, but allow yourself an entire day – it’s more than just a home with a winery and a vineyard, impressive grounds, and more house than you could ever dream of.  For more information, visit http://www.biltmore.com/

The Breakers: Newport, Rhode Island

English: The Breakers, the summer home of Corn...

As I mentioned, mansion-building was a family affair for the Vanderbilts, and this was Cornelius Vanderbilt’s summer home.  With more than 70 rooms, it’s hard to even imagine such a thing could be a temporary living space, but so it was, and in building it, there was no expense spared.

Many of the rooms were completely designed and constructed overseas, then shipped to Newport.  There are hidden passages built especially for servants and almost no room is without its own fireplace – strange considering it was built for summer use.

There is amazingly intricate tile work and the setting is ideal for such a grand home.  You can visit the Breakers mansion along with many others there in Newport.  Go to www.newportmansions.org for more information.

Rosecliff: Newport, Rhode Island

The ballroom featured in the Great Gatsby

The ballroom featured in the Great Gatsby (Photo credit: Madeleine_H)

This monstrosity was built by Theresa Fair Oelrichs, who was fortunate to inherit her father’s large share of the Comstock Silver of Nevada.

As you’re beginning to notice, Newport was clearly the Beverly Hills of the early 1900s, and Rosecliff’s stately ballroom topped them all. You may be interested in knowing that scenes from the recent Great Gatsby movie were filmed at this home. You may also be interested to know that you can visit five of the Newport Mansion properties for $31.50 with a pass from the Newport Preservation Society.

Casa Loma: Toronto, Ontario

Sir Henry Pellat

Casa Loma in Toronto, Ontario

Sir Henry Pellat, the son of a Scottish-born stockbroker, and himself a successful military general, made a fortune in the hydroelectric industry.  This was part a product of his business acumen and partially due to his proximity to Niagara Falls – a pioneering locale in the hydro-power industry (which was incidentally funded in part by previously mentioned rich guys, the Vanderbilts). On the heels of this success, Pellat constructed his 98-room castle atop the tallest hill in Toronto. I was particularly infatuated with the Conservatory – a massive marble room, adorned with an abundance of plants and flowers, and completed by a stained glass dome that was illuminated not by natural light, but by enclosed electric lights well-before their time.

Hoping to parlay his success, he also bought up property along the rail lines then heading West, only to be ruined by a colossal trifecta of tragedy – bank failures, government expropriation of the power industry, and WWI. Forced to move out of the home, he lived out the remainder his life with his chauffeur in relative poverty, dying, it is said, with $167 to his name.

Learn more at www.casaloma.org

Winchester Mystery House: San Jose, California

English: Front view of the Winchester Mystery ...

Front view of the Winchester Mystery House (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sarah Winchester, heiress of the rifle empire by the same name, built the Winchester Mystery house – a puzzle relative to the rest of these estates in that it is not the product of a single elaborate design, but of many years of quizzical meandering construction.  There are more than 40 stairways – many of which are pointless in purpose.  Secret passages are more the rule than the exception.

People still wonder exactly what she had in mind when she spent more than 5.5 million dollars to construct such a conundrum of construction.

You can unravel the mystery yourself with a visit any day except Christmas, or really spook yourself by taking one of the Friday the 13th flashlight tours – if you dare.  http://winchestermysteryhouse.com/thehouse.cfm

Hearst Castle: San Simeon, California

Hearst Castle

Photo credit: (www.HearstCastle.com)

Almost 80 years in the making, the Hearst Castle is the West Coast’s version of the Biltmore. It was the home of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, and like many of these impressive dwellings, it was never fully completed.

You would expect that a newspaper mogul would have quite the library, and the Hearst library does not disappoint. In Gothic style, with no corner left unadorned, it is an amazing sight – one of many in this incredible home.

You can learn more about the history of the Hearsts and the castle, visit www.hearstcastle.com

Neuschwanstein Castle: Bavaria, Germany

cinderella castle

Neuschwanstein Castle

Ludwig wanted to build a castle in the style of the historic German knights – and he seems to have achieved that objective.  Neuschwanstein could likely be the inspiration for many of these homes – having been opened to the public in 1886 after the death of its creator, King Ludwig II.  It’s likely also the inspiration for the Disney castle.

And as phenomenal as the building itself is, the setting may be even more so – it is nestled into a stone outcropping in the mountains of Bavaria, Germany – close to the border of Austria.

This has to be one of the most idyllic places on earth.  You can wet your wanderlust whistle with more at http://www.neuschwanstein.de

 El Castillo: Medellin, Colombia

Medellin Colombia Castle

My boys at El Castillo

El Castillo is an imposing home right in the middle of the city of Medellin, Colombia.  It was built by a textile tycoon.  The grounds surrounding the castle are as awe-inspiring as the home itself.  And while getting there is likely more expensive (in points, not actual cash – of course), the entry is a fraction of what you’ll pay to enter the others – maybe $4 depending on the exchange rate.

The One You Can’t Get In: The Pinnacle: Bozeman, Montana

the pinnacle

The Pinnacle (Photo Credit: Bozeman Daily Chronicle)

Tim Blixeth created an ultra-high-net-worth home exchange club he called “The Yellowstone Club.”  His home?  The Pinnacle – a $150 million mansion outside Bozeman, Montana.  It includes its own ski lift and mountain, among other extravagances.

Enjoy this picture, because it’s likely the best view you’ll ever have of it.

—

Thanks for wanderlusting with us!

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Explore the Gulf Coast with Starwood Preferred Guest

Posted on June 7, 2013 by wpengine

Disclosure: Brad and I do earn a commission when you use our links to sign up for the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express and the Barclaycard Arrival World Mastercard.

There is something about the Gulf Coast that intrigues me.  It is probably having read all of the John Grisham books that have made me come to love Biloxi, Hattiesburg, and so many other cities in southern Mississippi.  Although many areas of the world are still yet to visit for me, this is one that is toward the top of my list.

As the Gulf Coast is somewhere that I’d really like to visit, I wanted to see if I could simply WorldWanderlust my way across the area, which would lower the overall cost of my vacation.  If you’ve been following us for long, you already know that our objective is to take you and your family more places for less money.  Here is an easy and very affordable way for you to Explore the Gulf Coast courtesy of the Starwood Preferred Guest program.

beach hotel

Category 2 Starwood Preferred Guest Hotels along the Gulf Coast

How to Get to the Gulf Coast

I would recommend for this itinerary that you fly into MSY, or the New Orleans airport.  The reason for this is because it is a large airport, and there is a hotel right by the airport at which you can stay if you arrive late in the day.

You’ll need 12,500 miles to fly into New Orleans, and you can book that on either United, or American Airlines.  You should also consider using some Southwest Rapid Rewards to book this ticket as they fly into this airport and they can be cheaper than 12,500 one way in many instances.

Gulf Coast

Cheapest Car Rental for your Gulf Coast Vacation

Rent a car using with your Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard – $89 Annual Fee Card, that we talked about the other day.  They’ll reimburse $400 in travel expenses after you meet the $1000 spending requirement, which will make your car rental “free99.”  A quick search on CarRentalSavers.com showed that you could get an intermediate car rental for a week in December of 2013 for roughly $250.  It would be cheaper if you chose to drive back across the entire Gulf, but you would end up paying for it with a broken back and a ridiculous fuel cost.

Depending on how much you like driving or not, you might want to fly out of Tallahassee, Florida, which would save you from having to do the return trip back to New Orleans.  The airport in Tallahassee is much smaller as you’d expect, so your choices there are United and American, and should cost you 12,500 miles per person.  If you love Southwest, you can fly out of either Pensacola or Panama City Beach, Florida, both of which aren’t very far from Tallahassee.

Where to Stay on the Gulf Coast

Our suggestions rarely change.  We don’t want you to pay for your hotels, just like we already explained how to get your car rental and your airfare for free on this vacation.  In order to do this you’ll need to accrue some Starwood Points.

The quickest way to do this is to get the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express. They will give you 10,000 Starpoints for the first purchase, then tack on another 15,000 once you’ve spent $5000 within the first six months of having the card.  This will give you more than enough points for this vacation, even if you’d like to stay eight nights at a combination of these hotels.

We found a a number of Starwood Preferred Guest hotels that sit in their Category 2 along the Gulf Coast that we will show you.  We pick these hotels because they make your 25,000 bonus points last longer. The category 2 hotels only require 3000 points for a weekend night and 4000 on a weeknight.

New Orleans Hotel

You’ve got two to pick from that are both very close to the airport.  The Sheraton Metairie, and the Four Points by Sheraton New Orleans Airport. It’s a bit of a bummer that they aren’t in downtown “Nawlins,” but the points will last you much longer using these hotels because a category 2 hotel, and since you have a car, there’s no where you can’t go.

Gulf Coast

View of the Gulf (Courtesy of their website)

Biloxi Hotel

This place looks legit!  If the Four Points by Sheraton Biloxi were a woman, it would be Jessica Alba (or, right behind my wife on the sexiness scale).  It is right on the Gulf Coast and boasts some incredible views of the ocean, and nearby are some white sandy beaches that you and your spouse or your family will love.

The hotel is located on Beach Boulevard, and is right in the middle of the action.  This would be a place where I would plan on spending quite a few days, and making day trips out to other fun locations.  Doing this will keep the cost of your vacation really low, which is our number one objective.  That keeps you traveling for longer and more often than you could otherwise do.

Tallahassee Hotel

Sporting a 4.4 out of 5 stars approval on their website is always a good sign.  The Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Tallahassee has free parking and is also a great location.  You could also plan on staying a few nights here, and going out to explore the outlying areas.

We’ve Taken you to the Gulf Coast for Virtually Free

Let’s recap everything that we’ve discussed today and show you how this is possible:

  • Score the Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard to pay your car rental costs. Total car rental cost: $0 (with extra travel money to spare).
  • Pick up the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express, which will help you by covering the hotel costs. Total hotel cost: $0
  • Land yourself enough airline miles to cover the airfare for everyone in your family.  With American or United you’ll need 25,000 per person and with Southwest it will vary depending on which flight you pick.  Total airfare cost: $10-20 for taxes.

Let’s see.  So the total sum of this would run you about $20 on the high end for a vacation that would otherwise cost you over $2000.  Now that is a huge savings, so what are you waiting for? Worldwanderlust with us.

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Travel Photo Contest

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Brad Christensen

We asked for them and we got them – all kinds of wanderlust-provoking photographs from all over the world.  For us at least, we’ve already achieved our objective… inspiring the desire to experience the world in all its grandeur.  Our Wanderlusters have returned us the favor and we’re excited to chart a path to these places and others.

One of our first posts on this blog included a quote from Cicero, “Who is he, to whom human affairs seem great, when one contemplates the Earth in all of its glory?” When we look over these photos, that’s precisely how we feel.

Now, it’s your turn to get involved.  Take a look at these pictures and click on your favorite and cast your vote by making a comment on that specific photo. You can vote for more than one if you’d like.   Again, the number of votes will factor in to our selection of the winner, but will not entirely decide the contest.

To recap, here are the details of this travel photo contest:

The Prize

The winner will receive a $100 American Express Giftcard, but everyone who enters will also get a prize.

Win Just by Entering

For those who’ve shared their photos, we’ll reward you with your choice of an iPhone Credit Card case (4 or 5) or a Universal Travel Adapter.

The Fine Print

Terms: You will retain all rights your photographs, but by submitting them to WorldWanderlusting, you grant us rights to your image on the internet in our blogging efforts and mission to inspire others to travel.  We will keep the files provided, and may or may not credit you when we display the photos.

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TBEX in Toronto

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Brad Christensen

We are attending the annual travel bloggers TBEX conference, which is hosted this year in the city of Toronto.

We are thrilled to be meeting up with people who have the most incredible stories – last year we were inspired by a couple who took their two 10-year-old children on a bike ride from Alaska to… get this… Argentina!   We met an expert on Mayan Culture, a mom of 4 planning a three-month road trip, and a couple that spent 3… freaking… years… in Asia.

This is a phenomenal opportunity for us to fill our canteens with countless ideas to fuel our future travel plans… as if we needed any help.

Needless to say, we are in heaven. We spend the bulk of our lives thinking about places we’d rather be, but there’s no place in the world we’d prefer to be at the moment.

Rather than try to encapsulate everything we do and articulate our niche, we figured we would post some links to our favorite and most successful posts.  Some of them may not be entirely timely, but hopefully you find something you enjoy.

Come wanderlust with us!

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Eight Great Uses for the Barclaycard Arrival

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Brad Christensen

The Barclaycard Arrival(TM) World MasterCard® offers extreme flexibility when redeeming for you 40,000 miles that you gain as a sign on bonus.  This card has really made a splash into the credit card market and is one that we would recommend for anyone.

Today’s topic is the best uses for the Barclaycard Arrival.  Last week I blogged about the Top 13 reasons to get the Barclaycard Arrival, and you might benefit from its wealth of knowledge.

Disclosure: Brad and I earn a commission when you use our links to sign up for the Barclaycard Arrival.  We would definitely appreciate your patronage.

1. Car Rental-  This was our strategy on our trip to Europe last year.  Renting a car there isn’t cheap, but it was for us. We would have been forced to pay $500, but instead we opted for $0.  This is an awesome way for you to lower the overall cost of your vacation.  You’ve already built up the points needed to book your flights, and your hotels are thanks to a freshly printed credit card, so why not drive for free?

2. Specific Flight-  Flying on points isn’t always flexible when it comes to picking dates.  Generally you’ve got to be willing to “go with the flow” and pick the days that work for the points.  The Barclaycard Arrival is a great way to pick the exact flight that you need.  Whether you’re flying home for your grandpa’s funeral, or you are headed to Vegas for a bachelor party, this is going to be your best bet.  It might not cover the entire flight, but subsidizing an expensive $600 down to $200 is music to my ears.

3. Cruise- Brad already told you that this is an excellent strategy in a recent post about Cruise Credit Cards.  It doesn’t matter whether your dream is to see glaciers in Alaska, soak up some rays in the Caribbean, or Explore the wonders of Europe this is your ticket.  Given that you’re headed with your spouse, this is a great way to save $800 on a romantic giveaway (assuming you both get the card and use our link ;)).  You’ve always dreamed about it, why are you still waiting?

4.  Allegiant Airlines-  This low cost, no frills, airline that charges for your seatbelt is great for people like me who live in outlying areas and want to head to popular destinations.  Their problem is that they don’t have an award program, much less a credit card that offers big points.  With the Barclaycard Arrival you can use the 40,000 bonus points on any airline, which includes Allegiant.  So next time you’re looking to try your luck in Vegas, visit your grandma in Phoenix, or see the stars in Hollywood, make sure your Arrival card takes you there.

5. Bed and Breakfasts (Booked with Online Agencies)- Here is another area where most of the credit cards offered by Marriott, Priority Club, Starwood Preferred Guest don’t work.  You need to make sure that these small quaint locations are part of your itineraries as you travel the world.  There is nothing like eating breakfast at the table with a family that knows the area.  You’ll understand the culture much better this way as you sit in their homes than you will at the major hotel chains.

6. Travel Agencies and Tour Operators- A great way to subsidize your vacation is to use this card when booking tours. Whether your passion is the Acropolis in Athens, or the Civil War sites in the South, you can count on saving $400 big ones by using this card when booking the trip.

7. All Inclusive Resorts- Tom Petty sang “It’s good to be king, just for a while.”  This is what it feels like when you’re spending time at an all-inclusive resort.  You can use the Vacationstogo.com website to book your next all inclusive resort experience.  So plan on ordering

8. Motels-  Many of these are going to be the kind where you don’t dare sleep in the sheets, but every once in a while you find a gem.  Make sure you stay away from the Howard Johnson Inn Express in Wilmington, NC.  Ugh.  There was a motel in Beaver, UT where I stayed once that was just as nice as a Fairfield Inn. When you find one of these and they fit the mold, you could stay there a couple of nights.  This could also be very useful during a roadtrip to locations like West Yellowstone, MT where you don’t find too many chain hotels.

What did I miss?  How do you plan on using your 40,000 points?  Thanks for worldwanderlusting with us!

See more about the Barclaycard Arrival(TM) World MasterCard® – Earn 2x on All Purchases.

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Travel Photo Contest: Where have you wandered?

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Brad Christensen

Henri Cartier-Bresson is widely considered the father of modern photojournalism.  If you read his brief biography on Wikipedia, you’ll learn that his philosophy on photography is that focused on capturing the precise moment in time that represents the experience. Obviously he came in a day and age long before DSLR Cameras could snap off five pictures in a second, yet even with the evolution of the technology of photography, the principle remains the same.  Rather than attempt to redefine it, we’ll turn to his words; “To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms that give that event its proper expression.”

Bresson photo

A photo by Henri Cartier Bresson – Armenia 1972

All of us have them – photos that somehow captured the moment in a way that approaches doing it justice.  While the bulk of them never fully recreate the experience, I have a few which bring me instantly back in time and space, almost even summoning smells and sensations which had long since slipped my mind.

One of mine is the header piece for this blog.  I took it on the second night of my trek up Mount Kilimanjaro. It had been a long, arduous day, and the sunset was two things to me: 1) It was a reward – nature’s recompense and a capitulation to my extreme efforts.  It gave me intense satisfaction, and 2) It was a threat – a reminder of how little I am, and how much more there is beyond me.  It was intimidating.  In the few brief moments that light, time, and nature collided to create it, I happened to be there – feasting on both emotions, and immortalizing it both digitally and in my mind. No matter how many times I look at it, I love it. I love the feeling it arouses.

Now… that’s precisely what we want for you.  We’ve shared with you our mission – we’re recruiting an army of wanderlusters – men and women young and old who’ll shrug off the impediments and embrace life and its gifts today, tomorrow, and forever. We’re tired of the naysayers. For us, travel is a passion and we can’t stand to hear people say they can’t afford it.  We’ve stumbled upon a legitimate means to see our wanderlust to wandering fruition, and we’re not content to keep it to ourselves.

 

Calafate Glacier

My brother, Tyler, at El Calafate in Argentina

Enter Our Travel Photo Contest

We’re hoping you’ll come along and that you’ll seize the opportunity to provoke the same in other people as well, and here’s a way to start: Send us your awe-inspiring travel photos to enter in our travel photo contest.  Tell us about your moment and make us feel it, too.  We’ll share it with our readers and together we’ll create an oxy-moronic pleasurable discontentment. Not only will you benefit from the euphoria of sharing, but you’ll also have a chance to win the grand prize in our contest – a $100 American Express giftcard.

How it Works

Email your photo to: worldwanderlusting@gmail.com along with your name and the location of the photo. If you have a brief story about getting the shot, please share it!

We’ll accept your photo entries until June 5th, and then we’ll pick the 12 best photos (only one per photographer).

We’ll post the photos on June 6th and send the link to each participant. Voting will go on for 14 days – until June 20th.  WorldWanderlusting visitors will vote for their favorite photo.  The number of votes will factor into the winning decision, but we (Brad and Sheldon) will also rank the photos on a “Does it make me crave the experience” scale.

On June 21st, we’ll announce the winner of the travel photo contest.

The Prize

The winner will receive a $100 American Express Giftcard, but everyone who enters will also get a prize.

Win Just by Entering

If you take the time to share your photos with us, we’ll reward you with your choice of an iPhone Credit Card case (4 or 5) or a Universal Travel Adapter.

The Fine Print

Terms: You will retain all rights your photographs, but by submitting them to WorldWanderlusting, you grant us rights to your image on the internet in our blogging efforts and mission to inspire others to travel.  We will keep the files provided, and may or may not credit you when we display the photos.

You know where to go with a doubt – make a comment below and we’ll hear you out.

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