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Passions and Places

A travel + outdoors blog

  • Destinations
    • Africa
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      • Cambodia
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    • North America
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  • Activities
    • Camping
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  • Planning
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting
    • Gear and Packing
  • Travel Styles
    • Active and Healthy
    • Couples Travel
    • Educational and Experiential
    • Foodie Travel
    • Long-Term Travel
    • Nature and Outdoors
    • Off the Beaten Path
    • Road Trips
  • Responsible Travel

Shop Small, Go Far: Cool Travel Gear from Small Businesses

November 24, 2018 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor Leave a Comment

In honor of Small Business Saturday, it’s time for our annual post featuring travel and outdoor gear from small businesses. Shopping small means getting unique and high quality products you won’t find elsewhere, plus it supports entrepreneurship and innovation. Win-win!

Filed Under: Gear and Packing, Responsible Travel Tagged With: Small Business Saturday, Small Businesses

Travel-Themed Wedding Ideas for an Extra Special Day

May 17, 2018 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 10 Comments

Two travelers planning to get married? Say “I do” with these unique travel-themed decorations, accessories, and more.

Filed Under: Couples Travel Tagged With: travel decor, weddings

Lights, Camera, Festival: The Luang Prabang Film Festival in Laos

December 30, 2017 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 6 Comments

Thanks to some lucky timing, we got to attend the 2017 Luang Prabang Film Festival in Laos. This annual festival celebrates Southeast Asian cinema, supports local filmmakers, and gives Lao people a rare chance to go to the movies.

Filed Under: Asia, Educational and Experiential, Laos Tagged With: festival, film festival, Luang Prabang, movies, Travel Styles

Our Travel Gift Guide: Gift Ideas for the Travelers in Your Life

November 22, 2017 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 22 Comments

This holiday season, give the travelers in your life something they’ll really love. From beautiful home decor to super practical gear, these are our top gift ideas for people who travel.

Filed Under: Gear and Packing Tagged With: gifts, maps

How Housesitting Is Helping Us See the World

November 15, 2017 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 24 Comments

Free accommodations in a nice house and cool pets to play with while you travel? Yes, please! Housesitting has been a big part of our journey in Southeast Asia, and become much more than a way to save money.

Filed Under: Accommodations, Long-Term Travel, Thailand Tagged With: digital nomad, housesitting, petsitting, Travel Styles, TrustedHousesitters

Exploring Louisiana from Baton Rouge to Bayou Country

May 21, 2017 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 2 Comments

Many people who travel to Louisiana only visit New Orleans, but it’s not too representative of the rest of the state. As it turns out, Southern Louisiana is a great place to learn about history, politics, climate change, and oft-forgotten communities. Follow along on our road trip to see the best things to do in Baton Rouge and then explore the Louisiana bayou. Stops include Houma, Thibodeaux, Cocodrie, Montegut, and Isle de Jean Charles, the setting of the film Beasts of the Southern Wild.

As much fun as New Orleans is, there’s more to see in Louisiana. Our road trip took us to the highlights of Baton Rouge and then to Houma and the bayou, a place where land becomes water.

Filed Under: Educational and Experiential, Louisiana, North America, Off the Beaten Path, Road Trips, U.S. Tagged With: Baton Rouge, Houma, Travel Styles

Exploring Our Own Backyard: The National Parks of Montana and Wyoming

April 5, 2017 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 8 Comments

If you’re thinking about a road trip or other travel in the American West, chances are you’ve got some national parks on your radar. Montana and Wyoming alone are home to three of the most popular parks: Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton. Here are our tips on the top things to do in each national park and the towns nearby. Highlights include Old Faithful, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Jenny Lake, and the towns of Bozeman, Whitefish, and Jackson.

Montana and Wyoming are home to three of the most popular national parks in the U.S. – and we were pretty lucky to grow up near them. Whether you want to visit Glacier, Yellowstone, or Grand Teton (or all three!), here’s how to make the most of your trip.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Hiking, Idaho, Montana, Nature and Outdoors, North America, U.S., Wyoming Tagged With: Bozeman, Glacier National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson, national parks, Travel Styles, Whitefish, Yellowstone National Park

How to Eat Healthier and Save Money While Traveling

March 17, 2017 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 10 Comments

Eating out every day when you travel can get rough if you’re health-conscious or on a budget. Here are some of the best alternatives, including healthy road trip snacks, other cheap travel foods, easy recipes, and a food packing list.

When you’re traveling, eating out for every meal can seem inevitable – but it gets rough on both your wallet and your health. Here are all our best ideas for cheap and healthy travel foods, including grab-and-go snacks, super easy recipes, and things to bring with you.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Budgeting, Foodie Travel, Gear and Packing, Road Trips Tagged With: cooking, Travel Styles

Travel Resolutions You’ll Actually Keep

January 2, 2017 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 24 Comments

Whether you’re setting a 2017 New Year’s resolution you can actually keep or just looking for some inspiration, try one of these fun, realistic travel goals. Plus, get tips on solo travel, saving money, volunteering, language learning, and more.

Make 2017 the year you stick to your New Year’s resolutions! Instead of setting lofty, impossible goals, try one of these totally feasible travel resolutions that will actually be fun to keep.

Filed Under: Reflections Tagged With: fitness, foreign language, resolutions, sharing economy, Thailand, volunteering

The Top 6 New Travel Blogs + an Award for Us!

October 21, 2016 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 2 Comments

We’re honored to accept a Liebster Award for our travel blog. Passions and Places focuses on responsible travel, outdoors adventures, and getting off the beaten path - plus lots of budget travel tips for doing so. Read on to learn more about us, and see our nominations for top new travel bloggers.

We’re honored to accept a Liebster Award for Passions and Places! Read on to learn a bit more about us and discover some more great new travel blogs.

Filed Under: Reflections Tagged With: Iceland, responsible travel, Rwanda, Tanzania

Close-up of a white man and woman both wearing black with trees in the background, and an overlaying green banner that says "Welcome!"

Hi! We’re Jen and Ryan, an American couple on a journey to travel the world while working from the road. We’re passionate about outdoor adventure, responsible travel, and getting off the beaten path. Passions and Places is a space for us to share our stories and tips with you, but most importantly, we hope to inspire you to seek your own adventure.

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