Planning a Travel Bucket List might seem a bit overwhelming and even macabre. But surprisingly, creating this list has had the opposite effect.  I’ve always had a list of ‘things to do before I die’ in my head.  It wasn’t until COVID that I took the time to write my bucket list out. My initial list included goals for my health, and family, the bulk of my bucket list was all about travel (surprise surprise).…

I’ve partnered with the Tempe Tourism Office to share a quick guide of family-friendly things to do in Tempe, Arizona. Tempe, Arizona is a bustling college city (home of Arizona State University), located just outside of Phoenix.  This southwestern American city offers a bevy of options for traveling families: from outdoor adventures and natural wonders to attractions of historical and cultural significance to the local Native American people. Here’s a quick list of fun things…

UNPOPULAR OPINION:  I like Elvis Presley. While I am not ashamed of this fact, I do understand that Elvis is a very polarizing character in the Black community. Long before I knew about culture vultures and racial appropriation, I discovered Elvis, the actor. As a latchkey kid, I watched a LOT of television and I loved musicals. At some point, I stumbled upon a campy “Beach Party”-isk movie starring Elvis and I was hooked. I…

We recently spent a weekend glamping at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Resort-Camp in Williamsport, MD and it was an amazing experience that my family and I won’t soon forget. Initially we decided to cancel all travel plans for the rest of the year due to COVID. But when the folks at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park invited my family to enjoy a staycation not far from home and assured us of all of the steps they were…

Experience the best of New York City’s architectural history, culture, and diverse cuisine while staying in a swanky retreat in the heart of the Big Apple. Just a short distance from Manhattan’s bustling Grand Central Station, you’ll find condo-style amenities combined with great customer service at the Club Wyndham Midtown 45 resort. Upon check-in, I was greeted by the resort staff with an apple (for the Big Apple) and a “glass” of sparkling wine from…

This summer is nothing like any other we’ve ever experienced.  With all that’s going on in the world, enjoying quality time at home with your family feels even more important nowadays.  I’ve put together a list of things to do to ensure that your kiddos have a fun and memorable summer. Here’s a list of fun activities you can do with your kids from the comfort and safety of your home. INDOORS Build a fort…

As the world starts to reopen, it’s become clear that our new “normal” will include social distancing and face masks (at least for the foreseeable future). Since face coverings are now a requirement to enter most establishments, I’ve decided that it’s time to shop for face masks for my little ones.  I  compiled a list of some fun and comfy face masks for kids that I’ve found on the internet. The CDC recommends that children…

Netflix and Amazon Prime recently released or reorganized a slew of free Black content on their streaming sites to include a sizable selection of Black documentaries. As a student of Black Studies and journalism, the documentary genre lives at the intersection of my two greatest loves, Black History and storytelling. In short, Black history documentaries are my love language. I’ve expressed my love of learning about Black History by visiting museums at home and while…

The Black experience is so vast and varied there is no end to what can be learned about it.  This is why when I travel, I try to visit local Black History Museums to get a better feel for a new destination. On my most recent trip to Georgia, my family and I visited the Jack Hadley Black History Museum and learned first-hand what it was like for the museum’s curator, Mr. Hadley, to grow up…

Washington, DC is home to some of the country’s most iconic memorials and world-class museums which is why it was at the top of my list of 20 Places to Visit in 2020. While states across the country are starting to reopen, many of the world-famous attractions in our Nation’s Capital, remain shuttered due to COVID-19. If you still want to visit DC to explore space, learn about the history of African Americans, or discover…

Whether your family is staying home due to funds being low, limited paid time off, or if your travel plans have been grounded due to a global pandemic, there are many times when we’re forced to stay home when we would much rather be traveling. Many of us travel with our kids so we can expose them to new cities, countries, and cultures. While our families are forced to stay home – for whatever reason…

Located in the Red Hills Region, in southwest Georgia, Thomasville is a vacation destination for many travelers.  With its historic Victorian homes, small-town charm, and long history as a top travel destination at the turn of the 20th century, its no wonder that Thomasville is a great travel destination. Whether you’re visiting to enjoy the amazing food, learn a bit about Black History in the area, or you want to enjoy the feeling of stepping…

School districts across the country have cut the school year short to help slow the spread of the Coronavirus.  With both kids and parents at home, this is a stressful time for everyone.  To ensure that our children don’t become overly anxious about the disruption to their daily schedules.  I’ve put together a fun list of things you can do at home while we’re all practicing social distancing. Here’s a list of Fun Activities you…

During a recent visit to Thomasville, Georgia, I was invited to explore the city with the Taste of Thomasville food tour. Although I’d never gone on a food tour prior to this, I couldn’t think of a better way to learn about a destination, than through food. The Taste of Thomasville is a 3-hour food tour covering 1.2 miles of Downtown Thomasville. The food featured on this tour was so phenomenal, that I’ll be scouting…

I travel to Thomasville, Georgia, frequently to visit my dad who moved to the city a few years ago, after marrying a Thomasville native. In all of my visits, I never took the time to learn and explore the city until recently. I truly believe that history is the key to unlocking the DNA of a town, city, or region.  So, I did a little research to create a list of things to do and…

There are more spies, per capita, in Washington, DC, than any other city in the world. – Them/What They Said I’ve heard this unverifiable statement countless times since I moved to the Washington, DC area that I’m convinced, it must be true.  And as the spy capital of the world, no trip to Washington, DC would be complete without a trip to the International Spy Museum, which houses the largest collection of spy artifacts on…

Miami is known for its warm temperatures, beautiful beaches, and lively nightlife. But a few short miles away from the world-famous South Beach there’s a little-known historic gem ­— the Hampton House Motel. Once dubbed, the “first luxury hotel for Negros in the South,” this Green Book Motel was the epitome of black excellence in Miami, FL in the 1960s. As a native Miamian, Black History buff (earned a BA in African American Studies), and…

Australian Bushfires The world has been watching as parts of Australia have been plagued with heartbreaking bushfires. According to Tourism Australia, most destinations remain safe and continue to welcome visitors.  All of the international airports in Australia are operating as normal. On their website, the Australian Tourism Board states, The best way to support Australia, Australian communities, and the tourism sector is to keep visiting. If you cannot travel to an affected area due to…

We made it to 2020, y’all!  It’s the beginning of a new year, which is my favorite time to dream big and think of all of the places that I’d love to visit if money and paid time off weren’t obstacles. If you need some travel inspiration, here’s a list of 20 Destinations to add to your travel list for 2020. 1.  The Islands of the Bahamas Crystal clear water, pink sand beaches, swimming pigs,…

Updated December 23, 2019 As a kid, I LOVED road trips. Being on the open road, enjoying the change of scenery, seeing new places and meeting new people excited me. But as a momma of two young children, road trips have become the stuff that nightmares are made of. Our oldest child (Aubrey, 5) is okay with any car ride that’s as long as an Avengers movie.  That’s about 3 hours, thanks to Stan Lee.…

When we decided to visit Australia, I wanted to incorporate a lesson in Aboriginal culture and history into our itinerary.  But it was imperative that the education we received came through the prism of the people themselves.  I found a few aboriginal exhibits in museums but I was interested in something a bit more independent…a FUBU (for us, by us) version, if you will. After a bit of research, I stumbled upon this review of the…

We recently took our first international family trip to Sydney, Australia!  When we arrived, our son was 4 years old and our daughter was 14 months old. But getting around in Australia with two small kids was not the easy undertaking I thought it would be.  Since we were only planning to be in Sydney for 5 full days (we had 3 additional days already earmarked for day trips), we wanted to have the ease…

Updated November 26, 2019 This week is slated to be the busiest travel week of the year in the US.  It’s reported that more than 55 million people are preparing to take to the road or hit the friendly skies in the next 24 hours.  If you’re flying with little ones, don’t forget that some airports have playgrounds. Here’s a list of US Airports with designated play areas and where you can find them: Baltimore/Washington…

Baltimore, Maryland is a city replete with charm and grit. When I think of this seaport city, I can almost smell frying crab cakes in the air, see visitors walking down the picturesque cobblestone streets of Fells Point, and hear the waves crashing along the Inner Harbor.  Baltimore can boast of a very long list of top-rated, must-see attractions…one of my top kid-friendly activities is the Maryland Zoo!  This Zoo is beloved by locals and…

Antarctica with its cascading mountains and majestic landscapes is the most pristine and untouched place on the planet. Understandably, there’s an abundance of mystery surrounding it.  When I first announced my plans to travel to Antarctica, most of the questions I was asked were laden with misconceptions. To be honest, I too had some misgivings about the journey. Here are the most common myths I encountered about travel to Antarctica. 1.  You’ll be the Only…

Hundreds of melanated travel enthusiasts converged on the city of Memphis, Tennessee to attend the Second Annual Audacity Fest. The weekend conference was chock-full of panels and workshops centered around my favorite topic…TRAVEL! But the Audacity Fest isn’t your run-of-the-mill travel conference, this event was created by and for travelers of color. The Audacity Fest is an annual travel conference organized by the Nomadness Travel Tribe, a group of more than 20,000 like-minded wanderlusters of…

I went to Antarctica y’all!!!  Antarctica -the white continent, land of ice, home to the South Pole, and my 7th and last continent. I visited earlier this year on an 11-day cruise with Quark Expeditions.  Even though I’ve had months to process the trip it was such a fantastic journey that ironically I – a travel journalist and woman of many words – have struggled to find the right words to adequately describe it. Antarctica is…

Updated 3/31/2020 Due to the pandemic, the Real ID deadline has been extended to October 1, 2021. There’s a lot of confusion about the driver’s license that you’ll need to take a domestic flight in the U.S. next year.  The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently started to verbally notify travelers about the upcoming Real ID deadline. The Low-Down On October 1, 2020, the Real ID law will be enforced. This law, which was passed in…

The itinerary for my bucket-list adventure to Antarctica included two layovers in Ushuaia, Argentina (before and after). Ushuaia (pronounced Oo-swi-yah) is the capital of the Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire), Province. The city, nestled between the Martial mountain range and Beagle Channel, is located on the southern tip of South America. Dubbed, the “World’s Southernmost City” and “El Fin del Mundo” (the “End of the World”), Ushuaia is the closest city to Antarctica. For most…

This post may contain affiliate links. There are some inherent dangers in globe-trotting alone as a woman.  As a solo female traveler that’s had adventures on all 7 continents, I’ve picked up some important safety tips along the way. Here are some of my top safety tips for solo female travelers: 1.  Do Research About Your Destination Research any local laws, customs, culture, religious restrictions, and body language behavior you should be aware of. Some…

  BabyQuip Rental Stroller at the Ancient Spanish Monastery in Miami, FL Let’s face it…traveling with toddlers/babies is stressful.  If you’re anything like me, you pack almost everything in an attempt to preempt anything from kid meltdowns to all-out mutiny.  But overpacking only makes family travel cumbersome and even more difficult. A couple of months ago I learned about a baby equipment rental company for traveling families called BabyQuip.  This company allows folks to rent…

I have been an UPPAmomma since I was pregnant with my first child, a little more than five years ago.  As a first-time mom, keeping my baby safe was my number one priority.  But as a traveler, being able to navigate through an airport with ease was also very important.  I needed something safe, comfortable and versatile. When it was time to purchase a stroller, I did research…a ton of it!  I wanted a safe…

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is a three-week celebration in Washington, DC that commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 Japanese cherry trees from the Mayor of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC. The trees were presented as a gift to enhance the friendship between America and Japan.  The dates for this year’s Festival were March 20-April 14th. Each year, more than 1.5 million people enjoy the National Cherry Blossom festivities. One of the most…

I have lived in the Washington, DC area for the last 15 years and I’ve wanted to attend the Blossom Kite Festival for nearly as long.  Unfortunately, each year I would miss the event because I’d find out about it after the fact.  Well, NOT THIS YEAR!!! The Blossom Kite Festival is one of many events planned during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, in Washington, DC.  This year I used the National Cherry Blossom Festival’s…

I recently returned from an awe-inspiring and life-altering trip to Antarctica.  The hardest part about preparing for the journey (other than saying goodbye to my kids for 12 days) was trying to figure out what to pack.  Packing for a once in a lifetime adventure can be a bit daunting.  Since I had to prepare to travel to one of the most remote locations in the world, it was imperative that I pack everything that…

My lifelong dream of visiting ANTARCTICA is going to come true!!! I have been dreaming of seeing the White Continent for nearly 15 years. Traveling to Antarctica can be extremely expensive. At first, it was the cost of getting there that prevented me from going.  And then life happened, as it does…I got hitched and had a couple of awesome kids and various other grown-up responsibilities were added to my plate.  There were always reasons…

It’s hard to believe that it’s already 2019.  Last year was a huge success and a bit of a whirlwind for my family and I.  After many years of dreaming about writing about my travels, we started Momma Wanderlust.  My family and I went on a few adventures that included, Orlando and Miami, Florida, Williamsburg, Virginia and San Diego, California.  I was even able to touch down on my 6th continent when we visited Sydney…

Washington, DC is a great family vacation destination.  There are tons of activities that will entertain you and your children as you explore this great Metropolis. Unfortunately, some government agencies have had to close their doors due to a lapse in Federal funding.  The Smithsonian Museum and the National Zoo have been impacted but even though those two agencies are temporarily closed, there’s still plenty to do in the Nation’s Capital.     I have…

Traveling abroad and long vacations are what I live for.  But before I can throw caution to the wind and slip into full vacay-mode, there’s a bit of adulting I always have to do.  I’ve decided to share with my International Travel To-Do List with my fellow Wanderers here on the blog. Here are the 9 Things to do Before Your Next International Trip:  1.  Make sure your passport and visa are current  A passport…