ABOUT ME
Hi, I'm Kaitlyn, a young professional with a hectic schedule who wants to make the most of every minute I have out of the office. I have always loved to travel, but when I found myself working 80+ hour weeks, I also found it really hard to plan for the few days I had off.
There were plenty of travel resources out there, but it still seemed more difficult than it should be to find what I was looking for. I found all too many blogs focus too heavily on budget, sacrificing experience and sanity for the sake of a few bucks. Magazines, on the other hand, tend to cater to those with endless resources. All of them seemed to forget the practical details actually needed to pull off a great trip.
I realized how fortunate I was to be able to travel - both for work and for play, so I decided to put those experiences to good use! Here I hope to give you the actual tools needed to build a perfect vacation or, often, a weekend getaway - there are still bills to be paid! I won't be recommending hostels, but I also won't be pitching experiences only an heiress could afford. I'm here to help everyone find their exceptional. I'm here to give you the guide to spending your PTO like a pro.
ABOUT PTO TRAVEL PRO
As with any blog, I will share my personal experiences about my trips, but I will also distill the key information from each destination into a guide. This hybrid approach will seek to provide the best of both worlds - easy to find practical information and personal color about stringing it all together.
THE GUIDES
For each destination guide, I will try to help you answer three key questions:
WHAT SHOULD I DO? I hope you find this to be one of the most useful parts of PTO Travel Pro. Of course, I'll list out my favorite things to do in a destination and what they're all about. Where I aim to go a step further is through the individual activity guides. These will quickly help you pick out which activities are for you and what you are looking for, depending on your budget, activity level, and more. The guides will also give you the tools you need to build your itinerary. I've read plenty of blogs that advise doing ten things in a day, which usually just isn't enjoyable or even possible. I've also read plenty of cost-cutting tips that really end up cutting the fun out of your trip. Sometimes it's worth a bit of extra cash to avoid the line or have the knowledge of a guide (and sometimes it's not)! With key information about how much time an activity realistically takes (including the lines), other points of interest nearby, and tips for planning ahead, you can start to map out a day that makes sense and will ultimately be more fun!
WHERE SHOULD I STAY? I find hotel options to be an incredibly personal choice as loyalty, budget, and individual preferences come into play. What I have found to be more helpful is understanding the neighborhoods of a city. If I understand the nuances of each part of a city, I can figure out where I want to spend my time, which makes it easier to pick a place to sleep. The neighborhood & hotel guides will give overviews of major neighborhoods in a city, explaining the feel and listing key hot spots, as well as highlights from some select hotels. Even if you already have your hotel locked down, these can also help you find a spot for lunch or dinner after you finish up an activity!
WHERE SHOULD I EAT? Honestly, I think there are a lot of good resources out there that help answer this question really well, so my guide will be simple. If I eat somewhere awesome, I'll list it here and include the booking link. I'll also be sure to break out the list for different types of dining - sometimes you don't need a dining "experience" after a long day and it can be hard to find a quality casual spot.
In addition to guides for the usual cities & places, I will also create separate guides for ski resorts that are tailored to explain the destination and the mountain. As a skier who enjoys a nice blue cruiser and has no immediate desire to venture into black terrain, I make no claims of being an expert. There are a number of blogs and sites that cater to thrill-seekers and powder hounds if that's what you're looking for. I aim to simply give the perspective of a leisurely skier who wants to have a good time on and off the slopes.
THE BLOG
Where I hope the guides will be a useful reference piece to steer your planning in a clean, factual way, the blog will serve to deliver my personal experiences and advice. I'll talk through day-to-day what we did and how it went. If you want to follow in my footsteps, I'll always be sure to provide a timeline of the day (complete with maps) so you can see exactly how our day played out. If you're looking for inspiration or helpful hints, I'll also sprinkle in guides for things like packing or photography as well as lists of my favorite places.
I'm happy you've found your way to PTO Travel Pro, and I hope you will keep coming back for more. Welcome, and happy travels!