Perfect Adventures to Share

August 26, 2021 by Liz Picurro Leave a Comment

Travel brings all kinds of benefits to your physical and mental well-being. It’s known to reduce stress, broaden horizons, increase self-esteem and generate positive emotions. Traveling together with your family, your partner, or a group of friends multiplies those benefits! A shared adventure can strengthen your bonds, push you to try new things, and improve trust and communication.

When you’re ready to head out with your family, partner, or friends the first big step is deciding where to go! While almost any destination is a good choice when you have good company, some destinations just rise above the rest. So which destinations are the best adventures to share? Here are our top picks for each type of getaway – Friends, Romantic Partner, and Family:

Share an adventure with: Your Friends

a group stands in front of a large fountain and beautiful vineyards in Napa Valley CA — *(Photo Credit: Caitlin – read about her girls trip to Napa here!)*

Napa: Wine tastings, bike tours, and vineyards are perfect for groups. Relax in a vineyard sipping on a selection of fine wines and feeling a world away from all the busyness of day-to-day life. A domestic destination with no passport required makes Napa an ideal place for a quick girls’ getaway. Mild temps mean it’s always a good time to visit and you can enjoy festivals and spa trips to round out the wine tasting experience.

two women in parkas and hard hats take a selfie with the sunrise in the background on a glacier in Iceland — *(Photo Credit: @following_liz via Shared Adventures )*

Iceland: Do you and your besties love outdoor adventures, dramatic beauty, and a relaxing spa day? Then Iceland is the perfect destination. For nature lovers who want a bit more than a camping trip, Iceland offers unique and unforgettable scenery. Also, Reykjavik has tons of galleries, museums, and shops to enjoy. After Reykjavik, head out to the Golden Circle to see jaw-dropping landscapes. And end the trip with a relaxing spa day. Try the hot springs or get a mud treatment at the Blue Lagoon.

Italy: Because there is such a wide variety of things to do packed into such a small country, Italy is great for groups. Although it’s known for being a romantic country (and it is), Italy is just as much fun to explore with your group of friends! There’s a little bit of history and culture, a little bit of beach time, a few mountains to climb and a lot of delicious food. Roll up your sleeves for a cooking class or take a guided walking tour to learn about the amazing architecture and history all around you. Then take a day to enjoy soaking up the sun on a pristine beach.

a group of friends white water rafting down a river in Costa Rica — *(Photo Credit: Alex van Besouw via Shared Adventures)*

Costa Rica: The perfect destination for outdoor adventurers who want lots of sun and sand. Large park areas throughout the country have beautiful lush jungles, abundant wildlife, and incredible snorkeling. Costa Rica is for the adventurous group of friends. The kind who want to take on ziplining, white-water rafting, and horseback riding. (With a few relaxing beach days thrown in.) Stay in a luxury resort or your own villa for wellness treatments and infinity pools.

Share an adventure with: Your Partner

sunrise off the deck of an over water bungalow in Moorea — *(Photo Credit: Meghan-*
*read about her Tahiti honeymoon here!)*

Tahiti – This tropical paradise is Instagram-famous as the ultimate romantic getaway, and for good reason! Stunning beaches and private overwater bungalows are the main attraction. So spend the day swimming in clear waters, lounging together on the sun deck, and devouring French cuisine. Finish with spectacular sunsets and cocktails on the veranda.

France: France offers a huge variety of romantic adventures. Enjoy iconic sites and Michelin Star dining in the City of Love. Head south to the French Riviera with its romantic small towns with their winding paths and their slow, sun-kissed pace. Or snuggle up to your partner by the fire in the Swiss Alps at Chamonix Mont Blanc. Whether it’s, beach, skiing, or city life – wherever you go in France romance and adventure are in the air.

a honeymoon couple stand together with the white washed, blue domed houses of Santorini behind them — *Photo Credit: Christina & Chris via Shared Adventures -read about their Santorini adventure here!)*

Greece: From jaw-dropping sunsets and dips in the sea to incredible dining experiences- Greece offers a romance like no other. These islands have become one of the world’s top honeymoon destinations! And they will have you falling in love all over again. The classic white-washed homes next to dramatic cliffs, the romantic seaside resorts, and the endless pools of shockingly blue water — Greece is a great destination for couples looking to bask in the sunshine.

Norway: Snuggle up next to your significant other as you watch the Northern Lights dance across the sky from your glass igloo. Go hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, on a romantic sleigh ride, or an exhilarating dog sledding lesson. Norway is for the couple that loves outdoor adventures with awe-inspiring views. Share new experiences and splendid memories as you enjoy the wildlife, the abundant activities, and the unbelievable scenery.

Share an adventure with: Your Family

two young girls and their mother sit at the table in giant sombreros on a family trip to Mexico — *(Photo Credit: Tracy via Shared Adventures read about their family trip to the Mayan Riviera here)*

Mexico: For families of all ages, the all-inclusive resorts of the Mayan Riviera are a perfect balance. Not too far from the States and with plenty of things to do – little kids and big kids will enjoy this destination. Because there’s a huge variety of activities. From ancient Mayan ruins to snorkeling in cenotes. Relax all day on the beach or get the adrenaline pumping with water parks and zip lines. Plus, many of the resorts have kid-specific areas and entertainment. So it’s easy to find something for everyone.

Spain: Spanish culture has a huge focus on family, meaning children of all ages are welcome virtually everywhere. You’ll find kid-friendly museums, parks, play areas, and beaches. Plus, the cities are full of fascinating architecture and bright colors, built with families in mind. Spanish food and culture are meant to be shared with loved ones. So, Spain is a great introduction to another culture, language, and country.

a couple holds a small child in front of huge disney cruise ship — *(Photo Credit: Amy via Shared Adventures – read about the family’s Disney Cruise adventure here)*

Cruises: Cruise ships have a bit of everything in one home base. Enjoy water parks, family activities, and kids clubs all in one convenient location. See incredible ports together, then enjoy age-specific activities during the sea days. Take a Disney Cruise for the younger kids or try an Alaskan cruise when traveling with your grandchildren.

Japan: Japan is a perfect destination to share with your tweens to young adults. Although it’s not what first comes to mind as an easy family adventure, Japan is safe, clean, and full of interesting activities and Kawaii – the culture of cuteness. The main cities boast kid-friendly museums and events where you can meld the past and future together. With educational historical sites and cool new technologies, Japan offers some really unique experiences for the whole family.

Any vacation with people you love is going to be a good one. But planning a trip for a group can be tricky – so consider letting an expert handle the details for you! Let us know what adventure you’d like to share with your loved ones, and we’ll make it happen.

A Shared Adventure to Napa 2021

August 3, 2021 by Liz Picurro Leave a Comment

Some destinations are picture-perfect for a honeymoon, some are best explored as a family, and some are meant to be shared with your best friends. Caitlin, Lauren, and Ashley were looking for just this kind of girls-getaway adventure, and we found it in the Napa Valley. With wine tastings all over Napa & Sonoma, they were able to share the excitement of being in the vineyards, getting away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, and truly enjoying each other’s company after a very long pandemic year.

Here’s their trip report on their favorite spots throughout the adventure!

“Hello!! Our trip was amazing I will outline everything below including our itinerary/top places.

Our flights were completely fine, no troubles at all (no delays, etc) but both very full flights. But zero issues. The only thing we came across was the rental car line when we landed at SFO. There were lines wrapped around the building to get a car (we heard rentals were a hot commodity but we didn’t realize how much!), so that took a very long time after we landed to get the rental car just solely from volume and not a lot of workers. I think they had 3 people working total so it was a little slow but once we got to the front desk we were good to go and had our car immediately.

Our hotel {Andaz Napa} was in a perfect spot.

Couldn’t have asked for a better location, we were able to walk everywhere for dinners and tasting rooms and there was an onsite parking garage that was very convenient. The hotel itself was really nice, our room was awesome- spacious, clean, bathroom with double sinks so it was honestly perfect for our group of 3 and could definitely work well for 4 people as well.

Our itinerary:

Napa

Wednesday – checked in, we got a tasting at JAM Cellars right next to the hotel which was fun and went to dinner at Sky and Vine which was very cool! Rooftop restaurant with amazing skyline views and great food.

Thursday –Tasting/tour at Cakebread Cellars – highly recommend, beautiful, great wine and we shipped wine back from here

Lunch at Farmstead at Longmeadow Ranch – beautiful spot, great food/service, and was a place you could walk around to see their gardens and was more than just a restaurant

Tasting at Frog’s Leap – BEAUTIFUL location, more mom and pop vineyard, decent wine, but we loved it more for the vibe. low key, got to sit on a wrap-around porch and walk around their farm as well. they had animals there and fresh fruit trees we could pick and eat

Tasting at SilverOak – more high-end wines, they only do Cabs. we enjoyed this place but it wasn’t our favorite. we sat inside which might have made a difference (others were outside with great weather) but we did love our sommelier, he made the visit fun.

Dinner at Celadon – good, really cool location/vibe but not the best meal we had.

Sonoma

Friday – Tasting at Domaine Carneros – amazing location and property. stunning buildings and scenery and they do Champagne/Sparkling wines. We loved the views here but the service was just OK. We waited a very long time in our seats and didn’t get much knowledge/attention about the drinks. however this place is recommended by everyone, so we are still glad we went.

Lunch at Layla at MacArthur Place – highly recommend. very good food, great service, beautiful property.

Then we drove to downtown Sonoma which was cute. We walked around and went to a tasting room. We didn’t spend as much time here as we planned because we stayed at lunch for a while but nice to check out!

Tasting at Anaba Wines – one of our favorites. this was a last-minute booking from a recommendation, it isn’t listed on “top wineries” but was absolutely one of our top places. it was so relaxed, gorgeous building definitely recently updated, the outside was so nice with great views with amazing wine. we could have stayed here all afternoon! since it isn’t a top recommended place it was not packed which was amazing.

Dinner at Napkins Bar and Grill – so good! we loved this place. it’s right by the river where there was an outdoor concert, amazing food (one of the best meals!) and good service.

Saturday – Tasting/Tour at HALL Wines – top favorite. we loved the tour here, so much information and incredible wine. We shipped about 11 bottles home and one of us became a member. We would recommend this place to everyone. also highly recommend the tour, we learned so much and our guide was incredible at providing knowledge.

Tasting at Round Pond – beautiful property and really nice tasting area. we were on an upstairs patio where there were great views, fireplace etc. the wine was really good – pricey but worth it

Tasting at Alpha Omega – probably 3rd favorite. we did end up waiting a long time to get our table/reservation, but they have a very unique property that doesn’t feel like you’re in Napa but has great views of the mountains. The wine was also very good and we shipped some of their wine home as well.

Dinner at Gran Electrica – very very good. we loved this place, all Mexican food. we got good margaritas and tacos etc. and really good service

All in all it was an incredible trip. It couldn’t have gone smoother and I think we did the right balance of tastings and 2 tours (I think more than 2 or 3 tours would be a lot). Each spot was very uniquely different which we also loved. and we had a good variety of food and no complaints on restaurants.
Let me know if you have any more questions!! Happy to help in any way.

We can’t thank you enough! You made this trip seamless for us and can’t wait to work with you again on other trips.”

–Caitlin

Traveling To Hawaii in 2021

July 14, 2021 by Liz Picurro Leave a Comment

Marcia and Mike planned an amazing bucket-list trip to Hawaii to celebrate their anniversary in 2020. While COVID derailed those original plans, we were able to re-create the itinerary for May of 2021 and they did not let the remaining travel restrictions take away from the overall experience!

At the time they traveled, visitors had to provide a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of their flight to the islands, and then test again before their interisland flights. That has since changed, and fully vaccinated travelers no longer have to test.

If you’re wondering whether it’s “worth it” to travel to Hawaii right now, here’s their first-hand feedback:

“Thanks for helping us plan our once-in-a-lifetime trip to Hawaii. We had a wonderful time! We both agree that the helicopter experience on Kauai was the highlight! Breathtaking views of the island! And surprisingly I was not nervous at all! It was so much fun and we would highly recommend it!

Some things to note for any one else going in the near future…

On Maui, the sunrise at Haleakala requires reservations between 3 and 7 am to get into the park. They were booked up so we could not do that but we did go up later that morning (no reservations) and we would recommend it.

Also, the black sand beach on the Road to Hana (Wai’anapanapa State Park) needed reservations. We took the only available, 3 – 6 pm, which, due to the timing, prevented us from doing the full Hana drive. Ended up ok because unfortunately, it was rainy/cloudy the whole time. Also, note that the ticket that you paid for at Haleakala is also good for the Ohe’o Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools) stop on the Road to Hana.

We loved Mama’s Fish House for the food, ambiance, and view. (We made reservations well in advance while still at home and they were still only able to get lunch at 2:30). The Old Lahaina Luau was great… we enjoyed that. We also went to Fleetwood on Front (they gave us two complimentary glasses of champagne for our anniversary). Nice sunset there. Paia town was cute( ate at the Flatbread Company which was good. We had to wait a short while for a table but did not need reservations. Also stopped at a town called Makawau which had some cute shops.

Our hotel on Maui {Fairmont Kea Lani} was beautiful. They had a beach walk that was nice. We got a morning walk on one of the days. Everything was very expensive… cocktails were between $15 and $22 (on all islands). And thankfully our breakfast was included. The breakfast buffet was $50/person/day!! I’m sure we could have found something cheaper in the neighboring towns (like Kihei maybe). But we loved the hotel and would recommend it for that part of the island. Another gorgeous area of the island was the west side (Lahaina, Ka’anapali, Kahana, Napili, Kapalua). We took a ride up there before the Luau. Would have liked to have explored more there if we had the time.

Kauai

Left beautiful sunny Maui, arrived in beautiful sunny Kauai, and after standing in a 45-minute line at the airport, and then picking up our Jeep, we finally made it to our hotel. Got our bathing suits on, went to the pool and then we felt the raindrops. Haha Oh well. Aside from our day on the Road to Hana, that was our only rainy day. Our room at the Sheraton was very nice. Our room had a patio and a beautiful view of the sunset. We ate on our patio night one with Mexican takeout from Da Crack on Poipu Rd. Really good and huge portions. And reasonably priced. By chance, we also found a great place for breakfast called Anuenue (means Rainbow) which was just across the main road from our hotel in an outdoor marketplace where Starbucks is located (think it was called Plantation Gardens?) Awesome sweet bread french toast with lemon curd and raspberry sauce…yum!

At the Sheraton, only the pool restaurant was open. The other 2 restaurants at the Sheraton were closed.

Aside from the helicopter ride where we saw the beautiful island sights, we did not venture out too much on this island. Think we needed some chill time from all the activities on Maui! We liked the pool/ beach at our hotel and were very happy relaxing there. Surprised that the beach chairs and umbrella were not complimentary though. We had to pay for them each day. We had a Sunset dinner at the Beach House which was very good (expensive) and we enjoyed that. We did make that reservation way in advance and were able to get a sunset time slot for dinner – totally worth it!
We’d say Kauai was our favorite island. Very relaxing and laid back. Everyone, on all the islands, was super nice!

Oahu

Our least favorite island. Loved our Pearl Harbor tour. Our bus driver and tour guide, KoKo, was great! And of course, the memorial at Pearl Harbor was very moving. We also drove through the Punchbowl cemetery which was also very moving. As for Honolulu, though it was city-like, it was very upscale and felt pretty safe.
We found a breakfast place near our hotel called Eggs n Things. One of their specialties is pancakes. We got the strawberry pancakes, which was enough to share, and they were delish!

We were very disappointed in the Outrigger Reef hotel. Though we had a beautiful room with gorgeous views, and the staff was super nice, the hotel was under construction. It was noisy, limited pool seating which was enclosed in blue construction walls with no view of the ocean, a sewage-like smelly walk down a sketchy alley to a tiny beach where there was no room to even sit. Not paradise-y at all. We spent most of our time a few beaches down in front of the Sheraton and other Outrigger, though very crowded, and we had to pay for beach chairs/ umbrella for the day. And the restaurants where we ate were located down there as well (Duke’s and Hula Grill ). We also checked out of the hotel at noon but had to kill time until 5:00 when our airport shuttle picked us up (we did not have a car). Ended up having lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and sitting in one of the sitting areas at the Sheraton until it was time to go. Sort of a wasted day…in hindsight, we would have tried to schedule an earlier flight home. And also should probably have stayed at the Sheraton. Fyi – The Outrigger Reef did ask for our feedback which I gave…they are supposed to be refunding the resort fee. I did mention to them that I didn’t know what that was supposed to cover since everything but the pool and pool bar were closed.

In general Maui and Kauai were just relaxing restrictions so not much opened and the places that were opened were closed by 9pm. Oahu was pretty much open. Travel, though it went pretty smoothly for us, found us spending a lot of time scheduling tests, taking tests, filling out questionnaires, and waiting in lines at the airport for clearance to get into the islands. “
My husband — who is much less patient than me 🙂 — suggests limiting travel to one island until the COVID rules are relaxed. Thankfully you were very clear in what we needed to do and when, so we planned ahead and did not have any issues (except for wait times).

a happy couple on their anniversary trip in Hawaii

“All in all, it was a wonderful trip and we had a great time! Thanks so much for all your hard work to make it a very special vacation for us.”

What’s new (and not-so-new)

July 7, 2021 by Liz Picurro Leave a Comment

Have you ever visited a favorite hotel right after they finished a renovation or refurbishment? And it felt exactly as you remembered it, yet somehow brand new at the same time? That’s sort of what we have going on here at the all-new {but still so familiar} Shared Adventures Travel. The foundation was solid, but we’ve re-designed the rest to better fit our clients and our team.

We are still the same group of smart, friendly, well-traveled professionals you already know and love, but we spent the COVID-induced downtime figuring out how best to leverage our own unique backgrounds, experience, and expertise.

We have a really clear idea of the kinds of trips we each excel at planning, and we’ll more than likely be bringing in some new faces to fill in any gaps. You can learn more about us here, and check out our new “Meet the Team” video here.

We are leaning into our industry connections and making sure that clients benefit from things like special perks/amenities at hotels, special group rates on select cruise sailings, and VIP hand-holding from our in-destination partners all around the world. We’ll be highlighting some of those perks and partnerships in upcoming social media posts, so be sure to like/follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay in the loop.

So what does this mean for you?

If you’re dreaming of an exotic honeymoon to South Africa or Bora Bora, Ann’s your girl! She’s “been there done that” and she can recommend the most romantic accommodations, arrange the most unique experiences, and reach out to her local contacts to provide just enough support along the way.
If you’re struggling to plan an Orlando vacation for your family, Mike’s got you covered! He’s been to the parks countless times, with and without his own little ones, and he knows all the time- (and stress-) saving tips to ensure it really IS the happiest place on earth.
And if you just don’t have the time to sort through reviews on every restaurant in Rome, Liz is on the case! She will happily take over those concierge tasks at a very reasonable hourly rate and you can put your free time to better use. Like shopping for the right travel wardrobe 😊

We could go on and on, but I think you get the idea! We hope you can feel the new energy and excitement, and that you’re looking forward to planning your next adventure. In the meantime, if you have any lingering questions, check out the new FAQ page, send us a quick note, or give us a call. We’d love to hear your feedback!