UNSEEN TRAVEL AGENCY

Anyone who has traveled for any length of time knows that travel is definitely NOT unicorns and rainbows all the time . Sure, it's fun and life-changing and can be amazing. But, as with any situation where complete control is out of your hands, things can easily go wrong when it comes to travel. Whether it's canceled flights, bad weather, sickness, scams, or something much worse, bad travel days are inevitable the more often you travel. In honor of the release of my friend Lauren Juliff's book about travel mishaps (called “How Not to Travel the World“), I asked a bunch of travel bloggers to talk about some of their WORST travel days and experiences on the road. Make sure you read to the end, because I'm also giving away 2 copies of How Not to Travel the World! Oh, and one of MY worst travel days? Probably the day I almost died in Iceland. But this post isn't about me. Check out all these other unfortunate stories! Volcano Violence Jeremy from Travel Freak I

The Kentucky Derby and the Bourbon Trail – 2 Reasons why I will Return to Kentucky W ith little time to spend in the Blue Grass State I was still able to get a glimpse of why I want to return to Kentucky. No, I’m not talking finger-licking-good chicken. The reasons I will return to Kentucky, The Kentucky Derby Museum and the Bourbon Trail .  Although I’m not a huge horse race fan (I prefer wiener dogs),  or a huge whiskey fan (I prefer beer), I couldn’t leave the state without at least seeing the famous Kentucky Derby grounds or tasting some bourbon straight from the source. After touring the Louisville slugger Museum and factory (A Must see when visiting the city) we drove through a less than posh area of town before arriving at the expensive Kentucky Derby grounds. I had no idea just how massive this horse track is. Although there is a museum on site we didn’t have enough time to check it out. A shame, as I do love a good sports story. Reluctantly we moved on but not with out t

We love Trader Joe’s lists that have cropped up on the internet lately, like this one or this one. And, surprisingly, Trader Joe’s pasta won a New York magazine taste test over more expensive pasta brands. But we wondered – what are the best items for travelers to pick up at Trader Joe’s? Portable products are key – we can’t tote a pack of frozen mandarin orange chicken in our carry-on bag. Our Virtuoso picks for the best Trader Joe’s items to bring on a plane: Freeze-Dried Fruit   Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and more – when you need a shot of antioxidants and a bland airport melon cup won’t do, Trader Joe’s freeze-dried fruit is the answer. Kids love them! Bring a wet wipe to clean fruit-stained fingers. Bars, Bars, Bars A must-have in every plane bag is your favorite granola bar or energy bar. Most Trader Joe’s locations carry a variety of bars, like the popular Quest and Luna bar brands. Organic String Cheese Stash a couple of pieces of organic string cheese

  I’m no stranger to the magical wonders of German Christmas markets, but if I were to pick a single city last year that really wowed me and spun me into borderline obsession, it would be the Esslingen Christmas Market & Medieval Market, located near Stuttgart. There’s musical performers on stilts! There’s liquor peddled in potion bottles! There’s vendors decked in costume! Mix that all with the half-timbered backdrop of Esslingen, and it’s about the coolest and most unique Christmas market in the country. I visited Esslingen last year and found myself immersed in a time-warp wonderland of feltmakers, blacksmiths and basket weavers. But that’s not all – Esslingen actually has two separate markets: the traditional Christmas market and the Medieval market, together offering hundreds of unique stalls selling everything you can imagine. It’s all a bit overwhelming, but in the most wonderful way. So, what did I see? Where did I go? If you’re interested in visiting the Esslingen C