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Continue reading →: moab, utah, usaAs Utah’s only major city on the eastern side of the state, Moab is surrounded by some of the most uniquely beautiful destinations in the American Southwest. This place is the mother-of-all-boondock towns due to its isolation. Its backyard wilderness consists of tons of opportunity for exploration and recreation. Its…
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Continue reading →: colorado springs + manitou springs, colorado, usaFrom arcade games to climbing on rocks, this is somewhere your inner child will really shine in addition to being a family friendly place you can hang out with your child(ren). Here you will be reminded of what decade you were born in the best (and maybe some of the…
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Continue reading →: zion national park, utah, usaPerhaps Utah’s most popular National Park (the state has five total!), Zion will enamor you with its majestic towering red cliffs and peaks visible from just about everywhere within the park. The most popularly visited section consists of a canyon which frames the Virgin River for a portion of its…
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Continue reading →: sedona, arizona, usaThis is one of the most enticing outdoor destinations I have ever had the pleasure to explore; in fact, I literally return to this place all the time. Some say it is an energy vortex, like it has healing powers. While I can’t really comment on that, I can say…
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Continue reading →: only packing a carry-on (the turtle method) 🐢There is some level of art, experience, and skill required in order to pack perfectly for any trip on the other side of a plane flight. Unless you require a bunch of specifically unique outfits (think, fancy events or heavy snow equipment) or you’re traveling with kids, I can’t really…
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Continue reading →: cinque terre, italyCinque Terre will go down as one of the most colorful cities I’ve yet to visit. It is a beautiful rainbow of colors stretching across the lovely Italian coastline. What’s not to love? In 1999 this place was given National Park status, and it the smallest and most population dense…
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Continue reading →: southern coast, icelandIf I had to choose between visiting Iceland’s southern region and driving the Golden Circle Loop, you’d find me here. This area was filled with some of the most incredible creations of nature I have ever seen in real life. If you can afford to spend some extra time in…
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Continue reading →: the golden circle, icelandYou’re not going to find any of Iceland’s cool waterfalls or famous glaciers inside the city of Reykjavik, so you’re going to have to do a little adventuring if you wanna explore anything aside from the Blue Lagoon. The Golden Circle, not to be confused with Ring Road, is a…
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Continue reading →: reykjavik, icelandIceland took my breath away over and over again. It was truly one of the most spectacular destinations I’ve been to. Until 2015 or so when Justin Bieber filmed a music video here, I didn’t really have any idea why anyone would ever want to go to Iceland because it’s…
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Continue reading →: how to thrive after an overnight flightSkimping on sleep isn’t good for you. “They” (scientists and doctors?) say you need eight hours or you’re probably doing damage to your body in the long-term, and perhaps they’re right, but a week of pushing yourself to the limit likely isn’t going to kill you. Every time I travel…
“travel isn’t always pretty. it isn’t always comfortable. sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. but that’s okay.
Anthony Bourdain
the journey changes you; it should change you. it leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body.
you take something with you. hopefully, you leave something good behind.”
Laura the explora: the blog
your unofficial travel agent and tour guide
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hey there!
i’m Laura
welcome to my little corner of the internet where i share my travel tips, stories, and photos of the places i visit. i’ve been fortunate enough to set foot in all fifty of the united states as well as nearly 20 different countries over the past decade. my goal is to make traveling affordable and accessible for everyone by giving you the tools you need to plan your own vacation for free. i hope these posts inspire you to get out into the world and see it for yourself! :)
[Note: I do not make any revenue from this website. If any of these posts helped you plan your trip and you’d like to support my work and website operating costs by tipping me as your unofficial tour guide, click the little black triangle to see my Venmo ID.] 😊
Venmo: @Laura-the-explora (#0324)
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Laura the explora: the blog 