About Matt Long
Who am I? I am a typical Gen-Xer and recovering cubicle-dweller who has a passion for all things travel. My site brings a unique perspective that is hard to find online. I am not a backpacker, nor am I...
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Visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Sites
11 April 2013 11:55 PM | 17 Comments -
20 Things Every Smart Traveler Should Know
11 March 2013 11:55 PM | 33 Comments -
Five Foods You Must Eat in Europe
12 November 2012 8:10 PM | 23 Comments -
Five Reasons to Stop Dreaming and Travel Now
16 April 2012 11:55 PM | 47 Comments -
So What’s Reykjavik Really Like?
28 February 2012 11:55 PM | 30 Comments
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travel Archive
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The Truth about Travel Packages: Gimmick or Best Deal?
Posted on September 27, 2012 | 7 CommentsThe following is a sponsored post, but as always all thoughts, words and opinions are entirely my own. I recently found myself doing something I love—vacation planning. While exciting, this process can be fraught with confusion and frustration for many. We have more options available... -
Museum Hopping Around The World – Photo Series
Posted on June 21, 2012 | 3 Comments -
A Few Things That Make Me Smile When I Travel
Posted on June 13, 2012 | 10 CommentsTake away the museums, monuments and famous sites and the travel experience can have certain similarities no matter where you go in the world. It is these constants that give those of us who travel a certain level of comfort and predictability, all too important... -
LandLopers Picks of the Week
Posted on May 11, 2012 | 2 Comments1. Otts World I find Sherry fascinating for a lot of different reasons; her adventures though never fail to enthrall me. This year is no different as I’ve been following her arduous hike on the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage trail across Spain. I’m... -
It’s a McDonald’s World – Why They Matter When You Travel
Posted on May 1, 2012 | 60 CommentsSome people get very fussy and pretentious when they travel, particularly when food is involved. I agree that discovering new and interesting experiences, including food, is a huge part of the adventure, but there’s also the very important pop culture element. I love exploring grocery... -
Dealing With My Traveler’s Guilt
Posted on April 26, 2012 | 10 CommentsAs our big, two-week vacation of the year comes to a close I’m faced with about twenty hours of flying and a lot of time to think. I’ll reflect on the great experiences we had while exploring new and familiar places in Asia, but I’ll... -
Five Reasons to Stop Dreaming and Travel Now
Posted on April 16, 2012 | 47 CommentsPeople are really good at coming up with excuses NOT to do things and sadly travel is a frequent victim. I don’t have enough money, I don’t have enough time, I’m too old, I’m too young, I’m under indictment – these are all ways people... -
My Travel Inspiration
Posted on April 2, 2012 | 9 CommentsThere are many motivators that make people want to travel, and much of it is expressed through photography. There is something special about travel photography and its ability to move and inspire. We’ve all seen the National Geographic-style, amazing “I can’t believe it’s real” photos,... -
The Color of Travel Photo Series
Posted on March 29, 2012 | 6 CommentsCertain things grab my eye when taking travel photos. Cute animals, unique architecture and colorful scenes always manage to capture my attention when I’m on the road. This week I get to put into good use my preoccupation with colorful things because the #FriFotos theme... -
Travel Isn’t About the Places or Even the People
Posted on March 28, 2012 | 6 CommentsI started this blog two years ago because my true passion in life is travel, and more than anything I want to share that with others. Because it’s my favorite pastime, I also find myself reading countless travel web sites from people around the world,... -
Spring Around the World – Travel Photo Series
Posted on March 22, 2012 | 8 CommentsEven though most of us on the East Coast didn’t have a cold winter, spring has arrived and with it blooming flowers, maybe lambs and allergies. Always on top of any possible calendar tie-ins, the organizations of #FriFotos this week have designated SPRING as the... -
My Four Least Romantic Travel Experiences
Posted on February 13, 2012 | 19 CommentsJust to preface this post, these are my personal least romantic experiences. I don’t mean to say that these activities are themselves inherently unromantic, but for us they were anything but romantic. 1. Flying anywhere - I can’t think of anything that can ruin a... -
My 7 Super Shots
Posted on January 29, 2012 | 14 CommentsI was recently approached by the site Hostelbookers.com to participate in a round robin style blog post. Yes, another one, but this one is fun. They assembled seven bloggers, including myself, and asked us to contribute one photo and story for seven categories. You can... -
Importance of Supporting Local Communities When You Travel
Posted on January 16, 2012 | 14 CommentsA few weeks ago I published an informative guest post by Amanda Williams all about Sustainable Tourism. I particularly enjoyed the post because while it’s easy to bandy about the term ‘sustainable,’ very few people actually understand what it means to practice sustainable travel. I... -
Sustainable Tourism: What is It, and Why Should We Care?
Posted on December 25, 2011 | 12 CommentsToday I am thrilled to introduce this extremely useful article by Amanda Williams, owner of the travel blog A Dangerous Business. I asked Amanda to write this piece because of her expertise in the area and to add some clarity to an issue that is... -
Easy as 123 – My ABCs of Travel
Posted on December 12, 2011 | 8 CommentsI was recently invited by Ben from Adventures with Ben to participate in “My Travel ABC’s” – an alphabetized summary of my travels. Here’s my take on this interesting travel round robin. A: Age you went on your first international trip: Does Canada count?... -
Confessions of a Travel Technology Addict
Posted on March 14, 2011 | 9 CommentsIt started simply with just a camera and a cell phone. But then, seemingly over night, it grew into an avalanche of technology, camcorders, phones, laptops and iPads, each with their own accompanying cord. Before I knew it, my entire carry on bag was filled... -
News and Deals: 03/04/2011 – Luxury hotels rent rooms by the hour, Airlines raising domestic fares, Worst hotel views and Kobe’s Controversial Turkish Airlines Ad
Posted on March 4, 2011 | 1 CommentTrend: Luxury hotels rent rooms by the hour USA Today Upscale hotels are taking a page from those no-tell motels where you see cars parked in back at lunchtime while couples engage in low-rent activities. At a time when hoteliers are trying to get more... -
News and Deals: 3/03/2011 – Rebound in travel industry threatened by fuel prices, Cruise capacity in Australia increases in 2012, Cheap sleeps in Europe and Top five bargain destinations for spring 2011
Posted on March 3, 2011 | 1 CommentRebound in travel industry threatened by fuel prices Reuters After a slump due to the recession the travel industry is booming again but any rebound could be threatened by a fuel price rise, travel experts said. The mood was buoyant at the New York Times... -
News and Deals: 3/02/2011 – US Airways closes a loophole and adds new fee, Egypt invites Oprah to promote tourism, Omni Hotels Join Global Loyalty Program and Royal Travel Deals and Steals in London
Posted on March 2, 2011 | No CommentsUS Airways closes a loophole — but opens a can of worms Orlando Sentinel A few weeks ago, Bob Johnson got an email from a US Airways employee that began, “They’re at it again.” What was US Airways up to? At the beginning of the... -
Will Oprah Help Australia?
Posted on October 18, 2010 | 8 CommentsThe media giant Oprah Winfrey recently surprised her audience when she announced that all 300 of them would join her for a trip to Australia, where Winfrey will tape at least two shows. While in keeping with previous mega-Oprah gifts (you’ve won a new... -
Dangerous Travel
Posted on July 13, 2010 | 23 CommentsI was recently talking about travel with a friend, and the concept of difficult travel arose. His position was that he would travel to any locale, regardless of the potential danger. I argued that it was inherently irresponsible to knowingly put yourself in a dangerous... -
Snoopy, U2 and Arthur’s Seat – How I Caught the Travel Bug
Posted on June 23, 2010 | 6 CommentsFor as long as I can remember, I have always had a love affair with all things foreign. When I was very young, I had the Peanuts Encyclopedia set and memorized the volumes about the countries of the world. By the time I was ten... -
The Puzzle: Response to the Thirty-Something Midlife Crisis
Posted on June 16, 2010 | 12 CommentsLast week I published a post on travel and the thirty-something midlife crisis. In the article I discussed the seemingly high level of general dissatisfaction felt by many in Generations X and Y. I then discussed how this same malaise had struck my family, to... -
Travel and the Thirty-Something Midlife Crisis
Posted on June 7, 2010 | 71 CommentsSince Douglas Copeland first defined my generation as Generation X, scores of books, studies and treatises have been written trying to get to the core of who we are. Moving beyond just my generation, Generation Y and now the Millennials are coming into their own,... -
Is Travel a Human Right?
Posted on May 27, 2010 | 9 CommentsIn April, the European Union (EU) declared that travel and tourism is a basic human right and introduced a program whereby the EU will subsidize vacations for youth, the elderly, the disabled and for those who are poor. For those who qualify, the EU will... -
Warning: There is No Such Thing as a Dream Trip
Posted on May 20, 2010 | 10 CommentsAlmost everyone imagines their dream trip. Disney World, Paris, or a cruise around the world, the ultimate trip is the daydream of most people. However, few people ever realize their dream or, for that matter, even try to fulfill their dreams. I first started thinking... -
Five Travel Lessons My Dog Taught Me
Posted on May 12, 2010 | 34 CommentsI am the proud parent of three dogs: Moya, Cody and Preston. Over the years I have observed their behavior and how they interact with the rest of the world. I soon realized that they have many lessons to share, especially for the traveling sort.... -
Travel Blogs & TravelTuesday
Posted on May 2, 2010 | No CommentsTravel Blogs 1 Dad, 1 Kid, 1 Crazy Adventure Aaron’s Worldwide Adventures Adventures with Ben Amateur Traveler Angie Away Around the World in 80 Jobs Art of Backpacking Bacon is Magic Chicky Bus earthXplorer Euro Travelogue Everything-Everywhere Flying With Fish foXnoMad Go, See, Write –... -
Travel Photo – Merlion, Singapore
Posted on March 24, 2010 | No CommentsMerlion -
Travel Photo – The Ancient Library of Celsus in Ephesus, Turkey
Posted on March 23, 2010 | 2 CommentsLibrary of Celsus Located near the modern cities of Kusadasi and Selçuk, Turkey lies the ancient ruins of the Greek/Roman city of Ephesus. At the height of its power, Ephesus was home to more than 250,000 people and was one of the most important... -
Five Travel Tips No One Ever Told You
Posted on March 22, 2010 | 7 CommentsTraveling is all about the details. While the following tips may seem small, they can make your trip a much more pleasant experience. 1. Lip balm and mints. If you’re flying anywhere, then you are going to battle dehydration due to the low humidity levels... -
Travel Photo – St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
Posted on March 22, 2010 | No CommentsBasilica of Saint Peter -
The AllSubway iPhone App: How Not to Get Lost AND Look Good Doing It
Posted on March 22, 2010 | 1 CommentIf you’ve traveled to a new city, then you are probably familiar with the feeling of looking at an alien transit map and wondering who concocted such a thing and how on earth do you use it? The AllSubway app is a good step forward... -
Visiting the Imperial War Museum in London
Posted on March 20, 2010 | 2 CommentsThe Imperial War Museum Tucked away in a SE London neighborhood off Lambeth Road is the Imperial War Museum. Although it has a fairly intimidating name, this museum is easy to get to and thoroughly enjoyable. The Imperial War Museum, to be technical, is... -
How to Redeem Frequent Flyer Miles
Posted on March 19, 2010 | 1 CommentOver the past several years I have successfully redeemed hundreds of thousands of frequent flier miles for some pretty awesome trips. I thought my experiences of actually using my miles was normal until I started talking to other travelers. As it turns out, many people... -
Five Secret Statues of Washington, D.C.
Posted on March 19, 2010 | 5 CommentsMy hometown of Washington is famous for its memorials and monuments. However, there are dozens of outdoor statues and memorials scattered throughout the city which few non-residents know about. Following are five of my favorite secret statues of Washington, DC. DC Statues 1. The... -
Poutine, or How I Learned to Stop My Heart and Love the Cheese Curd
Posted on March 19, 2010 | 4 CommentsPrior to a recent trip to Montreal, I heard a lot about this delicacy endemic to bars and eateries. Some said it was a treasure, others warned me to avoid it at all costs. So what exactly is poutine? Wikipedia defines poutine as “a dish... -
You Belong in Gaol if You Miss This Dublin Landmark
Posted on March 16, 2010 | 3 CommentsKilmainham Gaol Our first, and to date only, visit to Dublin took place over a long weekend when we found an unbeatable deal. Given the brief time in the city and the fact we hadn’t been there before, we had a very hectic and compressed...
