The Roaming Colt

The pandemic has made a lot of things inconvenient. For travel, this virus has only caused problems, complications, and confusion. Due to multiple lockdowns and restrictions, many of us have not been able to go where we want (and when we want to).  While I am by no means a master, I've picked up some tips through my travels and thought this would be an appropriate topic worth sharing. We'll do two focuses here: domestic travel & international travel. I know both don't apply to everyone, so if you're only interested in one type, I've split them up JUST FOR YOU. COVID Travel Tips: Domestic Yellowstone National Park - 2019: No clue who these people were, but there were just so many people there that day I thought it'd be accurate to show the true side of travel. Embrace the American tradition of road trips ! Car-culture is truly a thing in the United States. For decades, Americans have been piling into their automobiles and hitting the open road. While a large ...

...and why should I sign up for his emails?      I've mentioned this before and I'll mention it again. I have a tendency to provide transparent information on this site because I am just so passionate about travelling and exploring our world that I want others to have this access and knowledge too. That's why I name drop from time to time. If that results in people leaving my site to utilize others, that's fine with me. In the end, the more travellers the better!      When I discovered Skyscanner , I wasn't sure if I'd ever go back to KAYAK again. When Google Flights improved so much, I started using them as my go-to stop for flight deals. Then, I once got a deal so good through KIWI I questioned how I hadn't utilized that site sooner. After years of experience booking flights and hours upon hours of searching for the best deals, I've come to realize that there isn't just any one site you should exclusively use. You should use them all . Like a ...

Toothbrush, contacts, underwear, phone charger. It happens time and time again. It's never fun forgetting an essential item when going on a trip, but what about the things you forgot you forgot? Now not every trip calls for the forgotten items below, but if you are going on a trip perhaps "around the world," then you might want to reconsider your packing list. 1. Grocery/sandwich bags No this isn't for backpack sandwiches! If you are packing anything  for your adventure, make sure it is dual purpose . What is more dual purpose than bags?! They don't take up much room in your backpack or suitcase, they're inexpensive, and you can use them for virtually anything: keep dirty clothes separate, divide wet clothes from the dry, act as an impermeable storage sack, covers for anything, the list goes on and on.   2. Flipflops Again, the key to these items is low cost . These $0.98 Wal-Mart specials may have a lifespan for a trip around the worl...

Everything in life comes with a trade-off, and when it comes to travel some of these can change your entire experience. While at work, a coworker noticed how quickly I take my lunch and commented that I'm practically done eating before I even sit down. Now this I take as a compliment because for me this means I'm doing things right. For those that need to do some preparing for trips, whether financially, strategically, planning, etc. recognizing which tradeoffs are most important for you can make all the difference. Let's take a look at a few that I consider: 1. Live to eat vs. Eat to live - For me it's quite simple, I LOVE FOOD. Food is one of the greatest ways to experience the true culture of wherever you find yourself, and for me it is an area of travel I never want to skimp on. The best way I've learned to remedy this is by "eating to live" when I'm nearest home. What is eating to live? It's a pretty simple approach actually. Unless there i...

"Eva" With the summer season upon us it brings about one of my favorite activities: camping . From the time I was a little kid, I remember taking family trips down to the Black Hills of South Dakota where we would set up our tents, roast marshmallows, and sing kumbaya. Okay maybe not that last part, but camping has made for some great memories throughout my life and it continues to do so to this day. At the request of a fellow traveler and friend of mine, it is my pleasure to introduce some insight on the topic: camping with your K-9 companion! My entire childhood I had grown up with pets. Whenever my family and I would go camping we typically tried to find a dog-sitter for our our wiener dog Scooby, but every so often we got to bring her along. One might think it would only be a blast to bring the family pet with to camp, but it does have some drawbacks. While the brunt of the hassle probably laid on my parents more so than us kids, there are some things worth noting...

Ask anyone that knows me and there's a decent chance they'll tell you I am a forgetful person. My memory is not something that works to my advantage. Anytime I'm going somewhere, whether it be across the country/globe for my next big adventure or even just across town to run some errands, I always seem to forget at least one thing I needed to bring along. It never fails. This tendency to leave things behind is especially troublesome when traveling long distances. Whenever I go on a long trip, there are always a few things I must make sure I have with me. You better believe I'll forget my toothbrush or glasses, but I will always have these four items with me: 1. Neck pillow - Okay before you judge me too much, just hear me out. I too would laugh at those travelers with the "tourist collar" around their necks as they trudged through the terminals, but like the old saying goes, don't knock it 'till you try it. Like my giraffe and brontosauru...

Yeah you read that right, get lost. Trust me, I'm a nice guy...I think, but do us all a favor (including yourself) and just go get lost. If you've ever heard the saying "it's about the journey not the destination" then you know exactly where I'm going with this. One of the best parts about traveling isn't actually the "destination", it's everything in between, from the time you leave and to the moment you arrive. Maybe you're thinking that you can't  get lost or if you can, why  would you want to? Let me explain. "Lost" can be defined in many different ways. Perhaps you're the literal type..you don't know where you are physically at in a geographic sense. Another option would be being internally lost. It could be mentally, spiritually, etc. Either way, get lost. "Oh well Colt I've already been everywhere, so I can't get lost." 😑 K. Nice try. Whether it be a road trip, travelling on a plane, or ...

View from Mount Roosevelt - Black Hills, South Dakota (July 2016) "Traveling is too expensive." "I don't have enough time to take a trip." "I'm not sure where I want to go." "Where could I even go for $300?" If you've caught yourself saying anything along these lines, then this might be just the article you need if you're looking to exchange the excuses in for experiences. It's probably not smart of me to give away my three favorite travel-related websites right off the bat, but knowledge needs to be shared right? Here's my list for three of the best sites to help you when planning your next trip.   Kayak - One of the most well-known travel planning sites today, this website is chock-full of useful tools for the eager traveler. From booking hotels and flights to train and rental car reservations, Kayak is beyond useful. The one specific tool that I love  about this website is its Explore   feature. At the to...