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10 Favorite Destinations, Year 5

by Shannon on May 20, 2015 in Travel

Covered bridge in Hoi An, Vietnam.

For the first time, our annual list of favorites consists of all overseas destinations. Last spring, after four years touring the U.S., we traded our RV for backpacks and set out to explore the rest of the world. While circumnavigating the globe—a first for us—we found ourselves in some pretty amazing places. Here is a list of our favorite destinations from our fifth full year of fulltime travel. Where applicable, the destination header links to the original blog post on the topic.

Like Shooting Chateaux in the Loire

by Shannon on September 29, 2014 in Europe, France, Travel

Château de Chenonceau

With hundreds of châteaux dotting France’s sprawling Loire Valley, finding one is easier than shooting fish in a barrel. Choosing which of the magnificent dwellings to visit, and which to leave for another time, is a far harder task. Here’s how we managed to decide.

French Lessons Included

by Shannon on September 22, 2014 in Europe, France, Travel

A side of French lessons came with the morning meal at La Maréchalerie, a bed-and-breakfast in the Loire Valley.

We don’t often talk about lodging places here on EverywhereOnce because so often they’re just not that memorable. We generally choose basic places to sleep and shower and to use as a base to explore an area. But staying at La Maréchalerie was almost as much of an experience as touring the surrounding Loire Valley.

Our stay began with a warm welcome from our host, Danny, who immediately offered us coffee, tea or a glass of locally produced wine. One glass of wine turned into several as Danny engaged us for over an hour, taking a genuine interest in our travels as well as sharing his near encyclopedic knowledge about the region and its history. Slightly inebriated we eventually headed to our room, clutching a specially-created binder burgeoning with maps and other information for crafting an itinerary in the Loire.